Great news, proofreaders and editors! There are a ton of jobs for you out there. Many companies are in desperate need of a copy editor because their last one sucked. If you know how to spot an overused word and pick apart a sentence, there’s a job waiting for you somewhere.
Introduction
Proofreading is a very valuable and in-demand skill. It can be difficult for people just starting out to find jobs, but you have many options when it comes to finding proofreading work. Here are some tips for what you can do to land an entry-level position:
Check company websites.
The first step to finding entry-level proofreading jobs is to find companies you want to work for. Use the internet, of course, but also think about your own experiences with various companies. When you buy a product or use a service, what do you consider? What makes someone’s company stand out from another company? If nothing stands out, then it’s probably not worth researching further and should be crossed off your list.
Once you have some ideas about companies that interest you and that might need proofreading services (or even if they don’t), begin searching their websites. Look for positions that require proofreading skills by using keywords like “proofreader” and “editing”. Check the job descriptions carefully to make sure they’re actually offering proofreading work—some companies will call their editing positions “proofing” or “copyediting” instead of “proofreading” because they don’t know what they’re doing! You can also search by location and salary range as well as title range in order to narrow down your options based on things like cost of living where this job may take place (just make sure there aren’t any major misconceptions between titles).
Check website content.
Checking for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors is one of the most basic proofreading jobs. You should also check that language usage is consistent throughout the piece of content you are checking. For example, if a term is used in one paragraph and not another it is confusing to the reader; this can be resolved by making sure all paragraphs use the same terminology (or at least have an explanation for its absence).
Similarly, formatting should be consistent throughout any given piece of content – so if some headings are centered and others are left-aligned then this may need fixing before publishing. Also check images: making sure they’re scaled correctly will help improve readability and avoid distracting readers from what’s actually important on page!
Consider a career fair.
Attending a career fair can be a great way to network with employers and learn about their hiring needs. You can also use this information to determine the types of companies you would like to work for, which will help when it comes time to apply for jobs.
Search your industry association’s website.
As you search for entry level jobs, you’ll come across a lot of opportunities to apply. But not all jobs are created equal. The following tips will help you make sure that the job you’re applying for is a good fit:
- Confirm the job is in your area. For example, if they’re looking for someone who lives in New York City, don’t apply unless you live there.
- Confirm the job is in your field or related field. If they want someone with two years experience as an auto-mechanic and you only have one year experience as a mechanic but five years experience as an accountant, it’s probably not the right match for either of us!
- Confirm that this is actually where I would like to work before applying (if this doesn’t seem like obvious advice). In other words: Do some research on any company whose website has contact information available so that when I’m ready to choose which company I’ll be happy working for and interacting with every single day AND potentially losing sleep over during my first few weeks on the job—I don’t waste anyone’s time by sending them my CV/resume just because it says “open position” next door at [insert name here].
Do some cold calling of local businesses and offer your services as a proofreader.
If you’re not familiar with cold-calling, it’s a simple process: You call up businesses and try to sell them your services. You can find local ones in the phone book or online, but there are other ways to make this easier. For example:
- Consider calling businesses that have a website with contact information on it. They’re more likely to be interested in working with you than someone who just calls out of the blue!
- Look up business listings in places like Yelp and Google Maps, which often contain clear contact information for each listing (like an office number or email address).
- Look up companies’ physical addresses; if they have both a street address and postcode listed on their website or Wikipedia page, then you’ve got enough information from which to craft a personalized script for contacting them about proofreading services!
How Much Do Online Proofreaders Earn?
Well, like any online freelancing job, you can get out of it what you put into it.
Because proofreading takes less time and effort than other writing jobs, these jobs tend to pay less. However, you can earn good money proofreading from home.
Clients tend to charge per word, per page, per project or an hourly rate. As a beginner proofreader, you can probably stand to make about $10 per hour.
Again, this depends on how much leg-work you put into finding clients and how much time you can focus on building a business.
According to ZipRecruiter, proofreaders earn on average $51 305 per year!
For other proofreading jobs:
- Freelance proofreading job salary: $51,991/yr
- Content proofreading job salary: $59, 265/yr
That’s likely these income statements are based on those who work on a full-time basis but, no matter how many hours you can spare to focus on online proofreading jobs, the earning potential is there.
Proofreading is an in-demand skill with lots of entry level options
Proofreading is a great way to get your foot in the door. If you’re just starting out, or if it’s been awhile since you’ve been looking for a job and are feeling rusty, proofreading can be an easy entry point into the workforce. The work itself is often quick and simple enough that even someone with little experience will be able to do it well very quickly—and once they’ve proved their abilities as a proofreader, they’ll have no trouble branching out into other roles within their field.
While proofreading jobs may not pay much on their own (sometimes only minimum wage), many of them will give employees more than one opportunity per day, which means that when combined with other positions within this category such as copyediting or fact-checking (depending on where you’re working), it’s possible to make quite good money from these jobs alone!
Conclusion
Proofreading is a great way to start your career in the publishing industry. You can learn how to proofread while earning income and building your resume at the same time. Proofreading offers many entry level opportunities that will allow you to work remotely, so there’s no need for expensive office space or equipment unless you want it. There are also plenty of jobs available as an independent contractor or freelancer, which gives you more freedom over schedule and workload than traditional employment does.
