When most people hear the words court reporter, they automatically assume they report from inside the courtroom. That's true in general terms, but it's far from the only option available to them. When they train as a court reporter, they usually gain experience in other areas as well, and employers are quick to hire them for different reasons and positions. This is especially true of those who gain experience in working with the deaf.

The most common career for a court reporter is working as a recorder. These individuals sit off to the side of the judge's table, where they record all words exactly as they are spoken inside the courtroom. They record conversations with the judge, testimony from witnesses, and even sidebar conversations between the lawyers and judge. Their job involves accurately writing or typing the conversations onto a computer screen.

Court reporters also work as journalists covering the crime beat. Their position requires them to sit inside the courtroom and gives them access to trials. Some are now working part-time for local newspapers, writing articles about trials that take place throughout the week. They can cover the latest news coming from the courtroom such as upcoming trials and verdicts. They typically don't write about the trials they work on, only ones that take place in other courtrooms.

Many court reporters receive training in sign language and working with the deaf. The reason for this is because not all deaf people read lips or have the ability to speak. In the courtroom, they communicate with the deaf, but there are other career options open. Provided that they can work with sign language, they can work as translators for the government and even at amusement parks or museums.

Court reporting requires a high level of data entry skill. There are a few different types of recording done, depending on the courtroom setting. Some record the data by speaking into a microphone, which then translates the data onto a computer screen. The reporter checks the screen for accuracy as the words are spoken. There is taking the old-fashioned approach by actually typing the words on the screen, using abbreviations. Later they translate those abbreviations into actual words for the transcript.

There are a large number of reporters working for news stations and television studios. Their job involves translating the words spoken by reporters or actors into text for the closed captioning. They also work for ballparks and sports arenas where they turn spoken words into text for the hard of hearing.

Court reporting involves a lot more than just sitting in a courtroom. Many people are surprised to learn just how many career options are open to those working in this field. Court reporters always have the option of working for a traditional courtroom or have a number of other options as well. As long as there's a need for closed captioning and reporting, there's a need for court reporters.