If you work with a computer then you definitely want to perform high accuracy and fast typing speed. It will not only help you to do your tasks better but also let you focus on the job instead of mechanical issues. All students and office employees must show high results in such tasks. But it’s easy to say instead of doing.
Fast typing and accurate typing are essential skills for individuals. Even though we have many tools and apps to correct texts and level up our abilities, that’s not something you can rely on. You may correct your content using grammar software but it will take time. You can improve your speed but make mistakes and misprints. That’s why many people rely on a transcription company and use human transcription service to avoid issues. Also, they may do their best to improve their typing skills and work with textual content like a pro.
Is it possible to improve your typing skills?
Yes, it is possible and quite easy to do if you truly want it. Just take into account that accurate and fast typing is a skill that requires practice. For instance, if you haven’t ever focused on touch type then hardly you can obtain such a skill.
So remember that everything depends on your desire and efforts. If you use the following instructions then you’ll make your typing abilities better day by day.
Also, you must take into account that you need to develop your skills constantly. It’s impossible to try these tips once and boost your accuracy and speed of typing in several days to a professional level. Practice is the best teacher for everyone who aims to improve skills and knowledge.
Efficient steps to improve typing skills
Many people expect that there are special secrets to fast and accurate typing. The truth is all tips are quite obvious. You may even think that you have already known them but be honest with yourself: have you followed any recommendations from this list?.. Likely you haven’t.
That’s why you need to focus on your goal and improve your typing skills. The following tips will play into your hands.
Step #1. Learn how to sit properly
A preliminary step to developing your typing skills is to use a proper sitting posture. Yes, that’s annoying to confess you have always sat wrong at the table.
But if you can recognize a mistake then you are halfway to finding a solution. That’s why hurry up to change the way you are sitting at the table. Here are the main rules for you:
– sit the way you can keep your back straight. Find the proper position by sitting in a chair that lets you have a comfortable distance and height of the table;
– control your feet. Make sure your legs aren’t crossed. The best position is when your feet are put flat on the floor;
– bend your elbows at the proper angle. It must be approximately 90°. Such a position prevents causing problems to your musculoskeletal system;
– the distance between your face and a screen must be 45-70 cm. If you look at the monitor closer then you will expose your sight. People who make video subtitles, transcribe the content, write articles, etc. often suffer from myopia and other eye issues;
– incline your head a little down. That’s a small detail that helps your eyes to experience less pressure;
– make your body relaxed. That’s an essential detail many people ignore. Despite all these requirements, you must feel comfortable because working at the computer may take 8-10 and even more hours. Never shift any pressure on your wrists laying on the table, on your shoulders, and on other parts of your body.
Again, that’s a basic guide but it works. You need to keep in mind the way you sit and control it. This is also a good way to take care of your health without extra pressure.
Step #2. Make your plans
It’s important to set your priorities. Long story short, you can’t start typing fast and make no mistakes at once. These 2 skills will be developing slowly.
A typing speed depends on your skills and is measured in WPM (words per one minute). A good index is 60-80 WPM. If you want to apply for a job that requires specific typing skills, for instance, for positions of in-house or remote professional transcriptionists, you may be required to demonstrate higher typing skills.
But if you type very fast and make mistakes then you will play against yourself. You have to keep your text clear no matter what typing method you use (a typewriter or computer).
So make sure you are ready to start. First of all, schedule your time. You need to find time for your lessons daily to be able to see noticeable results in the future.
Second of all, don’t rush. Any person needs time to develop a new skill. By having high expectations, you risk being discouraged soon. Let yourself learn, practice, make mistakes, and achieve your goals.
Step #3. Practice
The next step to evaluating your typing skills is to repeat the same actions again and again. At the moment this is the only efficient way to learn any new information or develop a skill.
You need months to master anything. That’s also fair for developing your typing skills. As it was previously said, you need to improve your speed and accuracy at the same time. By using the listed above tips, you can’t do anything but keep practicing.
The abilities of our brains are spectacular. While you think you can’t make it, your real opportunities are much bigger than you expect. The particularities of physical processes in our brains and systematic practices help to develop typing skills quite fast.
After you learn the basics of proper posture and finger placement on a keyboard, then you need only to repeat the exercises. The practice will make you move forward to your goal.
Step #4. Extra tips
The listed above 3 steps are everything you need to improve your typing accuracy and speed. If you follow this simple how-to you will notice the first improvements in the next several weeks.
Do you want more? The following extra tips may be useful for those individuals, who want to do their best. Try these recommendations too:
– use specific exercises for beginners that contain simple sentences without punctuation;
– move slowly word by word but stay focused on your tasks;
– count the number of words you are able to type without making a mistake;
– find out which letters cause the most mistakes in your texts;
– if you can’t stop looking at your hands while typing then cover them with a towel or a napkin;
– take breaks but don’t postpone your training schedule;
– try special apps to test yourself;
– increase your workload when you feel you have mastered the level.
Remember that it’s essential to keep a balance between training and breaks. Your goal is to develop new skills or improve the current ones. But the worst that could happen is discouraging. If you don’t have enough motivation or don’t rely on discipline then the risk of failure is high. Make your success real and use professional tips in typing.
A bonus: touch type
Touch type is a brilliant skill for everyone who needs to type a massive amount of content. Many people want to achieve it but only a few really can type without using their sense of sight. You need to ignore a desire to look at a keyboard and just feel it.
That’s why we may rely on the recommendations of transcription experts. Touch type is an essential skill for them that saves time on transcribing and helps improve accuracy. So you need to try the following tips:
– find a home row position. It means places for your fingers that you always start with and return to while typing. For your left hand that are ASDF and for your right hand that are JKL; keys on a keyboard;
– understand the keyboard scheme. You always start and return to a home row position and need to imagine the location of other keys. Every key on a keyboard belongs to the exact finger;
– control your actions. Your fingers must do the job while your eyes should look at a screen. It’s essential to stop looking at keys. Step by step, you’ll get rid of this habit and feel free in touch type;
– increase your speed. There is no need to rush but keep in mind that you can speed up your typing. Take breaks to relax and start exercising again. Also, don’t forget that accuracy matters just like speed.
Touch type is a must not only for professional human transcribers but also for many people. Basically, you need to develop 2 skills at the same time: speed and accuracy of typing. They are related so an individual cannot reach tangible results by having only good typing speed or quality.
Anyway, using the listed above tips everyone may evaluate typing skills. Just stay motivated and you’ll make your desires real!