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BECOMING AN ONLINE PROOFREADER

online proofreader

Being an Online Proofreader

Online Proofreader Job Hunt – Where to Start

Online Proofreader – A Career for You?

Online proofreaders are becoming a necessity on the Internet with the massive growth of websites. Nothing turns a web visitor off more, or prompts loss of credibility points than misspelled words on your website. We’ve all seen them. That glaring spelling error right on a website’s homepage! (Oh…and yes, I was guilty of it too. I comb my pages constantly for errors, and I find them. It’s just one of those things you HAVE to stay on top of!)

Online Proofreader Work and/or Jobs

How does one become an online proofreader? I asked that very same question. I

wondered – does it take training? Do you have to work for a temp type service and be given “assignments”?

This is what my research has turned up in this hot new job market of online proofreading.

First of all…
There ARE online proofreader jobs to be had. They do seem to require “specialized” training or some type of testing to find out how well your skills are. The more you are skilled, the better chances you have of picking up one of these assignments or jobs. Having an English or literature background is helpful too, even if it was high school courses. It’s the inconspicuous errors that are the hardest to detect — that is why a proofreader is so valuable.

* No need to email me with all my proofreading mistakes :-) I know I’m not a perfect writer!

Don’t get discouraged. Just realize that like any job — the better your skills and experience, the better opportunity you have. You wouldn’t assign a plumber to landscape your home. Someone with gardening experience or education in horticulture might be a better option…..only an example. So as you gain experience in being an online proofreader, you will also gain more opportunities.

Training or Learning for Future Proofreaders

There are many courses. They all seem to charge some type of fee. Be prepared when you set out looking for a class to take. Check with your local technical college before you tackle distance learning. You might get more for your education dollar that way. I know that eLearners had an online Proofreader course offered – they have several communications type classes that could be helpful. But it’s also a great way to earn a degree online – so check out their online degrees.

Knowing another language might increase your assignment quota as well.

Finding those proofreading jobs. Where?

Here’s what I turned up in the “online proofreading” or “professional proofreader” arena.

Grammatika.com
EditFast.com

Both programs above appear legit and have long standing GOOD reputations.

I would also search Job.com, you can post your work at home resume there for free. You can also do the same at Monster – it’s totally free and you can set it up to search for any keywords you want and have them emailed to you every day! Totally worth the 5 minutes to set up. Put in the term  “proofreader”  as one of your searches. Not all jobs that come up will be telecommuting or work at home positions – but this is a great free service to utilize!

One other site worth mentioning is Beyond
 – they offer free job seeker tools. So be sure to take advantage of it as well.

Proofreading is not a high paying job for most. But if it can be done from home and on a part-time basis, it could provide the supplemental income that your family needs.

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    • Tagged as: BECOMING AN ONLINE PROOFREADER, online job for proofreading

    • ChelseeChase

      Sadly, most of the online proofreading jobs I’ve come across require some sort of degree. I think I would be a good fit, but it’s difficult to explain you’re good without the proof. ;)

      • http://www.moneymakingmommy.com Money Making Mommy

        It’s a pretty serious job. Can you imagine major ad copy or marketing campaign going out and the proof reader missed something! I got an email from a huge company the other day and it said “Spa Giveway – Free Message Worth $150!” I was like…..huh??? Ooohhh…. MASSAGE!!! Somebody got their ass chewed for that. LOL

      • Buttery

        This has been my experience as well. I actually got a great proofreading job that feel into my lap. I was hoping it would lead to more, since I had gotten my foot in the door, but so far it hasn’t.

        • http://www.moneymakingmommy.com/ MoneyMakingMommy

          @Buttery – Congrats on the proofreading job!! That’s awesome!

    • rojane

      What does a proofreader exactly do? Is this job related to re-writing an essay or just correcting misspelled words in a sentence? I think this job sounds easy even though I’ve never tried this before.

      • http://www.moneymakingmommy.com Money Making Mommy

        I took as more of a “grading” type thing. Where you go through and make sure all punctuation, grammar, spelling…is correct. I know that a really good proofreader is in high demand. But one woman told me – if you make a mistake and miss some kind of major correction, you’re fired on the spot.

    • Lililee

      I don’t have paid proofreading experience either, although I was a copy editor for my college paper.  I’d probably have to brush up on my sills a bit, but it sounds like it may be a good fit for me. 

      I wonder how much it pays.

    • jela

      I never tried proofreading but I might give this job a try. This might require some skills to become a professional proofreader and I could be up for this challenge.

      • SeleneY

        In my experience, you really have to be sharp with grammar to be a paid proofreader. So, in that respect, you do need to have certain skills. I do freelance writing through a website that links me up with potential clients and then reviews my work once it is finished. The reviewers who check my writing are much more lenient on the occasional grammatical mistake than those who check my proofreading work. Unfortunately, I’m not always clear on where to put those commas, and it can make or break a proofreading job!

    • Jasmine

      Do most of these places require a certain level of experience? I ask because proofing is something I try to keep up on myself and even when i am online the glaring mistakes stick out at me. The issue is I have no hands on “paid” experience. 

      • http://www.moneymakingmommy.com Money Making Mommy

        I think it varies from job to job. Most will let you know what skills/experience they require.