Print
Share
RSSThe Keys to CART Success
By Theresa Marie (Tess) Crowder, RPR, CRR, CBC, CCP
After receiving feedback from CART providers from all over the country, I have established some key points from successful professionals in our field. An overwhelming majority of responses had the words preparation and organization in the tips they were offering. I would also add the word practice in the top three key points. And when the preparations are completed and you are ready to roll, remember that a sense of humor is essential.
Checklists
To help with both preparation and organization, one of the tools I rely on is checklists. To help you, I’ve created a few checklists from the responses I have received.
Of course, the first checklist you will need is one of all the equipment you normally carry on a CART assignment, but you probably have one of those already. I don’t have a checklist for you for your equipment, but I do have a few tips:
- Always pack your software key first!
- Pack equipment in the same order every time.
- Keep your cords, cables, and such stored in clear plastic bags.
- Pack your wireless headsets.
- Pack your practice tapes or disks, in case you have a little time on your hands.
- Turn off the wireless Internet on your computer.
- Keep your software updated.
- Plan your purchases. Keep in mind that the best deals on equipment are often found at NCRA Conventions.
In addition to your equipment, you may want to consider the following comfort tips different CART providers suggested.
- Bring pillows for back – or store some at the meeting place.
- Dress in layers for temperature fluctuations.
- Warm your hands near the fan of the LCD projector.
- Do stretching exercises at breaks.
- Insure all your equipment.
- E-mail dictionaries to yourself for out-of-town assignments.
- Learn basic signs.
When you are preparing for a specific event, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Checklist for prep materials for schools:
- Binder with tabs
- Schedule taped to front of binder
- Syllabus –- terminology, text books, authors
- Handouts from instructors
- Three-whole puncher for handouts
- Highlighter and notepad
- Textbooks “loaned” from the library
Checklist for prep materials for meetings:
- PowerPoints
- Agenda, including speaker names
- Meeting packets for board meetings
- Diagram of seating chart
- Confidentiality and payment agreements
- Printout of alphabetized job dictionary
- Highlighter and notepad
Checklist for prep for conventions:
- Binder with tabs – printout of job dictionary
- Schedule taped to front of binder
- List of board of directors and officers of the organization
- List of sponsors and exhibitors
- Abstracts and PowerPoints
- Hotel and flight information in binder
- Contact information: CART Providers, consumers, and audio/video dept.
- Highlighter and notepad
Writing Tips
So far in this article, we’ve discussed the physical items you will need with you. You will also need to mentally prepare for your job –- and that means coming prepared to write. Here are a few of the things CART providers have suggested you do to prepare for your next CART assignment.
- Use one-stroke speaker IDs.
- Use one stroke for common words and phrases. (See table at the end for some of my favorites.)
- Double stroke an acronym brief to global as the complete name.
- Create “include” files for common recitations, such as the Pledge of Allegiance.
- Add a script to top of job file, such as text for songs.
- Include some briefs in both main and job dictionary for reminders.
- Warm up your fingers by practicing as you are waiting for event to begin.
- Always add new fads and proper names of celebrities to dictionaries.
- Add new terminology, such as the latest slang words, and add common slang words and phrases, such as thingamajig, whatchamacalit, and doohickey.
Remember that preparation and organization are the keys to CART success!
Favorite One-Stroke Briefs for Phrases
| By the way | BAE |
| First of all | FAUFL |
| Good morning | GORM |
| Good afternoon | GAFRN |
| Good evening | GAOENG |
| Let's see | LAOETS |
| Let me see | LAOEMS |
| By and large | BLARJ |
| Like I said | LAOEUKDZ |
| Pretty good | PR-G |
| Pretty much | PR-FP |
| All in favor? | FL*FR |
| You know, | Y-N |
| Thank you very much | THAU*FP |
| Thank you so much | THAUFP |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman | THAUFRP |
| You're welcome | URM |
| Board of Directors | BREKTS |
| Part(s) of (the) | PAFR(T)(S) |
| Kind(s) of (the) | KAOEUF(T)(S) |
| A lot of (the) | LAO*F(T) |
| Type(s) of | TAOEUF(S) |
| Across the | KRAOTS |
| It was | TWAS |
| A little bit | -BT |
| All of a sudden | AFS |
| Found out | FOUT |
| Happy birthday | H-BD |
| High school | H-S |
| University of | Y*F |
| Vice President | V-PT |
| Quality of life | KW-FL |
| Deaf and hard of hearing | D-FG |
| Hard of hearing | H-G |
| Late-deafened | L-FD |
| deaf-blind | D-BD |
| Vocational rehabilitation | VORK |
Favorite One-Stroke Briefs for Words
| Viewpoint | V-PT |
| Standpoint | ST-PT |
| Perspective | PR*F |
| Really | R-L |
| Probably | PR*BL |
| Outstanding | OUGD |
| Adjustment | JAUMT |
| Assessment | SAEMT |
| Analysis | NALS |
| Analyze | NALZ |
| Single | S-LG |
| Issue | ISH |
| Around | RAUND |
| Across | KRAOS |
| Mosquito | MOIK |
| Congratulations | KLAIGS |
| Reality | R-LT |
| Copy | KOIP(S) |
| Happy | HAIP |
| Party | PAIRT(S) |
| Movie | MOIV(S) |
| Money | MOIN |
| M-I(S)(G)(D) | |
| Apparently | PAERNLT |
| Wonderful | W-FL |
| Beautiful | B-FL |
| Comfortable | K-FRL |
| Obviously | OBL |
| Unfortunately | UFL |
| Fortunately | FORL |
| Grandmother | GR-M |
| Grandfather | GR-FR |
| Grandchildren | GR-FP |
| Birthday | -BD |
| Welcome | W-M |
| Girlfriend | GIFRLD |
Theresa Marie (Tess) Crowder, RPR, CRR, CBC, CCP, from Tampa, Fla., chairs NCRA's CART Community of Interest Committee.