Stenographer uses Tiktok to raise awareness about profession
By Admin User on March 9, 2021
When Isabelle Lumsden isn’t attending classes in NAIT’s Captioning and Court Reporting program, she is using her Tiktok popularity to educate people about stenography. She uses the social media platform to teach people about her little-known, yet an in-demand profession. She has since gained 85 thousand followers with her videos collectively reaching over five million views. She has since been featured in several podcasts and platforms such as 9gag, BuzzFeed, and more.
You can access her Tiktok page here, where she posts videos answering questions about the program and shows us how to use her stenograph machine in her popular Tiktok Court Reporting series, which has gained over hundreds of thousands of views.
What is a stenographer?
“A court reporter or stenographer, is someone who writes everything that is said in a courtroom, using a special machine called a stenograph machine. And push down keys at the same time to spell whole words and can type up to 225 words per minute,” said Lumsden.
Is it a challenge to manage both your classes and your Tiktok page?
“A lot of my Tiktok videos are school related. It helps me to stay more focused and study more. It distracts me, but also motivates me to practice more. It would be awesome to blow up on tiktok, spread word about the profession that’s what it’s grown to and
With stenography being a little know profession, how did you become one?
“I was kind of at a crossroads in my life and I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do. And I had obviously talked to my parents about it and m y mom did some research. She ended up bringing it up to me and said what about captioning and court reporting?”
Mothers always know best! Lumsden said she wants to continue making videos about this profession because it’s a profession with a nationwide shortage and it’s important to bring people to the field.
Chair of NAIT’s Captioning and Court Reporting program Len Sperling said Lumsden’s video have been fantastic to the program, “The interest in the program and the application rate has gone up steadily in the last five years. And I think the major reason for that is word is getting out that there is a good demand for our graduates.”
If you have an interest or would like to know more about NAIT’s Captioning and Court Reporting program. You may visit NAIT’s website.