Learning a new skill and working at home will be a piece of cake, right?
Are you caring for children at home, or are they grown, and your priorities have changed? I was in the second category—not ready to retire—so I searched for work-at-home jobs and a proofreading ad appeared. You’ve probably seen these. “Are you good at catching grammar mistakes? Do you see spelling mistakes on menus or road signs?” The Proofread Anywhere course would be my motivation to leave my 9 to 5 for independence, a flexible schedule, and earning a living from home. Here I was, at a “mature” age and planning a whole new career.
A chat with my husband and a “Honey, I really need to do this.” Long story short, I signed up for the course. I am passionate about words and correct grammar. Remember diagramming sentences in English class? Adverbs, gerunds, participles, Oh my! (If you’re with me, you know how satisfying it is to put all those words in their proper place.) But I graduated from school, got married, and started a family. A career choice wasn’t possible at that point.
You’re reading this and thinking, “I can’t change my career late in life.” Or, “I don’t have time with kids at home.” Don’t convince yourself—or let anyone else tell you—that you can’t. I became my own boss and started my editing business in my 50s. If you want it badly enough, YOU… CAN… DO… IT. Here’s the deal. It’s not easy, and it doesn’t happen overnight. I know, I know, I just said you could do it. Yes! You can, because now you know what you want, and you’re willing to do the work to get it.
You have completed a challenging part of your journey into proofreading. I’m not saying you should sign up for Caitlyn’s Proofread Anywhere course. Only to say that it was the starting point on my editing and proofreading path. I felt her course offered me the tools to begin my journey. There are other options available, and you can choose which you prefer. If you have additional background or training, all the better.
The moment I signed up for the course, I jumped in. I couldn’t wait! I soaked up every lesson, quiz, and test. All the information and positive encouragement she provided was pushing me to learn. There were lessons about things I knew, and even more I didn’t. I graduated from her course and wanted more. The course is at your own pace, so you can take all the time you need to learn and perfect your editing and proofreading skills.
Then I found Phon Baillie. Her 20 years of editing experience and Edit Republic: High-Level Proofreading Pro was next on my journey. I completed and certified in her proofreading and copyediting courses. Phon also offered a line editing course, and I fell in love. I found my calling! I certified as a line editor and researched the next steps for additional training. I loved all of it. I decided to start my own proofreading and editing business.
Tune in next week for the joy and pain of birthing a website.
Cheers!
Susan