The more languages you know, the more opportunities there are to be selected for work by e-publishing houses, law firms, advertising agencies and by many BPO companies.
Proofreaders who know international languages and regional languages are preferred by these companies.
However, it is advisable to complete a professional proofreading course, even if you know other languages. You can also do an online proofreading course if you cannot find a learning institute near you, or you want to study at a time and place of your choosing.
Let’s look at some of the work options for multilingual proofreaders.
E-publishing houses: E-publishing is one of the fastest growing sectors in the publishing industry. It provides ample job opportunities for proofreaders. They publish in several languages, as many publishing houses have a presence worldwide and translate famous authors’ work in to several languages.
Most of them hire freelancers who are language graduates and certified proofreaders. However, they may have to pass a proofreading test, either at the company’s office or online.
Law firms insist on proofreading certifications
Law firms: Many law firms hire proofreaders for their clerical work, as many parts of the world use English as the main language alongside their national language. There are also many countries, that use English alongside their regional language, as their legal documents use two languages as per their jurisdiction. Most firms insist on proofreading certifications or something to prove that you have studied the subject.
Advertising firms: There are many advertising agencies that publish multilingual advertisements. They hire professional multilingual proofreaders to check or assess the quality of their copywriters’ work.
BPO Companies: Many BPO companies undertake data processing projects from other nations. They have their regional projects, too. These projects may require multilingual proofreaders to reduce the cost of hiring one proofreader per language. Every candidate has to do a proofreading test before their job interview, and so an online proofreading course from a registered institute like the College of Media and Publishing will be an advantage.
Proofreading and editorial skills
Multilingual proofreaders must also be ready to expand their editorial skills and learn to work with a foreign style guide. Our online proofreading course recommends the Guardian Style guide to UK students, and the Chicago Manual of Style for overseas students. Most developed countries have their own equivalents.
The Guardian used to publish a printed version, but the last edition was back in 2010. The book is substantially out of date. Style ruling changes all the time – this is one of the reasons they stopped publishing the book.
Anyone starting their own proofreading and editing business is strongly advised to buy professional indemnity insurance. It doesn’t cost that much, but provides you with reassurance and security, in case anything goes wrong. Some clients make money by threatening small businesses with legal action, and legal fees could put you out of business if you weren’t covered.
There are plenty of good deals around.
See our proofreading courses