Types Of Data Entry Jobs

 

Modern holders of data entry jobs typically spend most of their work day entering data into a computer via a keyboard. They also spend time operating other office machinery related to this task. They are known as data entry clerks but may have other appellations, depending on the office in which they work. Some businesses refer to them as typists, transcribers, keypunchers or word processors. Careers in data entry saw incredible growth in the 1990s. The need for these skills has lessened in recent years.

Data entry work is generally considered unskilled labor. Many employees in this line of work enter into the field with no more education than that represented by a high school diploma. They must have good grammar skills backed by the ability to spell and punctuate sentences correctly. Familiarity with computers and other office machinery is helpful but on-the-job training is available in many work places. Typing or keyboarding skills are crucial, as are skills in using various word processing programs and spreadsheet software.

Before the internet came into common use, data entry took many offline forms. Businesses accumulate tons of data and have a great need for this data to be stored and properly organized so that it can be used in analyzing past performance and trying to enhance future performance. Workers with similar levels of education and skill sets used to enter data in both written and type written form.

After the advent of the computer age and widespread use of the internet, data entry jobs experienced an explosion. The 1990s saw many people with high school diplomas or college degrees enter into this field to help companies with the transcribing of much past data into computer databases. The offline forms of data entry slowly became less common and the field became one that focused mainly on keyboarding information at computer consoles. However, the job still requires other skills and types of labor.

Sometimes data entry jobs require clerks to work with material that is highly technical in nature. They may create complicated tables of statistics, prepare copies of important materials and combine information derived from multiple sources. These jobs exist across a wide spectrum of industries because they are needed to input the personal information of customers along with their medical histories, credit status and so on. There has also been a great need to reformat data that was already in existence but is now difficult to access because of a change in company software or hardware.

There are actually many types of data entry jobs available. These include everything from the typical keyboarding work described above to workers who specialize in transcribing audio data. Some only require basic typing and grammar skills while others demand much more from an experienced data entry clerk.

Data Entry

This job is the one with which most people are familiar from watching television shows. Many businesses maintain large offices divided into cubicles and at the computer console in each cubicle sits a worker typing data. This job requires only a minimal understanding of word processors and some spreadsheet skills.

Content Typist

Internet search engines function by searching text. There are many forms of information available on the net but it is essentially the text on each page that determines how highly it will be ranked in any search results. The goal of any business is to appear first in any search for words related to their products or services. In order to achieve this ranking companies need fresh content written about their business. Many people find work writing basic articles about businesses which are little more than rearrangements of information already present on an existing website.

Research Assistant

Web researchers review products, services and companies on the internet. They write down what they observe in their web searches so that their employers can use the data. Unlike some other data entry jobs, this work can easily be done from home as along as the worker has a computer with access to the internet.

Data Proofreader

The most important prerequisites for this job are good grammar and spelling skills. This is not a job in creating or transcribing data but rather a job that requires the worker to review existing websites and look for errors in the text. This job is often a freelance role that experienced data entry clerks may take in order to take advantage of skills honed by years of practice.

Audio Transcriber

Audio transcribers listen to digital recordings, CDs, videos and other formats for audio recordings in order to turn the spoken words into typed text. There are many jobs available that turn speeches and other oral presentations into typed text that is stored in a computer database. Some of the work is freelance but there are also companies that employ people full time in this line of work.

Virtual Assistant

This job is another data entry job that can be done from home. The virtual assistant schedules appointments, faxes documents and types proposals for businesses just like regular secretaries do in offices. They receive jobs online or via fax and can send them back the same way.

These jobs and others that involve data entry are available with many large corporations and also via freelance work on the internet. Since there are a large number of data entry clerks there are always people leaving the field and retiring from work so there is also a need to replace them. These workers often follow a typical labor week, putting in 40 hours or more. Freelancers can do this work as much as they want, since the work never really runs out. Salaries are in the $25,000 to $35,000 dollar range.

Economists do project a moderate decline in this line of work in the next decade. New computer programs and the abilities of workers to enter their own data are slowly eliminating the need to employ people dedicated only to data entry jobs. There may be as much as a six percent decline in total number of jobs available over the next few years.