Dustin Adkin
Audio Annotation Specialist & Linguistic Analyst
Boston, Massachusetts
Professional Summary
Detail-oriented linguistic specialist with 3+ years of experience in audio annotation, speech analysis, and
content creation. Native American English speaker with exceptional writing skills and a trained ear for
nuanced speech pattern recognition. Demonstrated expertise in capturing voice characteristics, speech
attributes, and language variations. Highly self-motivated professional with proven ability to work
independently while maintaining strict adherence to guidelines and deadlines. Consistently delivers
meticulous, error-free work with exceptional attention to detail across diverse linguistic projects.
Key Qualifications
Language & Linguistic Skills:
- Native English (US) speaker with idiomatic fluency and extensive vocabulary
- Advanced training in phonetics, speech pattern recognition, and accent identification
- Expert-level grammar, spelling, and writing capabilities with zero-error delivery record
- Specialized experience in voice characteristic analysis including tone, speed, intonation, and
pace
- Advanced ability to identify and describe apparent gender, age range, and regional accents
- Proficiency in analyzing pronunciation patterns and speech rhythm characteristics
Technical Proficiencies:
- Audio Processing Tools: Audacity, Adobe Audition, Reaper, GarageBand
- Annotation Platforms: Prodigy, LabelStudio, Appen Connect, UHRS, Lionbridge Smart Crowd
- Transcription Software: Express Scribe, oTranscribe, Trint, Rev
- Productivity: Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, Asana, Trello
- Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet
Professional Attributes:
- Outstanding attention to detail with proven accuracy rates above 98%
- Self-directed work ethic with ability to manage time effectively across multiple projects
- Exceptional adherence to detailed project guidelines and quality standards
- Strong commitment to meeting deadlines consistently while maintaining high-quality output
- Proven ability to maintain productivity while working remotely (25+ hours weekly)
Relevant Professional Experience
VoiceMetrics Inc., Remote
Senior Audio Annotation Specialist
April 2022 - Present
- Analyze and annotate 200+ audio samples daily, identifying subtle speech characteristics
including tone, pace, rhythm, and emotional qualities with 99.2% accuracy
- Generate natural, accurate, and creative descriptions of voice attributes including perceived
age, gender, accent, and speech patterns for AI voice recognition training datasets
- Create detailed annotations describing voice characteristics, intonation patterns, pronunciation
features, and speech tempo
- Maintain consistent 98.5% quality score across all annotations while exceeding weekly
productivity targets by 15%
- Participate in calibration sessions to ensure consistency in subjective assessments across the
annotation team
- Follow complex annotation guidelines with exceptional precision and attention to detail
- Consistently meet or exceed 25-30 hour weekly commitments while maintaining high-quality
standards
- Provide constructive feedback on annotation guidelines and process improvements
- Adapt quickly to guideline changes and new project requirements with minimal supervision
- Demonstrated exceptional reliability with 99.8% on-time task completion rate
Linguistic Data Solutions, Remote
Audio Content Analyst
June 2021 - March 2022
- Transcribed and annotated diverse audio content including interviews, podcasts, and
conversational samples for machine learning applications
- Created detailed linguistic metadata for 500+ hours of speech samples, capturing nuanced voice
characteristics and speech patterns
- Identified and cataloged regional American English accents, dialectal variations, and speech
idiosyncrasies across diverse speaker demographics
- Maintained 97% accuracy rate while processing 25+ hours of audio content weekly
- Adhered to strict confidentiality protocols while handling sensitive speech data
- Generated natural language descriptions of voice qualities including timbre, resonance, and
articulation patterns
- Participated in quality assurance reviews, providing constructive feedback to improve
annotation consistency
- Developed a systematic approach to audio annotation that improved productivity by 20%
- Met all project deadlines consistently while maintaining exceptional quality standards
Education
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Master of Arts in Linguistics
2019 - 2021
- Specialization: Phonetics and Speech Analysis
- Thesis: "Perceptual Analysis of Prosodic Features in American English Regional Dialects"
- GPA: 3.9/4.0
- Relevant Coursework: Advanced Acoustic Phonetics, Speech Perception and Processing,
Computational Linguistics, Sociolinguistics of American English
Boston University, Boston, MA
Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics
2015 - 2019
- Concentration: Phonetics and Speech Analysis
- Relevant Coursework: Acoustic Phonetics, Speech Perception, Sociolinguistics, Dialectology
- GPA: 3.8/4.0
- Honors Thesis: "Perceptual Analysis of Regional American English Dialects"
Specialized Training & Certifications
Advanced Audio Annotation Certification
VoiceData Academy, 2022
- Comprehensive training in speech attribute identification and description
- Voice characteristic analysis and classification techniques
- Specialized annotation protocols for voice AI training datasets
- Creative description techniques for speech attributes and voice qualities
Professional Transcription and Annotation
Linguistic Society of America, 2021
- Advanced techniques for accurate audio transcription
- Standards for linguistic data annotation and metadata creation
- Ethics in linguistic data collection and annotation
- Quality control processes for transcription accuracy
Accent Recognition and Analysis
American Dialect Society, 2020
- Identification of regional American English variations
- Documentation of accent features and speech patterns
- Standardized notation systems for accent description
- Regional dialect mapping and classification
Advanced English Grammar and Usage
Editors Association of America, 2020
- Comprehensive review of English grammar rules and exceptions
- Advanced punctuation and style guidelines
- Common error detection and correction techniques
- Content editing for clarity and precision
Additional Skills & Achievements
- Languages: Native American English (US), conversational Spanish
- Listening Skills: Perfect pitch and exceptional auditory memory for speech patterns
- Writing Excellence: Consistently produced error-free written content with creative, natural
descriptions
- Remote Work Proficiency: 3+ years experience working remotely with exceptional productivity
records
- Technical Adaptability: Quickly masters new annotation platforms and digital tools with
minimal training
- Time Management: Developed personal productivity system resulting in consistent on-time
delivery of assignments
- Quality Recognition: Received "Top Annotator" recognition for 6 consecutive months (2022-
2023)
- Special Projects: Selected for high-priority voice emotion annotation project for leading AI
company
- Research Publication: Co-authored "Acoustic Correlates of Regional American English Dialects"
in Journal of Phonetics (2021)
- Annotation Efficiency: Developed personal annotation workflow that increased productivity by
25% while maintaining quality standards
