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20 People Seeking to Change Their Lives Through Proofreading


Can proofreading really change your life?

Only you can answer that question, but in my experience, proofreaders who’ve taken my free 7-day intro course, my transcript proofreading course, and my general proofreading course have come from a VAST array of backgrounds and have all kinds of stories behind why they’re interested in making money as a work-at-home proofreader.

We’re showcasing just a small handful of those today.

In my 7-day course, I ask my students to reply to the lesson and tell me a little about their story, their journey, and what led them to investigate how to become a proofreader.

As you may know, proofreadanywhere.com exists to help people with eagle eyes become amazing proofreaders. Even if you never spend a single penny learning from me in any way, I still see it as my honorable duty to provide support to the community of people that look to me for advice on making a work-at-home career work for them.

I blog about mindset, productivity … heck, I even provide lists of other ideas if proofreading’s just not in the cards!

Back when I first started designing the curriculum for the 7-day course, I knew I really, really wanted all my students to feel included and important —  because they (you!) are important. So I decided at the end of each lesson, I would include an invitation to ask questions or share with me simply by replying to the email.

And honestly, I didn’t expect much.

I didn’t think people would take me seriously, and I didn’t expect people to actually take time to respond… but respond they did, and reading their stories is one of the highlights of my day.

Overcoming Opposition and Crazy Odds

I’ve had the privilege to read through some incredible stories from around the world of people who have overcome so much opposition and some crazy odds. They found my website — somewhere, somehow — and are taking steps to better themselves. I get to play a small part in that. What a privilege!

RELATED: 69-Year-Old Paralegal Turned Proofreader: My Past Life and My NOW

If there’s one thing I’ve realized about life, it’s that it’s short. It’s SO short. TOO short. Much too short to sit there and take the crap that gets thrown at you. It is such a thrill to hear from people who are taking life by the horns and refusing to take the crap anymore. They are looking for solutions and taking action. I love it.

RELATED: 3 Truths About Negativity + How to Overcome Your Harshest Critics

Reading these stories has helped me believe that change is possible for anyone and everyone — no matter your background or obstacles.

I hope you’ll find these uplifting stories as inspiring as I did. Enjoy!

My colleagues used to frequently call on me to edit their work

“I left my academic career a year and a half ago to pursue long-term volunteer work overseas. I’m loving that, but do miss having secular work. So, I’ve taken up occasional editing and proofreading work for my former employer. I’m now hoping to find a little more work in this field. I enjoying ‘polishing’ documents. I have an excellent eye for detail and natural sense of proper expression. My colleagues used to frequently call on me to edit their work and I was told that “there are very few people in the building who can do a thorough proof like you”. However, since I have no formal training in this field, I’m keen to pick up tips that will help me to improve the quality and efficiency of my work and to connect with new clients. I’m not sure whether proofreading transcripts is for me, but I’m sure your basic course will be applicable in any field of proofreading. So, here I am!”

 

I’m retired, and my true passion is proofreading

I am retired, but decided to continue working – part-time – at one of South Florida’s largest retail department stores. Although I love retail and meeting people, my true “passion” is proofreading. My husband always snaps at me when I criticize his grammar or spelling errors on captions that I detect even on the TV screen. I am brand new at making this skill a business venture. My primary goals, of course, are to “enjoy” doing what has always surfaced as my special “niche” – proofreading resumes, contracts, writing cover letters and more, and to earn enough money to literally “own” my home in the next two years. Thanks for offering this information.”

 

I’m a retired nurse and I’m not afraid to try new things

“I’m a 25-year veteran nurse, retired now…. After I retired from nursing I moved over to medical transcription so that I could still use my nursing background. I’ve been doing medical transcription for the past 19 years. I started out transcribing in a hospital setting for the first 3 years and then began working at home which is where I work now…. Proofreading is no stranger to me as I proofread every one of my reports before I submit them………Proofreading for court reporters would fit in perfectly for where I am at this point. It would allow me to continue to work at home and to supplement my income as I start my new business.”

 

 An empty nester wanting to help her husband retire!

“Hi Caitlin, I have raised four boys! Now an empty nester, I am looking for a way to make extra money and allow my husband to retire! I am constantly catching errors in written articles and it is a pet peeve of mine! So while looking for a work at home opportunity and coming across you and your website, I thought this might be a fit for me!”

Stay-at-home mom, former teacher called to be at home with her children

“Hi Caitlin, I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for 25 years. I have a B.S. in Early Childhood Education with an expired K-8 Teaching Certificate and an M.A. in Child and Family Development. I worked in my field for 13 years before the children (3) arrived. I homeschooled my youngest for 7th and 8th grades. He has returned to traditional school for High School. I also have a special needs young adult son in community college….. I know that I am being called to be home with my children, but have been looking for a way to earn some money to supplement our income, while allowing me flexibility in work hours. I am always pointing out spelling errors on billboards, the Internet, in books and, most especially lately, in e-books and blogs. I am very good with grammar…… Your proofreading course sounds like it was made just for me! I’m looking forward to your emails.”

 

Small business owner looking for work on the road

“I discovered you and what you do yesterday and it made me excited about what could be. My husband and I own and operate two small businesses which keeps us busy spring through fall with winter having a lighter load. We travel for work and I believe that proofreading is something that I could do even while on the road. I’m eager to learn more and to see if I have what it takes.”

Living with a disability, unable to work out of the home

“Caitlin, good morning to you! I’m quite intrigued by your career, one because working from home would be the perfect setting for me and two, because I have always been that person, the corrector….. I am very interested in doing something that employs my skills of being a controlling perfectionist, yet gives me the leeway to work from home and at my own pace. I would like to be able to break free of the disability, so that when I’m retirement age, I have a resource from which to draw and so that I can regain the independence that I felt defined me. While I’m not able to start today, well, maybe this evening, I am definitely chomping at the bit to have a good look at what it is you do and whether it would be a good fit for me. So here’s hoping that this is the ONE! “

I want to redefine my future

“Hi Caitlin!! I am currently reinventing my future. I have a part-time hostess job at a restaurant and I am also a part time, home based, Real Estate Agent Assistant. My part time at the restaurant is only temporary, until I get another opportunity to work from home, which is where you come in. I want to learn proofreading and transcription, not only to supplement my income, but also, to keep my English grammar up to par…. I want to proudly say that I know my English Grammar well and perhaps share my knowledge with others via social media! I want to be a part of the solution. I want to help others maintain their ability to communicate properly. I know I am an excellent candidate to begin my proofreading, transcribing and blogging career. Let’s get this started!!!”

 

I just had a baby and I would rather work from home after maternity leave

“I actually just had a baby and I am due to return to my full-time job on March 23rd. I’m a logistics manager and while I enjoy what I do, for the most part, I am very tired of being a babysitter of grown men who are constantly complaining. My job is incredibly stressful and I do not want to be around the negativity anymore. I would absolutely LOVE to be able to make good money from home while I can also be at home with my baby and be available for my 11 year old daughter. When I read your story, it stood out to me because I am usually the person people come to for proofreading documents, articles, and papers. I would love to be able to be my own boss and make money doing something that comes natural to me. I look forward to learning more about your experience in making this your career.”

I don’t want to continue wasting my time in traffic

“Hi Caitlin, you don’t know how excited I am to have found your Proofread Anywhere website. I’ve read through various parts of it, including your story, and I too can relate to feeling imprisoned in a full-time job. Just today it took me an hour to get to work because of the bad weather we’ve had lately…I don’t want to continue wasting my time in traffic. I’d also like to travel more and in the near future move to another country and have a job, like proofreading, that can be done no matter where I am…. Even though I don’t have any type of professional proofreading experience, I’ve always had a knack for catching spelling, typos and grammatical mistakes in anything I read. I’m always telling myself that I wish I could proofread for a living because it just comes naturally to me. And now I might be able to thanks to your website…..I look forward to testing my proofreading skills!”

 

I was no longer happy with my job

“I also used to work in Corporate America at a Bank for 28 years. I was an Administrative Assistant to an EVP. I was making 60 grand a year, and had good benefits. I always had an eagle eye for errors, it just came naturally. But I was no longer happy with my job. I too felt trapped in a box….I am currently working at an HOA office as a Secretary. Not making what I use to make at the bank, and there are no benefits. I like the job. I’m always proof reading and writing letters. We have a newsletter that goes out quarterly, we were proofreading, and the Assistant Manager called me “Eagle Eyes”, and I said to her, “I should make some money on the side proofreading.” I look forward to the upcoming lessons.”

 

I want the flexibility to meet my family’s needs

“Thanks for your course. I am a proofreader by habit, and often have to proofread documents for my job as an executive assistant. I have realized that my family needs mean that I cannot work full time outside the home anymore. I am hoping to use my proofreading skills to earn some income for my family while having the flexibility to meet my family’s needs. I am really hoping that your course will help me get started.”

 

My job as a legal transcriptionist disappeared

“I’ve spent the past two and a half years doing legal/general transcription from home on a contractor basis for a company in Virginia. A solid year and a half of that has been 100% legal transcription, primarily court cases. Unfortunately, this past September they lost the contract and that work ended abruptly. Now I’m just doing very general transcription for them and to be honest, the work has all but stopped….. Anyway, while doing this work I also had to proofread my own work, sometimes having to re-listen to awful quality audios just to make sure I caught as much of it as I could. The company also had fairly high expectations regarding grammar, accuracy, etc. Well since that has dried up I had been debating on whether or not to start my own transcription business, but I just haven’t been able to get motivated to do it….. So when I discovered your website I thought this sounds like a perfect match for me. I can do it from home, I do have 18 months of recent legal document experience, and I do have proofreading experience although not in selling the service itself….Since I’ve been doing this contract work from home it has really spoiled me, in a good way, and I can’t go back to “working for somebody else”. Thank you again and I’m very excited about learning this.”

 

I’m a compulsive proofreader and I want to blow this town in a couple of years

“Hi, Caitlin. Thanks for offering this course! I’m really psyched about it because I’m a compulsive (some would say problematic) proofreader. Like you, I’ve worked in marketing for years, but I just don’t want to be coercive anymore. I also develop online learning, which I do enjoy and see as a possible future source of income when I blow this town in a couple of years. Multiple sources of modest income would be ideal!”

 

I am ready for a change!

“I’m excited about learning more about your proofreading course because I am ready for a change! With a B.S. In Human Sciences and a background in outside sales, I have been working for a large radiological association for the last five years in Austin, Tx, as a medical transcriptionist, editor and now patient service rep. I really enjoyed editing but staff cuts were made and jobs re-grouped, so… Anyway, this sounds very interesting to me and I would love to work from home.”

 

I never had the opportunity to stay home with my kids.

“I have always been a factory worker. I know that sounds boring, but I enjoyed the work. The only problem was all the overtime. I never had the opportunity to stay home with my kids. Unfortunately, my husband passed away two years ago. My children were still underage and my husband had been approved for disability which enabled me to draw a check each month and stay home with them. I have enjoyed this experience so much that I don’t want it to end. Therefore, I am on the hunt for a new career that will allow me to continue to still spend time with my now two young adults as they start on their journeys through life.”

YOUR TURN! 

These are just a small handful of the HUNDREDS of stories I’ve read over the last year since the 7-day course launched. I love stories of hope and change. I’d love to hear yours, too! Feel free to write as much or as little as you want in the comments below. Let’s support each other.


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  1. My story goes like this: I stumbled on your website, most likely fooling around on Pinterest, and was won over after my 7 day intro.
    I am currently a stay-at-home mom. I used to have a work-from-home job in customer service, which was awesome in its own way, but we moved to a better rental just before my second baby was born. I had scheduled my internet to be installed a week after I moved in, but the internet company forgot to tell me they didn’t service my house after I made an appointment with them!
    I couldn’t live without the internet (obviously) and ordered what I could for my area. So I have been searching for a work-from-home opportunity that didn’t require a hard-wired internet connection because there’s no way you’re getting me to go back to a job that requires me getting out of my PJs.
    For a while I toyed with the idea of creating a blog, but the only thing I could think of to write about was how other people’s poor grammar/typos on their blogs annoyed me so. So, coming into an opportunity to be my own boss, not have to be on the phone, not have to have even high-speed internet all the time, and get to prune written word was a no-brainer.
    I appreciate the course and am looking forward to this change in my career and life!

    1. Oh, and I forgot to add the most exciting part of this job! My husband and I dream of owning 40 acres and becoming self-sufficient. NO WAY the good internet will be available on 40 acres! Satellite, more than likely, and so I can keep the business I’m building now! Thanks for helping my dreams grow, Caitlin.

  2. Thanks Caitlin…this is so encouraging. My husband is in the process of retiring g and I want to do something to supplement his pay. I currently have to review docs (procedures, legal docs, etc )

  3. Hi Caitlin! I am currently enrolled in your proofreading class. I am just about finished with Module 2. I am excited to be in this class as I am working to start my own VA/Proofreading business. I was a teacher for elementary through Jr. High school in a private school for 15 years. Then I entered the corporate world and I was always considered the “grammar queen” by the staff. I was the one they asked to proofread documents before they were sent out. I enjoyed that part of the job, but the commute and the office politics was getting harder to deal with. I am currently an inside sales rep and work from home. I love working from home and wondered if I would be disciplined enough to work from home. I am! So, hence, I am moving forward to finish your course and get my business going. Thank you for making this available to others.

  4. How and where do I get this course? I keep reading about all these accolades about starting up and where do I start?

    1. Hi, Judy. You can sign up for the free 7-day intro course right here: proofreadanywhere.com/sign-up/ Have fun! 🙂

  5. Hello Caitlin
    Kindly refer to my ‘Comment’ of 23 August whose reply is still awaited. In my above comment I had put few queries like – how should I contact the clients, how should I know what kind of proofreading I can do (articles, documents or books) properly, and how much knowledge do I have to satisfy my clients. In this respect I had requested you to provide me the sample proofread copy together with its original matter for my reference and guidance. Hope to receive your early favorable response and help in the matter.
    Regards

    1. Hi, Arun! Sorry we missed your earlier comment. I sent you an email answering your questions. Have a great day!

  6. I have worked in the airline industry for about three years. While I do enjoy the job in the aspect that it’s fast-paced and satiates my travel bug, I was becoming frustrated in that there was not as much growth in that career path as I initially had hoped. That’s not to say I plan on resigning from my current employer as it is pursuing a passion of mine from an early age, but a proofreading gig certainly helps provide balance to my life that I feel is needed. The job is part-time and my constantly changing hours made it challenging to hold a second job to make ends meet. In fact, I had to walk away from several interviews and job offers because juggling both schedules would have been impossible!Thus the flexibility of when and where I can proofread feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

  7. Hi Caitlin, I am 62 years old and was still looking for what I wanted to do when I grow up when I found your course! Without meaning to, I have been proofreading all my life. Seeing typos, poor grammar and lack of punctuation really drives me crazy. Just the month before I started your course, my sister had been sending her newsletter to me to proofread before she sent it to her clients and I really enjoyed it, so when I found your course, I knew it was for me. I am in the middle of module two and can’t thank you enough for the great lessons. I know that this is the future for me and I have finally found my forever job. Thank you

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