• Caption writers work to provide captions for the hearing impaired or foreign language viewers of movies and television programs. You may be asked to provide captions in real time or for pre-recorded programs. To become a successful caption writer, you will need the following skills:

1. The ability to type quickly and accurately
2. Excellent spelling skills
3. A good eye for detail
4. The ability to multi-task
5. Basic technical and editing skills

• To become a successful caption writer, you'll need to develop your typing and English skills. Although it is not necessary, you may want to consider taking typing courses to become a skilled typist or pursuing a degree in English to learn proper spelling and grammar techniques.

Being able to provide captions in one or more second languages may improve the chances that you will get hired as a caption writer, so you can also take courses to become fluent in additional languages.

• To get training specific to the vocation of caption writing, pursue educational and training courses offered through:

1. The National Captioning Institute
2. Other institutes that offer courses in court reporting and/or captioning

• Once you have become educated in the art of caption writing, your next step is to become a certified caption writer. You can do so by taking a certification test offered through The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA).

• Now that you are trained and certified to become a caption writer, it's time to start your career. The non-profit National Captioning Institute regularly hires employees to work as caption writers, so visit their website or contact them directly to find out more about job openings. You may want to consider joining the National Court Reporters Association to gain access to their job listings and career resources.

If you are not having any immediate luck getting a job captioning, consider trying to get hired as a court reporter. The two jobs are fairly similar, and experience court reporting may improve your chances of getting a job as a caption writer.