Any recommendations for online schools?

[NickiStar]

Hello everyone, I'm new here. I've been a freelance editor and writer in the publishing industry for about two decades now. Publishing is really struggling in this economy, however, and work has been slowly drying up. I've been investigating the possibility of getting into MT work. The skill set I already have would really be valuable in the MT field. I have taken a short, introductory course on MT through my local college, but now I'm looking at in-depth courses that will really give good training for a career. My instructor for the course I did take said that in her opinion, it was really important to be sure your work would be reviewed by a real instructor. I would love to hear what anyone has to say about the various online courses. There are so many, and I have heard that some are worthless. Any opinions on which are the best? Thanks for any input you can give!

[techgirl]

I took the course offered by M-TEC, Inc. They have a great distance learning course. They ship you all your materials and you work on your own but are paired up with an instructor you can email when you need help or have questions. Also, this is the instructor that you email your tests to so they can be graded. Basically you work through various sections and have tests at the end of each of the sections to make sure you're learning the material. They also had weekly lectures you participated in online. M-TEC has a good reputation -- although I had no prior transcription experience I got hired within a month of completing the course. The course offerings might not be exactly the same as I'm sure they've changed things around and I completed the course back in 2002. But I've been quite happy as an MT since then and felt very well prepared by M-TEC.

[Atomiccow]

Thanks techgirl!

[Firebird581]

I am studying at CareerStep and find it an excellent, very rigorous, course. The staff is always there to help; and the forums and chats are encouraging, supportive, and very helpful. Try it, you'll like it!
Irene, AKA Firebird581