Published on September 7th, 2019 | by Sumit Bhowal

Reasons Why You Should Learn to Proofread

Not a lot of people will take some time to proofread their work once they’re done. They will rely on spellcheck tools which might not be so accurate and there are some mistakes that you can miss. That is why it is important that you learn how to proofread. It is a skill that will come in handy while in school and also in your professional life. Here are some of the reasons why you should learn how to proofread properly.

It Can Be a Great Side Hustle

Not everyone likes to proofread and they’d rather hire someone to do the work for them. You just have to search for “proofread my essay” on Google to get an idea of how big the industry is. There will always be constant work flowing provided you are good at it. Most of the clients will be students because they want perfect essays. In most instances, you will get a project that has a deadline. Proofreading shouldn’t take a lot of time and you can schedule it for an evening when you don’t have a lot of work. It can be a great side gig if you have a talent for it.

It Can Be Applied Anyway

Once you’ve mastered the art of proofreading, you can apply it anywhere. It doesn’t matter the profession, there will always be a need for written material. You’re required to send emails on a daily basis. There are reports to be submitted. You don’t want to be presenting a pitch to your potential clients that has a lot of mistakes. It will be hard for them to take you seriously if you can’t even present a solid presentation. When you learn how to proofread, the skills can be applied in any profession as long as writing is involved.

Freedom

You can decide to be a full-time proofreader. Such a job will offer flexibility which is rare to find in a 9-5 setting. You get to choose the hours and how long you’d like to work. If you’ve been dreaming of becoming a digital nomad then a job in proofreading might be all that you need. You get to spend a lot of your time with your family, and you’ll be freelancing in your pajamas.

Spell Check Isn’t Human

There are people who rely entirely on spell-check tools for proofreading. There are a lot of tools but there are mistakes that can’t easily be detected by such tools but you can easily point them out when you’re going through the piece of writing. One of the main problems with spell check tools is that they will draw from a specific dictionary. That means that such tools will miss out picking up mistakes if it is not in their dictionary. Spell check tools should be used in conjunction with your proofreading abilities. You should not rely on spell-check tools entirely for the proofreading.

You Can’t Replace The Human Eye

As we’ve already mentioned, nothing beats the human eye when it comes to proofreading. There are mistakes that will be obvious but spell check tools will fail to point them out. Such tools are also likely to suggest edits which don’t make sense. As a human, you’re able to comprehend the context of the passage so as to determine if it makes sense.

Make Your Content Stand Out

For your writing to be great, there should be no silly mistakes. You might have a great style but the authority is diluted because of the spelling and grammar mistakes found in the text. First impressions matter and you don’t want your readers noticing an issue with punctuation with your opening statement.

Save Money

When you learn to proofread, you won’t have to pay someone to do it for you. Proofreading is expensive and most companies will charge per hour. Anyone who says they will charge $5 an hour to proofread your work will be messing with you. In order to get a skilled proofreader, you need to pay a lot more. You can save money by learning how to do it yourself. This skill will come in handy in a school setting where you’re required to write so many essays during the course of your school life.

Save Time

Other than saving money, you also get to save time because you get to publish essays faster when you’re proofreading your own work. You don’t have to wait for feedback which could take days.

Tags: learn, proofread, reasons

About the Author

Sumit Bhowal An Internet addict and a MASTAN , Also a lazy Freelancer . I don't try to reinvent the wheel I just like to soak things in Steroid's :p Thanks (y)