Proofreading Jobs Overview
Wordplays, elegant syntax, immaculate flow—these are the joys of the professional proofreader. But this field isn't just about witticisms and puns. Proofreading jobs will swoop you into a cornucopia of literary fun, but they're also necessary for ensuring clarity, consistency, and error-free copy in publications and online content. Adhering to style guides, consulting dictionaries and thesauruses, and wearing the etymologist's hat are all par for the course. Are you an eagle-eyed reader fascinated by the origins of words? Do you love spending your days reading and correcting copy? Do you maintain a spirit of collaboration? Then you may certainly enjoy a career as a proofreader.
After a piece of content goes through a few runs with several strata of editors, it ends up on the proofreader's desk—the very last set of editorial eyes. The proofreader catches mistakes before the final version gets published. Throughout your workday, you'll focus on marking up copy to correct spelling, grammar, formatting, style, and even layout. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the top industries hiring proofreaders include newspapers, periodicals, and book and directory publishers, but you can find proofreading jobs in a wide variety of fields, especially thanks to the proliferation of content-marketing departments. Plus, you can provide proofreading services for scientific, technical, financial, or legal organizations too.
Since you're likely fond of editorial work overall, you can also search through our overarching collection of media jobs. Or you may be inclined toward these similar roles:
Proofreader Education and Skills
The most important factor for you to land any proofreading jobs is your proficiency with written language. You will likely need a bachelor's degree too. Many job seekers in this field will have majored in English, journalism, or communication, but you can still pursue this career path if you studied another discipline. For instance, you may have an advantage with a biology degree if the position requires that you proofread a medical research paper or a computer science degree if you'll be working on technical manuals for software releases. Most employers will require a proofreading test nonetheless, so you'll be able to flaunt your editorial capabilities there.
Meanwhile, you'll want to hone some of these helpful skills:
- Assiduous attention to detail.
- High-level grammar and spelling.
- Meticulousness and resourcefulness.
- Rapid reading ability.
- Patience and coolheadedness.
- Knowledge of various style guides (and the capacity to adapt to any in-house guides too).
And undoubtedly—being a good writer is an added benefit. Learn more with this editor job description sample from Monster.
Update Your Proofreader Resume
Think of yourself as the lexical sentry at the gate. Typically, any article or piece of content will end up in your hands before it's published—and hence you're responsible for upholding the standards of good grammar and appropriate language usage that will be expected of you. So your resume should immediately reflect your hawk-eye for rectifying typos and a sharp-sightedness for averting grammatical mishaps. Add a layer of editorial lacquer by applying some of our refined resume writing tips.
Then, proclaim your love for words and all things grammar in an exquisitely crafted cover letter. Your approach should be tailored to the types of proofreading jobs you're applying to, but you can potentially mention some of your stylistic preferences (such as, say, your partiality for the Oxford comma), as long as you can elucidate them. If you're feeling blocked, browse through Monster's useful pointers for writing cover letters.
Interviewing for a Proofreading Job
Both freelance and permanent roles are available for proofreaders. You may want to start off at a smaller media company, publishing house, or website to build your portfolio. And you can prepare for your interview by reviewing our selection of articles on how to best respond to your job interviewer, with topics covered across the board.
As a preview, here are a few questions you may be asked:
- What kind of articles, documents, or books have you proofread in the past? What subjects are you most comfortable with?
- What style guides are you familiar with?
- What is your proofreading method? What primary elements do you look for? How do you spot errors that are not so conspicuous?
How Much Do Proofreading Jobs Pay?
Your pay will depend on experience. But the median hourly rate for a proofreader is $21.83 an hour, with $16.16 an hour at the lowest end and $27.93 at the highest. You can also find specific pay details for proofreading roles in your area by using Monster's Salary Tools.
Make Your Career Proof-Positive With Monster
You love words and the way they mesh to create beautiful sentences. So create a profile on Monster to promptly connect with a plenitude of publishing houses, media companies, and content-marketing departments that offer proofreading jobs.