Paid To Proofread: A job, not a chore
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Proofreading is a necessary part of university life; we’ve all had to do it to our own (or a stressed-out flatmates’) work at some point in our academic careers. As it is an undeniably essential part of our studies, it is also big business. There are myriads of proofreading agencies online, most of which will pay graduates and undergraduates to proofread essays and dissertations.
Proofreading is a good skill to learn, as it is useful academically and is also valued by employers in many sectors. By practising it on a regular basis, with the added bonus of being paid, you will enhance your skills and these, in-turn, will benefit you when proofreading your own work. It’s so invaluable because you have to apply your own literacy skills and knowledge to correct grammatical mistakes, style inconsistencies and lack of cohesion to make a piece of work accurate, thorough and consistent.
There are, however, necessary qualities required for a proofreader - after all, you wouldn’t want someone unsuitable proofreading your hard-work, would you? Many proofreading agencies look for neat handwriting for hard-copies, logical, methodical and concentrated read-throughs and most look for native English speakers. It is also essential that you are a graduate or undergraduate, in any discipline, as a technical knowledge of a specific subject can be an advantage.
The main benefit of working for a proofreading agency is that the work is freelance, so you can work from home and choose your hours to fit around your degree. With different payment methods and variable salaries, it is best to find a legitimate, well-established website to work for. Though, if you think you have good enough essay skills, you could offer to proofread other students’ work for a small fee and make a business out of it. This would mean you would be working even more on your own terms and it would be a great way to earn a bit of extra cash - and the additional experience will put you at an advantage when proofreading your own writing and work in future jobs.