Freelance Proofreading Jobs, a Great Route to a Permanent Proofreading Career!

Freelance proofreading opportunities may seem like an irrelevance to anyone keen to find themselves a full-time, permanent proofreading job. However, it’s my experience that the two are inextricably linked, because freelance proofreading opportunities can, and often do, lead to permanent proofreading appointments.

Whilst I worked as an Operations Manager in the publishing department of the UK’s largest mail order retailer, I was responsible for ensuring that approximately 10,000 catalogue pages each year went to press containing accurate copy. It goes without saying that we needed more than a couple of proofreaders. In fact, at one time, we had as many as eight proofreaders scouring and red-penning our pages. Of these eight, four were permanent, full-time proofreaders; the rest were freelance proofreaders.

However, the four permanent proofreaders had begun their careers in my department as freelance proofreaders. Two had come from a freelance agency and two had been recommended word-of-mouth by a typesetter who had worked with them at a local newspaper.

On the whole this particular mail-order retailer had made it a habit to bring people in freelance initially, then, if it was felt they were making a significant contribution to, and were a good fit with, the department, they were offered a permanent proofreading role.

I can’t recall ever placing a recruitment advertisement for a proofreader position during my tenure there. Proofreaders always – always – came in via the freelance proofreading route.

Since parting company with the aforementioned business, I have freelanced for a wide variety of organisations. It was remarkable how, when speaking to permanent, incumbent proofreaders, they told me they had begun their proofreading careers as freelancers. In fact, on more than one occasion, I have been offered a permanent proofreading position myself after a stint freelance
proofreading.

This isn’t to say there aren’t permanent proofreading positions being advertised. Of course there are. Just take a look at any online recruitment website. However, if you’re just starting out as a proofreader and haven’t necessarily got the experience to wow a potential employer, you’ll be surprised at how many businesses will take on someone as a freelance proofreader with relatively little experience. Why? Because they know that if it doesn’t work out, they can simply tell you not to bother turning up for work in the morning! It’s up to you to impress them with your keen eye, steadfast concentration and can-do attitude. That’s how freelance proofreading opportunities turn into permanent proofreading jobs.

To find freelance proofreading opportunities, simply Google ‘freelance proofreader’ for your locality. 

Best of luck with all your proofreading endeavours!