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TOO SEXY
for
WORDS…
By Maggie Love
Pitman Training London EC2
 Want
to spice up your image – go blonde, go tan, dress to kill, don’t dress
at all. Forget it! The latest new ‘sexy’ skill for Secs in The City is…
shorthand. Not too long ago we were told it was dead as a dodo, killed off
by audio tapes, IT and the high tech office. But look what’s happening
now. At Pitman Training there are waiting lists for shorthand classes.
Pitman trainers criss-cross London daily as more companies than ever book
their own on-site classes for secretaries, PAs and journalists. So, why is
shorthand grabbing the headlines? According to Pitman Trainer,
Margaret Liddell,
the changing role of the PA has re-kindled the fire. “There are distinct
advantages to using shorthand instead of audio tapes,” she says. “A PA
with a notebook who can quickly read back notes or action points at the
meeting is far more effective than verbatim recording. It is also a highly
confidential medium. “Secretaries who do Internet research find it
invaluable to take and transcribe shorthand notes rather than handing
their boss reams of printouts. They also need to be speedy to take
complicated instructions from bosses on the move.” Another major factor
is the greater penalty for inaccurate reporting of information both in
business and the media. Mistakes can result in a huge loss of business
time or high cost of litigation. As more and more companies value the
skill it is becoming a ‘must have’ on your CV. Shorthand not only
makes you a more desirable PA, it’s a skill that can add thousands to
your earnings. How sexy is that!
READY...
GET SET…
WRITE
-
 We
write at up to 40wpm legibly!
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We
speak at around 150-180wpm normally!
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A
workable speed for PA/secretary is 80wpm
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A
workable minimum for journalists is 100wpm
-
Teeline
writing has been achieved at 200 wpm
-
The
world record is 350wpm recorded by Nathan Behrin in 1922,
according to
the Guinness Book of Records
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Great
speed for PAs: anything over 100wpm is PDQ!
For
information on how you can learn shorthand call us
on
(
020 7256 6668
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DIFFERENT
STROKES
for
DIFFERENT FOLKS
Fast
writing has been a requirement down the ages. Egyptian and Roman scribes
used shorthand, shortforms, symbols and abbreviations in various guises
for speed and confidentiality. Latin abbreviations such as i.e., etc. and
e.g. are still common to this day In England, shorthand was used in
Elizabethan times. Later famous shorthand writers were Samuel Pepys and
Charles Dickens. There were various methods until a young teacher, Isaac
Pitman, squiggled out Eureka! in 1837 and the first Pitman system was
born. He was just 24 years old! Sir Isaac’s system soon took over the
UK, spread to America and was adapted for at least 15 languages. But
although it was fast and elegant, it took the dedication of a saint to
perfect. With different strokes, lengths, weights, vowels, short forms and
a myriad of rules it could take a year to become proficient, driving many
an intelligent being to tears or chocolate! In the 1960s Pitman 2000
provided a simplified version and then came the bliss of Teeline
introduced by John Hill from Nottingham. Simpler still as it is based on
spelling and alphabet adaptations rather than phonetics, Teeline is quick
to grasp and after a few lessons you can be writing lists. Teeline is now
the most popular version for beginners
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