There are many different routes to becoming a professional English proofreader or editor. For most of the proofreading jobs, experience and skills are more than sufficient rather than specific qualifications though. Usually, your skills will be tested as part of the application process. To learn practical English proofreading skills, you can choose to take a course with a professional institution who teaches it all. Alternatively, you can apply to agencies that offer specialized on-the-job training programs.
If you like what you see so far, becoming a proofreader is quite doable. If that is the case, you have to have the basic skills and aptitudes this career requires. We’ve listed some of them below:
1. Hold on English Grammar
Sometimes you can’t put your finger on it like native English speakers, but you may instinctively know a word is spelled incorrectly. That ability will be put to good use as a proofreader. But even if you aren’t a born expert in spelling rules, you can always learn them. There are several options for learning like, including apps, websites, dictionaries, and even word games. It isn’t too difficult a problem to overcome.
You need to live the ins and outs of grammar. If at all you don’t know what the rules are, you won’t be able to spot violations of them. Of course, you can learn the rules & regulations of grammar, but you also need an analytical mind to spot errors naturally. So, study up on the rules in detail, and hone your analytical eye, and you will soon master the conventions and regulations of the English language.
2. Keen Eye for Detailing:
If you are habitual to spot poor grammar in emails, incorrect punctuation in news reports, or misspellings in social media posts, proofreading may be your cup of tea. Meticulous people make great proofreaders. But that doesn’t mean people who aren’t meticulous cannot enter the field; it just means they might need to work a little harder to find mistakes.
3. A good concentration
Another skill you need is the ability (stability) to focus for long periods. You’ll be reading and checking a lot of documents for errors, and that requires high concentration. If you’re someone who gets distracted easily, proofreading maybe not your area at all. At the least, you will need to train yourself to concentrate hard. Distractions around you are going to be counterproductive to this kind of line of work.
4. Education, Training, and Certification
For sure, there are a few successful proofreaders without formal education or certification. That’s because they were in the right place at the right time, & they have mastered the certain skills required in good measure. Academic degrees related to language like literature, journalism, writing, communication, even theology are good for proofreading. That’s because you have to learn elements of what proofreaders do to achieve these degrees.
5. Hard work
Working really hard on upgrading your skills also helps sometimes in Book proofreading. Putting all your hard work will pay off someday. One might not consider all these qualities as qualifications, but for me they are. In the end, there is always an English proofreading service company out there to help. But if you are actually looking forward to becoming a good proofreader, you might wanna consider doing everything written above.
