Rebecca (Editing on Her Own Terms)

After years in a demanding HR career, Rebecca stepped away to care for her mum, who had Parkinson’s disease. When that season of life started winding down, she found herself needing a new outlet – one that didn’t come with the stress of chasing clients or hitting targets.

She’d always loved editing, and colleagues often sent her their emails and reports to check over. When she started drawing her pension, she finally had the time to explore it properly.

Read on to find out how Rebecca went from an unofficial office proofreader to a freelance editor with Proofed, with no self-marketing required.

Hi, Rebecca! Can you tell us where you’re from and a bit about your background?

I’m from Southam, Warwickshire, in the UK.

I spent most of my career in HR roles, culminating in a global role as Director of Culture, Diversity, and Inclusion. It involved a lot of content creation, and I always loved nailing the writing element. 

When my dad died in 2022, I left my job to care for my mum, who had Parkinson’s disease. Needing to use my brain, I chaired the Oxford branch of Parkinson’s UK and did some consulting work, but I hated the self-marketing element of finding clients. 

On New Year’s Day 2025, I decided to learn how to proofread and edit, and I signed up for the Knowadays courses. I loved every second of it, and I now take great pride in telling people that I’m an editor when they ask what I do!

Had you done any proofreading or editing before starting your courses?

Yes, informally. My colleagues would send me their emails and reports to check over for SPaG (spelling, punctuation, and grammar) issues and to help them improve clarity, persuasiveness, or whatever they wanted to nail.

What made you consider a career as a proofreader or editor?

I’ve always loved reading, writing, and pointing out other people’s SPaG issues! It isn’t a career, particularly, as I’m at the other end of my working life. I’ve just taken my pension – I have not retired; I’ve simply started taking my pension! – and I’m really enjoying editing when work is available without having to stress about earning enough from it to cover my bills.

How did you decide Knowadays was right for you?

I enjoyed the free lessons, and I was pretty confident that I’d enjoy doing more.

Can you tell us a bit about your learning process?

It took me about 1–2 months to complete my training. I was caring for my mum full time, but she was about to go into a nursing home, as she’d become too poorly for me to care for alone. I’d just bought myself a house, and I was winding down my activities with the local Parkinson’s branch. Knowadays was a wonderful escape from an overload of life admin.

Did you enjoy taking the courses? What was your favourite part of the learning experience?

I loved them! It was everything I hoped for, and it was great value for money. The quizzes were my favourite element.

Was there anything you found surprising or particularly tricky?

To this day, I get muddled with FANBOYS commas. I got cocky and thought I could breeze through it, but I realized that doing the exercises was essential to embedding understanding and passing the quizzes!

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience with the courses?

The tutors are all incredibly friendly, encouraging, and helpful. I missed the 80% required to get the work trial with Proofed, and I was really upset, but my tutor cheered me up. They helped me get back on the horse, and I passed on the second attempt.

What was your experience of the Proofed work trial like?

I began my trial period with Proofed in May 2025, and it took me about a month to complete.

It was really scary! The documents on my first project weren’t only about editing; they also required all kinds of technical SEO work that I really wasn’t very good at. I remember thinking how unfair it was that I could fail my trial on inadequate SEO capability rather than my editing skills. I scraped through the trial, and once the pressure was off, I was able to enjoy it more and try different things.

What was your experience of Proofed after completing your trial period?

I got faster, and I learned to appreciate and apply feedback instead of feeling existentially threatened by it! I can’t remember how or when I joined another business team, but it was nice to do something different. The support team is super helpful and encouraging, and there’s a lovely camaraderie in the team Slack channels.

How did you find the transition to freelance work?

It’s nice not to have to do all the icky self-marketing, and it’s lovely not having an employer! It suits me down to the ground.

Can you tell us about your usual work routine?

I check the Proofed queue as soon as I wake up and keep monitoring it throughout the day. There isn’t always enough work for me to edit full time, so I just grab work whenever I can. I take on work four or five days a week.

I have a standing desk in my home office overlooking my garden and the field behind it. I have BBC Radio 2 on in the background, cats snoozing nearby, and a big bottle of water at my elbow.

What do you enjoy most about working as a proofreader and editor?

Even after editing hundreds of documents, I still get a thrill when I open a new job. I love the methodical process of working through the text, checking it against the style guide and my own checklist, and getting it as near to perfect as I can.

Do you have a favorite type of document or project to work on?

I love doing transcripts. I prefer traditional editing, whether it’s an essay, a business report, or fiction. I understand that fact-checking and SEO elements are part and parcel of many editing jobs these days, but it can sometimes feel like a tedious distraction.

What do you enjoy most about working freelance or working remotely?

The freedom.

Is there anything you’ve found surprising or challenging about freelance life?

It’s scary not having a regular salary, but since I’ve taken my pension, that’s no longer a worry for me. I’m just loving living my best life and editing when I can.

Do you do any other work alongside proofreading and editing? If so, how does it fit into your schedule?

I’m a butler to my cats, but they don’t pay me for it.

What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

Reading and swimming.

How has life changed for you since becoming a freelance proofreader and editor?

It’s great to have turned a lifelong love of words into a job that I love.

What advice would you give someone who’s thinking about taking a Knowadays course?

It’s great value for money, and you won’t regret it!

Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor 

Today, Rebecca edits for Proofed a few days a week, taking on work when it’s available. With no targets to hit and no clients to chase, she’s free to edit purely because she enjoys it.

Have you got a valuable skill like Rebecca’s that’s been going unused? Our Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor courses can help you develop your abilities and put them to good use. They are self-paced with lifetime access, so you can learn in your own time, whatever stage of life you’re at. Plus, if you pass both courses with distinction scores of 80% or above, you can start earning within weeks with our guaranteed work offer with Proofed.

Check out our Proofreader & Editor Course Bundle to get set up with both courses and save 15% on the total price.