# English transcription jobs in Spain



## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

I have a 30-year career of transcription under my belt, specializing in medical transcription. I only transcribe in English. Does anyone know if there is a market in Spain for this, so that I can do this job when I move to Spain? :fingerscrossed:


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## Guest (Feb 6, 2014)

Considering they speak Spanish if there is a market in some little corner there will hardly be huge choice of jobs. Why not learn Spanish?


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Yes, I'm learning Spanish. But transcribing is like the Olympics of a language. I'm nowhere near that for Spanish, and probably never will be.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

AllHeart said:


> I have a 30-year career of transcription under my belt, specializing in medical transcription. I only transcribe in English. Does anyone know if there is a market in Spain for this, so that I can do this job when I move to Spain? :fingerscrossed:


I think there may well be some work, taking into consideration most doctors read articles, go to conferences, watch presentations in English even if they don't speak it. Whether or not it's enough to earn a living from is another matter, and how to get ni touch with the right people is a bit of a mystery as well... Do you have any useful contacts? Get in touch with hospitals/ universities??
Another idea may be to train as an English teacher (it's a short course) and make teaching in the medical profession your speciality as you have expertise in that area. Again you may not earn an awful lot, but I think there's a market there and it's worth finding out more about.
See what others here think.


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## brocher (Mar 21, 2011)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I think there may well be some work, taking into consideration most doctors read articles, go to conferences, watch presentations in English even if they don't speak it. Whether or not it's enough to earn a living from is another matter, and how to get ni touch with the right people is a bit of a mystery as well... Do you have any useful contacts? Get in touch with hospitals/ universities??
> Another idea may be to train as an English teacher (it's a short course) and make teaching in the medical profession your speciality as you have expertise in that area. Again you may not earn an awful lot, but I think there's a market there and it's worth finding out more about.
> See what others here think.


forgive me if this has been discussed on another post, but as a Canadian, will you be allowed to work?


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Brocher, I'm soon to be a Spaniard. I was born a Spaniard, but my Spanish citizenship was given up by my parents when I was a kid and became a Canadian citizen. I'm having my Spanish citizenship reinstated.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I think there may well be some work, taking into consideration most doctors read articles, go to conferences, watch presentations in English even if they don't speak it. Whether or not it's enough to earn a living from is another matter, and how to get ni touch with the right people is a bit of a mystery as well... Do you have any useful contacts? Get in touch with hospitals/ universities??
> Another idea may be to train as an English teacher (it's a short course) and make teaching in the medical profession your speciality as you have expertise in that area. Again you may not earn an awful lot, but I think there's a market there and it's worth finding out more about.
> See what others here think.


Wow, that's awesome thinking. Thank you so much. 

No, I don't currently have any useful business contacts in Spain. I've already checked with the companies I know of in Canada, and they're a dead end when it comes to working in Spain. But I could start making contacts here in Canada by contacting hospitals and universities in Spain, like you say. 

I'm not too keen on the English teacher idea, as I really like just working as a transcriptionist. Teaching isn't really my gig. However, who knows the future holds.


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## brocher (Mar 21, 2011)

AllHeart said:


> Brocher, I'm soon to be a Spaniard. I was born a Spaniard, but my Spanish citizenship was given up by my parents when I was a kid and became a Canadian citizen. I'm having my Spanish citizenship reinstated.


Allheart, that's great! I missed that part of your story!


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Thanks for your shared enthusiasm, Brocher. I was born in Sweden, so my Spanish citizenship has to be approved by the Embassy of Spain in Sweden. All the documentation has been sent by the Consulate of Spain in Toronto to the Embassy of Spain in Sweden. It can happen any day now, but could be up to another four months. I'm sitting on pins and needles now.

The problem is that I speak very little Spanish, as I've lived in Canada since I was a year old (49 years - gulp!). So I'm hoping to continue doing the job I'm best at in Spain - medical transcription. There are lots of medical transcription companies that work internationally, but most of them are rip-offs and/or bogus. But I can't even find rip-off or bogus companies in Spain. That's why Pesky Wesky's idea makes a lot of sense.


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## nivaagg (Nov 8, 2013)

you are good lucky for know language english. there are a lot Jobs for you.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

nivaagg said:


> you are good lucky for know language english. there are a lot Jobs for you.


Thanks so much for your encouragement, Nivaagg. I really hope you're right. I sooooooooooo want to move to Spain.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

AllHeart said:


> Thanks so much for your encouragement, Nivaagg. I really hope you're right. I sooooooooooo want to move to Spain.


I'd like to know what jobs he/she is talking about.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

elenetxu said:


> I'd like to know what jobs he/she is talking about.


I dont either. Spain has mass unemployment, both for Spanish, British, expats of all nationalities, bilingual folk who've lived in Spain for most of their lives....... Transcribing is something that you may be able to do over the internet, but its not going to be easy to find work locally. You may also need to be autonomo/self employed

Jo xxx


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

jojo said:


> I dont either. Spain has mass unemployment, both for Spanish, British, expats of all nationalities, bilingual folk who've lived in Spain for most of their lives....... Transcribing is something that you may be able to do over the internet, but its not going to be easy to find work locally. You may also need to be autonomo/self employed
> 
> Jo xxx


Thanks for your honesty, Jo. There's no sense filling me with false hope, and then I end up on the streets. :help: I understand the unemployment in Spain is about 27%, which is definitely a huge barrier to moving there, so that's why I'm trying to address this problem before moving there. 

Yes, I'm thinking on being self-employed, or as you say "autonomo" - I like that word.  I've been self-employed since 1994 doing this work. And, yes, typically this work is done over the Internet, as I've been doing since 1997. That's the way this work is done now almost exclusively here in Canada as well as the States. But I can't get a pulse on how this work is done in Spain - yet. So I'm hoping someone here on the forum might know.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

AllHeart said:


> And, yes, typically this work is done over the Internet, as I've been doing since 1997. That's the way this work is done now almost exclusively here in Canada as well as the States. But I can't get a pulse on how this work is done in Spain - yet. So I'm hoping someone here on the forum might know.


Then just carry on, but living in Spain not Canada


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Then just carry on, but living in Spain not Canada


As much as it's done by the Internet, almost always you have to live in the same country the work is located. Some companies won't do this, but typically they're rip-offs. I've already checked with my American and Canadian contacts to see if they will allow me to do their work in Spain. Their answer is no. It could be that I will need to move to and work in the UK. I put in a few job applications to the UK yesterday.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

I have fabulous news! For the UK companies I applied to, I asked if I could work for them while living in Spain, hoping working within EU countries would not be as problematic. I just heard back from one of the companies, and their answer is yes. Woot! They said once I move to Spain to contact them to arrange testing and an interview. I'm over the moon! I hope the other companies say yes too, so that I have a few job possibilities before the big move.


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## sdamazo (Jul 1, 2011)

Hi, you don't need to work for Spanish companies only, you can work for international agencies and they pay better rates. I can give some links if interested.

/r/

Shirley


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

sdamazo said:


> Hi, you don't need to work for Spanish companies only, you can work for international agencies and they pay better rates. I can give some links if interested.
> 
> /r/
> 
> Shirley


Thanks, Shirley, for your offer. Yes, there are international companies, as you say, but they are typically in fact the lowest paying. Over the last 15 years, since medical transcription has become possible on the Internet, many companies ship their work out to the Philippines, India, South America and other extremely poor countries, where the transcriptionists work for peanuts, with English as their second language. This has driven the quality of work down (which decreases quality of patient care) and has driven the pay down for us. This also has serious ramifications in patient privacy. I make very little money now at this work, but I don't need a lot of money to live comfortably, because I have a pretty simple lifestyle. So the types of international companies I'm looking for are ones who are based in the EU - or my contacts in Canada or the US. But even a lot of EU, Canadian and US companies ship their work off to those transcriptionists in poor countries. I don't complain much about this, though, because this is the way of the world now, and this is the way of many professions and careers - globalization.

If you think your links are reputable companies, yes, I would be interested. Thank you.

Perhaps I could accused of the same by planning on living in Spain and working for the UK, when the cost of living is lower in Spain than the UK.


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## sdamazo (Jul 1, 2011)

AllHeart said:


> Thanks, Shirley, for your offer. Yes, there are international companies, as you say, but they are typically in fact the lowest paying. Over the last 15 years, since medical transcription has become possible on the Internet, many companies ship their work out to the Philippines, India, South America and other extremely poor countries, where the transcriptionists work for peanuts, with English as their second language. This has driven the quality of work down (which decreases quality of patient care) and has driven the pay down for us. This also has serious ramifications in patient privacy. I make very little money now at this work, but I don't need a lot of money to live comfortably, because I have a pretty simple lifestyle. So the types of international companies I'm looking for are ones who are based in the EU - or my contacts in Canada or the US. But even a lot of EU, Canadian and US companies ship their work off to those transcriptionists in poor countries. I don't complain much about this, though, because this is the way of the world now, and this is the way of many professions and careers - globalization.
> 
> If you think your links are reputable companies, yes, I would be interested. Thank you.
> 
> Perhaps I could accused of the same by planning on living in Spain and working for the UK, when the cost of living is lower in Spain than the UK.



Hello , sorry for the late reply due to moving Murcia, still settling down. 

I still have to compile the info to send you and it might be better to send it in a private message. 

Those companies/agencies are all certified and well known in the market and there is a quite strict system that gives support for each project you take or accept. 


/r/


Shirley


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## Lolito (Aug 25, 2012)

I thought I would do something similar when I decided to move to Spain, but it didn't happen! Good Luck! Are you moving on your own, or with wife, children, etc?


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## sdamazo (Jul 1, 2011)

Hello Lolito (cannot see your real name)

I am a professional linguist and the market is quite active worldwide and does not depend on crisis. I am by myself here in Spain but I travel a lot since I work remotely and sometimes onsite depending on the project. This specific lady is asking for Transcription and there is a market for her but not via private companies or social contacts. This is done via international agencies that provides the freelance jobs. You have qualifications either as a beginner or as a senior you can work for any agency either Spanish or foreign. 

/r/


Shirley


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## sdamazo (Jul 1, 2011)

Sorry... wrote in haste....I mean ...agencies that provide...

and

If you have any sort of qualifications....


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

sdamazo said:


> Hello , sorry for the late reply due to moving Murcia, still settling down.
> 
> I still have to compile the info to send you and it might be better to send it in a private message.
> 
> ...


I would be interested too if you ever get round to sending that PM


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Hi Shirley.

Thank you again for your offer to post this information for transcription companies. I don't think a PM is necessary, since this isn't really a private matter, and surely there may be others like Pesky Wesky who are also interested. 

At the moment, I'm in training for a medical transcription job in Australia, which they will allow me to do in Spain when I move there. Typically it takes at least a couple of weeks before we can determine if it's a good fit, so I don't know yet if I'll take the job. I also learned on the forum to be self-employed you need more than one client. So even if this job works out, I will need another client. 

I know there's a huge market out there for transcription; it's just a matter of weeding through the bogus ones. So, yes, please feel free to post away any companies you'd recommend. Again, thank you.


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