Stenography Skill Test: Is it still relevant?

Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts the recruitment of Stenographers in Grade C and D every year for various government departments. One wonders what is the requirement of hiring stenographers in technological era which is ruled and lived by computers and other gadgets. However, the exercise carried out every year by SSC as well as other government organizations does point out that the skill of stenography is still good enough to land you a job. Let us find out why.

Stenography: an Art that refuses to Subside

Stenography is based on phonetics where words are represented by symbols. In other words The Stenography Test consists of transcription of dictated script.  It is basically used for taking down notes, writing briefs, covering a press conference, taking dictations etc for official communications in government as well as private organizations. The same work can be done by Dictaphones, tape recorders etc also. So what is the need of stenographers in this age?

• Human Intervention required: The tasks accomplished by stenographers actually require human interventions at the time of taking dictation or notes from your superior. It requires togive suggestions then and there.
• Gadget is not the complete solution: When it comes to being a secretary, a human being scores way more than the gadgets because the job of a secretary requires understanding the work profile with a human mind and brain. Stenographers come in handy in that because they have brains along with skill. If you are using a gadget to do the job, a human being will anyway be required later for making the transcripts and review.
• It requires a skilled human being to understand the exact requirement: A gadget cannot understand the need of the hour and cannot think on its feet but a human being can. The human mind will always be superior to machines because machines are only tools of human minds. So, a stenographer will be able to understand what is required to be done in a given situation and a gadget cannot do that unless it is programmed to do so.
• Creates more jobs: This may not be the ideal point of having stenographers around but the recruitment of stenographers in various government organizations actually gives jobs to a lot of people. It helps in generating employment and in a way, contributing to the economy of the country as well.