Unveiling Your Path to Mastery: Exploring the Modern Proofreading Course
Earning Extra Cash | Side Hustles
Quick Guide to Knowadays Proofreading Course
By Lorraine Smithills
October 28, 2023
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Ever thought about making extra money with proofreading? It’s a skill in high demand and can provide a good income both as a part-time side hustle or a full-time career. The tricky part is getting recognized by top-tier clients without formal qualifications. That’s why a number of budding proofreaders are turning to online courses to develop their skills and boost job prospects. Among the best-known is Knowadays’ “Becoming a Proofreader” course. Let’s figure out if it’s right for you.
Proofreading 101
Before we dive in, let’s clarify what proofreading is all about. It’s typically the final step before publishing something. It involves combing through a document for errors like grammar issues, spelling mistakes, and typos, all while ensuring consistency in font, capitalization, and style. Depending on the job, proofreaders may correct formatting errors or leave notes for a designer to make the fixes. Some even offer document formatting as an extra service for their clients.
Inside the Knowadays Proofreading Course
A key question that pops up is, “Is Knowadays legit?” It’s a valid concern, considering scams and low-quality online courses out there. Fortunately, Knowadays is a highly respected course provider, offering substantial help to those looking to launch a proofreading career.
They offer their courses entirely online, carefully designed to be applicable to real-world scenarios. Students have access to course tutors for feedback and guidance, ensuring they gain the necessary skills to land a job in professional proofreading. These courses cater to all abilities, perfect both for complete novices and those looking to sharpen their skills. Students learn at their pace, and if they wish, they can expand their skill set with additional content writing and editing courses.
For writers, editors, or those starting out in proofreading, the Knowadays course is a valuable resource. Writers and editors can benefit from the extra skill of proofreading their own work, which can lower publication costs. Additionally, Knowadays offers a free trial for people to assess if the course meets their needs. Here, students learn proofreading fundamentals like grammar, spelling, and punctuation as well as the operation of style guides and dealing with academic and creative content. The course ends with a guarantee of freelance work, partnering with the company Proofed, though some graduates may choose other freelancing opportunities.
The Knowadays course is well-structured, made up of logically arranged modules that grow in complexity. Completion requires roughly 50 hours, more extensive than other equivalent courses. Two course options exist: a free trial and a full paid course.
Free trial participants will learn the basics of proofreading, understand different types of writing, common grammar and spelling errors, and the use of “track changes” function in Microsoft Word. It’s an opportunity to assess the course structure and one’s existing abilities.
Should you like the free trial, you can advance to the full course, which tacks on 15 more modules such as introduction to proofreading, basic proofreading, understanding Microsoft Word, common mistakes, understanding style guides, academic proofreading, business writing proofreading, and finding work.
With both video and written materials at disposal, students have ample resources for learning and testing their knowledge. Make a grade of 80% or higher in the final assessment, and secure work with Proofed right away (if that sounds good to you).
Like all things, the Knowadays course has its pros and cons.
Pros:
– A free trial allows you to evaluate the course structure and materials without financial commitment.
– The course materials are crafted by PhD-level proofreaders, offering practical, real-world knowledge.
– The course is accredited by CPD (Continuing Professional Development) UK, ensuring quality standards.
– Lifetime access to courses is given (if inactive for 90 days, contact Knowadays to reactivate).
– 80% or above pass mark guarantees a job offer from Proofed.
– Helpful tutors are available for video calls.
Cons:
– The course relies heavily on Microsoft Word, which could be an issue for Mac or Linux users.
– The complete course is pricey ($499 at the time of writing) but arguably more beginner-friendly than the more expensive rival course Proofread Anywhere.
– The course doesn’t teach proofreading marks and symbols. If you want to use them, you’ll have to seek that information elsewhere.
Starting a career as a proofreader is possible without an official course by collecting resources from free online sources, but these may lack organization and quality compared to a structured course. Earning a qualification and certification is advantageous, but developing solid skills, knowledge, and experience is crucial for long-term success.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are Knowadays and Proofreading Academy the same?
Yes, Knowadays was formerly known as Proofreading Academy.
2. Is proofreading still a viable online money-making option in 2023?
Absolutely. The demand for skilled proofreaders is high with an increasing amount of content on web-based platforms including blogs, websites, social media, and more.
3. What’s the difference between the “Becoming an Editor” and “Becoming a Proofreader” courses?
“Becoming a Proofreader” focuses on correcting grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors while the “Becoming an Editor” course delves deeper into improving readability, structure, flow, and quality.
In conclusion, if you’re contemplating a career as a freelance proofreader and prefer a professionally designed, structured learning path, Knowadays might be your answer. The course, topped with potentially landing a job with Knowadays’ partner, Proofed, could provide a significant jumpstart to your proofreading journey. Unsure? Simply give their free trial course a try.
