WAHM Forums

I've always loved working with words, spelling, punctuation, etc., but still have much to learn!

I have several chronic health issues, which means I must find work from home. I can neither sit nor stand for long periods of time, due to muscle spasms, cramping, etc.--so, sitting at the computer for more than about a half hour is very painful!

Proofreading sounds intriguing, but I wonder if it's possible, given my medical conditions. Maybe I should back up a bit. How do I go about getting started in proofreading? I researched this a bit onine, and it seems many jobs require college degrees, though not all. Some jobs require only testing and studying and knowing well certain books pertaining to proofreading. I have no college degree, unfortunately. Is proofreading work from home still possible?

Also, does one need to sit at the computer the whole time you work, or could, perhaps, the work be printed out, completed away from the computer, and then sent on? Excuse my ignorance, but just how is proofreading work done?

Another issue is that I'm in NO way computer savvy--and boy, have I tried, and several people have attempted to teach me. I can do online searches, email, etc.--the basics. But I once totally bombed when attempting an MT job and was pulling my hair out trying to download, send, etc. This is pathetic, but because of being EXTREMELY technologically challenged, even with written notes and attempts over 3 days of step-by-step help, I finally had to admit it was beyond me and had to quit the position. Depressing! My online fellow MT workers said I would get the hang of it eventually, but no--it was like one gigantic snarled knot was stuck in my mind. That's me and technology, so now you know I'm not too fond of computers! I can 'thank' my medical condition for that.

So--is proofreading different? Would it be easier to go about sending the proofread work that is completed, or how DOES it work--I'm very uninformed about that.

I would appreciate any input and if you would share your experiences. Also, where do you find proofreading jobs? Thanks in advance and I apologize for the long post.

One last thing: If proofreading is not 'doable' for me, any suggestions on jobs? Remember, I can't be at the computer for long. My husband frowns on home businesses, and I've seen many people sit in malls and at craft shows, etc. for hours, only to earn a few dollars. I live in a rural area and there are few jobs. I've applied for just about everything in the area, and explained I would need to alternate sitting/standing, and of course, I'm not even considered for ANY job. I've checked into disability but was rejected because "you don't have a cane"(!) I argued that I have 'invisible' medical conditions, and just because I don't have a cane doesn't mean I'm not handicapped. Didn't help, and my doctor is sympathetic, but the most he offered was to suggest "work on something from home." The question is: WHAT??

Thanks for listening to my vent. I've been searching now for about 3 years and am totally frustrated and burnt out from trying to find a job that will work for me. Thanks for any help!!

Pardon any typos--am in a hurry to get some little jobs done around my home today.

Proofreading would fall into the realm of editing, so you may also want to search for editor type jobs too. There are also different types of writing positions available too, such as transcription and some others posted on this forum.

Technical Writing is a growing work at home field as well.

If you search through this section of the forum, you will find most positions posted are customer service related. If you have any experience working with people/customers, this may be another area to consider. Some do hire for part time shifts as well, and may allow you to limit the time you have to sit at the computer.

If it were me, I'd try applying for a variety of different things, as long as I was qualified to do them.

Best of luck and I hope you find something very soon. :)

Is proofreading work from home still possible?

Also, does one need to sit at the computer the whole time you work, or could, perhaps, the work be printed out, completed away from the computer, and then sent on? Excuse my ignorance, but just how is proofreading work done?

I see proofreading jobs listed once in a while, so I'm sure there are some jobs available if you look around.

I do MT editing/QA and can't print it out to proofread away from the computer as it's all done within a company platform. The volume of work would preclude it being printed anyway...there would be a lot of paper and printer ink involved, and it would be very expensive.

My editing is done at the computer, and it's done live and must be completed immediately and returned immediately.

Good luck finding something you can enjoy doing. :)

From what I have seen and know is that proofreading jobs are very hard to come by just like data entry jobs are. They also require you to have a college degree from a four year institution. Even though I have five years of proofreading experience for a seven day daily newspaper, I have found it extremely hard to obtain a proofreading position, all due to the fact that I do NOT have a college degree from a four year institution! I have a degree from a two year college. Also, the only other proofreading jobs that I have ever found, they didn't pay very good and were NOT worth even continuing with.

Not to mention, most of the proofreading jobs, as someone else pointed out, need to be proofread via the computer and sent back immediately upon proofreading or within a very short time period, such as anywhere from a few hours to 12 to 48 hours, depending on the content and company's requirement.

HTH and Good Luck! :)

I've always loved working with words, spelling, punctuation, etc., but still have much to learn!

I have several chronic health issues, which means I must find work from home. I can neither sit nor stand for long periods of time, due to muscle spasms, cramping, etc.--so, sitting at the computer for more than about a half hour is very painful!

Proofreading sounds intriguing, but I wonder if it's possible, given my medical conditions. Maybe I should back up a bit. How do I go about getting started in proofreading? I researched this a bit onine, and it seems many jobs require college degrees, though not all. Some jobs require only testing and studying and knowing well certain books pertaining to proofreading. I have no college degree, unfortunately. Is proofreading work from home still possible?

Also, does one need to sit at the computer the whole time you work, or could, perhaps, the work be printed out, completed away from the computer, and then sent on? Excuse my ignorance, but just how is proofreading work done?

Another issue is that I'm in NO way computer savvy--and boy, have I tried, and several people have attempted to teach me. I can do online searches, email, etc.--the basics. But I once totally bombed when attempting an MT job and was pulling my hair out trying to download, send, etc. This is pathetic, but because of being EXTREMELY technologically challenged, even with written notes and attempts over 3 days of step-by-step help, I finally had to admit it was beyond me and had to quit the position. Depressing! My online fellow MT workers said I would get the hang of it eventually, but no--it was like one gigantic snarled knot was stuck in my mind. That's me and technology, so now you know I'm not too fond of computers! I can 'thank' my medical condition for that.

So--is proofreading different? Would it be easier to go about sending the proofread work that is completed, or how DOES it work--I'm very uninformed about that.

I would appreciate any input and if you would share your experiences. Also, where do you find proofreading jobs? Thanks in advance and I apologize for the long post.

One last thing: If proofreading is not 'doable' for me, any suggestions on jobs? Remember, I can't be at the computer for long. My husband frowns on home businesses, and I've seen many people sit in malls and at craft shows, etc. for hours, only to earn a few dollars. I live in a rural area and there are few jobs. I've applied for just about everything in the area, and explained I would need to alternate sitting/standing, and of course, I'm not even considered for ANY job. I've checked into disability but was rejected because "you don't have a cane"(!) I argued that I have 'invisible' medical conditions, and just because I don't have a cane doesn't mean I'm not handicapped. Didn't help, and my doctor is sympathetic, but the most he offered was to suggest "work on something from home." The question is: WHAT??

Thanks for listening to my vent. I've been searching now for about 3 years and am totally frustrated and burnt out from trying to find a job that will work for me. Thanks for any help!!

Pardon any typos--am in a hurry to get some little jobs done around my home today.