What about the other side of the story, the side that needs you to actually go through pieces of writing and comb them for errors, ensuring they are readable and free of grammar or construction lapses? This in its essence is the vital job that proofreaders do. Without people willing to take on proofreading jobs most pieces of writing would not be all that great to read, with small errors marring the flow. A proofreader needs to fulfill a variety of criteria in order to take up online proofreading jobs. Take a look at some of these criteria:
An eye for detail: This is a key requirement for success in proofreading jobs, online or off it. A person who proofreads needs to have an innate eye for grammatical lapses, sentence constructions that somehow read wrong, and of course, spelling mistakes. Practice at proofreading is also helpful in honing this ability to quickly pick out all the errors and make a piece of text readable.
A sound knowledge of the language: An eye for detail and a thorough knowledge of the language usually go hand in hand. Before looking for online proofreading jobs, a proofreader should brush up their knowledge of grammar, and in brief, cross their t's and dot their i's every time.
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Knowledge of the proofreading symbols: A specific set of symbols is used in proofreading universally. The proofreader must know how to use these symbols. Online proofreading jobs need people who can handle the symbols comfortably. Many basic entry-level jobs can be a good practice ground to pick up standard proofreading skills. Advanced jobs may need a more detailed set of criteria specific to the job at hand,
A willingness to read and learn: While this criteria is not confined to online proofreading jobs, and actually relates to any job or task, proofreaders especially benefit from a willingness to learn. Knowing about various subjects helps, as being familiar with a particular subject gives a slight advantage in going through a piece of writing without much effort. You may actually call it somewhat like the home ground advantage. It can also be helpful to specialize in proofreading texts on a particular subject. A small tip: If you are a beginner, be ready to take up any job for the experience. Keep specialization for the long haul.
Comfort with working online for long stretches: Proofreading can be quite a hectic and sometimes tedious job, needing the proofreader to be comfortable with stiff deadlines. Online proofreading jobs needs the proofreader to be comfortable scanning and correcting documents in an electronic format.
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