Do you have a goal to quit your current full-time job and work from home?
It’s totally possible… and not as difficult to do as you might think!
Andrea was a teacher looking for something different in her life. She found Proofread Anywhere, busted her behind, and quit her teaching gig to become a full-time freelance proofreader just a year and a half after graduating from the course.
I’d say that’s pretty impressive.
Let’s dive into Andrea’s story and see how she did it!
Q: Hey there, Andrea! Why don’t you tell us a little about your background. What did your life look like before you crossed paths with Proofread Anywhere?
I am a certified teacher and had been increasingly unhappy with what I was doing due to governmental changes being passed down through the ranks. I kept asking myself, “What else can I do with an education degree and be happy with what I am doing? What do I like to do?” I like to read, and it blossomed from there.
Q: A love of reading is definitely the gateway for many freelance proofreaders! So when did you start proofreading transcripts, and what made you decide to learn how to proofread transcripts?
A friend and I were lamenting over our situation, and she mentioned that she heard about Proofread Anywhere and pulled up the website for me. We kind of laughed about it, saying, “Oh, what a dream.” Well, I kept coming back to it and never told anyone. Only my husband knew when I decided to take the plunge. I didn’t want anyone to know in case it didn’t work; I didn’t want to look foolish. I think in the beginning, even my husband was humoring me.
Q: You’re definitely not alone. A lot of people keep their journeys hidden from loved ones in case of failure.
I think I have a good idea what your next answer will be… What was the most challenging part of getting started?
The most challenging part for me was overcoming the fear that all this was a scam and really wouldn’t work. How could it be possible? It seemed too good to be true. But I believed in it and I believed in myself. However it turned out, I was going to give it my all so I would know that if it didn’t work out, it wasn’t because I didn’t try.
Q: And that is an excellent attitude to have 🙂 What was the most valuable thing you learned during the course?
The most valuable thing I learned was to keep believing. If YOU think it will work, it will. Don’t worry about what others think or say. Keep on working. If you want it bad enough, it will happen.
Q: I 100% agree! So how long did it take you to find your first client? And how many clients do you have now?
I graduated on August 4 and had my first two clients the week of August 29. To say I was ecstatic is an understatement! I diligently spent the three weeks prior getting my LinkedIn profile, website, and business license set up. Everything was ready when the time came around. By the end of September, I had added four new reporters. Currently, a year and a half after graduating, I am proofreading and scoping for eleven reporters. Most of those eleven have been with me since the beginning!
Check out what some of Andrea’s happy clients have to say about her work!
Skimming through your corrections, I have to say you are on point. I like what you’ve done. To be honest, I tested you against my main proofreader (sent it to her also the same job), and I have to say, you passed the test. LOL I’m a heavy hitter with pages, plus I can probably send you more work from my reporters that need a proofreader desperately, so we shall chat tomorrow?
I have another six depos in this case which would be approximately another 130 pages all together. This volume is not usual. It all came at the same time. Although sometimes it does happen. I just want to make sure you still are able to do it without reservation. I am aware I have already sent you over 300 pages. I like your work but I do not want to overburden you with work on a weekend!
You’ve helped me out tremendously over the last year and a half! Has it been that long for our relationship? Gosh, I don’t even know! When my previous proofer told me she was no longer proofing I was devastated! You were an answered prayer, for sure! You’re a blessing and I’m very grateful for you!
Q: Wow, that is impressive, Andrea! What advice would you give anyone thinking about enrolling in the course to proofread transcripts? Is it worth the money?
It is VERY worth the money! I made my total investment back by the end of September, five weeks after getting my first client. My advice — if YOU believe you can do it, you can!
Q: What does your life look like now that you work from home? Is there anything else you’d like to share about your journey?
I will admit, it has been a long and busy road. When I first started out, I continued to work my full-time job and work from home on evenings and weekends. I worked about 70 hours a week. But I chose to do it this way. My children are grown and on their own so I don’t have the same time constraints others may face.
My goal and dream came true this past July when I left my full-time teaching job, and now I work from home full-time. I have added scoping to my skill set. I didn’t even have to go far to find clients — two of my regulars use me for both. The wonderful thing about this job is you call the shots. You can be as busy as you want. I am so happy that I came across Proofread Anywhere! I wouldn’t be where I am today!
Our Take
We always love hearing when students take their proofreading gigs to full-time status, and Andrea’s story is no different. She’s proof that if you learn a skill and hustle, you can make anything happen. It might take longer than you’d like, but the end result is SO worth the wait.
Your Turn
Do you dream of quitting your 9-to-5 like Andrea? Check out the Transcript Proofreading course and see if it could be right for you, too. Take action TODAY and start making it happen!
If there is a will,there is a way.
I can definitely relate to Andrea, in terms of not wanting too many people to know that I’m learning about proof-reading, in case, it doesn’t work out. However, my fear is not about feeling that I could fail at it. For me, it’s a bit more complex than that.
I’m currently a cashier in Essex County, New Jersey, who prior, had been one of 4 Scanning Coordinators, but was recently told by management that they wanted me to work in the Front End as a cashier, which although didn’t sit well with me, I still figured, “well, I still work here, it’s not what I want to do, but I guess I’ll just roll with it.” Which sounds a like a ‘what’s the use’ attitude.
On top of that, I had been there for 25 years now, so my other issue is that if I leave this in pursuit of a freelancing career, I would be out of my comfort zone completely!
I’m hoping with this course to slowly unravel all the years of keeping myself stuck in a neutralized job that while the pay and hours aren’t that bad, I still feel restricted from further growing and developing as a skilled career-person. Those are my thoughts for now.
That is a hard situation, and it can be hard to step outside of your comfort zone. Good things don’t come without a little bit of being out of your comfort zone! 🙂
Andrea,
How did you learn scoping and how long did that take to be proficient enough to add it to your repertoire?
Hi, May I ask what “scoping” is?
Sorry, I should have refined my search to “Legal Scoping”
It is: “In layman’s terms scoping is basically editing legal transcripts. A scopist works with a court reporter – the reporter writes, the scopist edits.”
That’s correct, Sarah. If you’re interested in learning more about it, check out this blog post: https://proofreadanywhere.com/what-is-scoping-how-is-it-different-from-proofreading/.
I would love for this to be me. I need to work on my confidence and my skills some more before I bust out. Congratulations on all of your success!
I love reading the success stories, but it seems that they’re often posts from 2017 and 2018. Are there any current success stories? Are there follow ups to see if these success stories from years past are still proofreading and still successful? Thank you!
Check out the latest reviews: https://proofreadanywhere.com/student-reviews/
Is this course applicable to Canada as well?
We get these questions a lot! Do you feel you have a good grip on the English language? Can you see the differences in American English vs. Canadian/British English? There are many resources available in the course for manuals and websites to use as guides to aid in your work.
There are so many different types of media to proofread and millions of jobs available everywhere–not just in the US. The second half of the course teaches students how to market themselves and find work and clients online.
The course is geared toward students in the U.S, using American English to acquire American clients, but some of our international students do extremely well! It’s entirely up to you and what you’re comfortable with.
We have LOTS of Canadian students who are already successfully earning a living as proofreaders! You can read more about it here: Can you proofread transcripts in Canada? https://proofreadanywhere.com/can-you-proofread-transcripts-in-canada/