6 Tips for Landing Your Dream Proofreading Job Online
Scoring your dream proofreading job has never been easier with these 6 invaluable tips to set you above the competition and impress employers.
That said, here are 6 tips for landing your dream proofreading job online:
- Set Clear Career Goals
- Practice Your Proofreading Skills Daily
- Network With Established Proofreaders
- Create The Perfect Resume
- Consider a Certification in Proofreading
- Know Where To Find The Best Jobs
Keep reading as I delve into deeper detail as to how you can hone your proofreading skills like a pro and find the best jobs out there!
What Exactly Does Proofreading Entail?
Before I dive into the logistics of scoring your dream proofreading gig, let’s take a closer look at exactly what proofreading entails for those who are just starting out.
Essentially, the job of a proofreader is to double-check another’s work to ensure that is free of any errors. This includes punctuation, grammar, spelling, and any other issue that the writer may have overlooked. Proofreaders also ensure that the information in the document is factually correct, as well as ensuring that the document adheres to strict formatting protocols.
That said, there are a variety of different types of proofreaders. Depending on your qualifications and knowledge, you can choose from the following:
- Freelance proofreader
- Online proofreader
- Legal proofreader
- News proofreader
- Publisher proofreader
That said, it’s important to choose which type of proofreading you want to pursue so that you can start working on acquiring the relevant skills and qualifications to make this dream a reality!
6 Tips for Landing Your Dream Proofreading Job Online
Now that you know the different types of proofreading interests you, let’s take a closer look at how you can land your dream proofreading gig!
1. Set Clear Career Goals
As mentioned earlier, it’s important that you understand the different niches of proofreading so that you can plan where you want to go in your chosen field.
That said, here’s a quick explanation of what each type of proofreading entails:
- Freelance proofreader (As a freelancer you will set your own pay rate and choose which clients and companies you would like to work for, offering great flexibility)
- Online proofreader (Online proofreaders assist businesses review their web content, such as blogs and landing pages)
- Legal proofreader (Here you will be editing and reviewing transcripts from court reports to check for errors before they become official records)
- News proofreader (News proofreaders fact-check and check for any errors for media companies before articles are published in newspapers and magazines)
- Publisher proofreader (Here you will be checking for any errors of an author’s final manuscript before it is handed over for official publishing)
Each type of proofreading will require a specific set of skills, so it’s always a good idea to take a course and do your research before embarking on job searching. That said, www.backup.www.skillcrawl.com has some excellent, affordable proofreading courses that can get you qualified for your dream job!
2. Practice Your Proofreading Skills Daily
While this next one may seem obvious, incorporating proofreading into your daily life will naturally improve your skills before you even start doing it professionally! In addition to this, consider joining a workshop on proofreading in your spare time or watching YouTube tutorials.
That said, some of the key skills of a proofreader are attention to detail, grammar knowledge, computer proficiency and excellent communication.
Some fun ways to improve these skills in your day-today activities include downloading word games to practice grammar, reading, comprehension, and spelling. You can also practice writing in your free time and read more books to unwind and improve your skills.
3. Network With Established Proofreaders
As the age-old saying goes, it’s not always what you know but who you know!
Connecting with other established proofreaders is a great way to find out about the best jobs and training opportunities. They will also be able to provide you with inside information on how to score higher-paying jobs as well as the skills that are most in-demand.
Social media is a great way to start. There are tonnes of Facebook pages that are dedicated to proofreaders where they post motivational messages, job opportunities, and tips for improving your skills. For example, here’s a Facebook group you can join for all these benefits : Proofreading Group.
4. Create The Perfect Resume
Having the right skills is only the start when it comes to any job. Your resume is the first thing recruiters will see when looking for applicants, so you’ll want to make sure that you set yourself above the rest.
Since accuracy, attention-to-detail, and perfect grammar and punctuation is so important as a proofreader, you’ll want to make sure that your resume reflects this. If your resume if full of errors, this is a sure-fire way to mess up your application!
So, here are some tips to ensure your resume reflects the perfect applicant:
Reviewing your verb tense. Ensure you have used the correct verb tense when listing past jobs and roles. For your current role, use present tense verbs, and for the rest of your jobs, use past tense.
Including the relevant keywords. When creating your resume, scan the job description to find commonly used words in the industry, such as “fact check” and “review,” and use them in your resume.
Checking for spelling errors. Use an app such as Grammarly to ensure that your work is completely accurate in terms of spelling and punctuation (this is an awesome hack!)
- Reviewing your formatting. Make sure that your line spacing is standard throughout the document and that all text and numbering follows suit.
While this may sound like a lot of work, it’s in your best interests to do this so that you stand a chance of getting a good job. That said, in addition to offering proofreading courses, Skillcrawl also offers a resume-builder as part of the package that helps build your resume for you based on your skills and competencies. This takes away the headache of creating one from scratch yourself, which is a huge bonus!
5. Consider a Certification in Proofreading
While you don’t need a fancy degree or qualification to become a proofreader, taking a small course and receiving a certification your chosen field is definitely a good idea.
Having an excellent grasp of the English language and a flair for reading and writing is only the basis of what you’ll need to land your dream proofreading job.
6. Know Where To Find The Best Jobs
Once you have your certification and feel confident that you’re ready to start applying for jobs, you’ll need to know where to find them!
There are plenty of sites that are dedicated to finding proofreaders jobs, with some of the most well-known sites being:
These are perfect for finding freelance jobs while you get started with proofreading, but if you wish to work full-time for a company you will have to visit sites such as indeed.com and CareerJunction.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking to grow your skills and complete a certification in almost ANY field, then why not check out www.backup.www.skillcrawl.com?
We offer a range of courses that can help you fill the skills gap required to earn the salary you’ve always dreamed of! And the best part? If you’re not sure about what you want to study, we offer a subscription-based model which means you can complete ANY course you wish at any time (you can cancel your subscription whenever you wish).
We understand that paying a once-off lump sum can be daunting and unaffordable for many people, which is why we’ve come up with an affordable way for you to choose from a wide range of courses without making a huge financial commitment.
If that isn’t enough, we are one of the few businesses that offer FREE aptitude assessments to guide you in the right direction career-wise so you aren’t stuck with a course that you don’t want to do.
So, what are you waiting for? Check out what we have to offer here and take your FREE assessment.
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