Stacey (Starting a New Career)

Stacey spent more than a decade in marketing, working first for a media company and then a fashion brand. When she had her daughter, she stepped away from that career, and the break gave her space to think about what she wanted to do next.

After retraining as an English teacher, Stacey found that her interest in language only grew – so she decided to learn how to proofread and edit too. 

Having already made one career change, Stacey was keen to step straight into work rather than build a client list from scratch. That’s what made the Knowadays courses, with their guaranteed work opportunity, such a good fit. 

Read on to find out how Stacey’s decision to learn with Knowadays evolved into a new proofreading and editing career with Proofed and how she’s found a flexible, independent way of working that suits her perfectly.

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

I’m based between Australia and Singapore.

After high school, I completed an Associate Diploma in Business (Advertising) at a technical college in Australia. I worked in marketing for over 10 years for a media company and then a fashion brand. 

After I had my daughter, I didn’t work for a while and also wanted to do something else. I had been learning a language and thought, “Hey, why not teach English,” so I got a teaching qualification and started working part-time. That interest in language continued through teaching, and because I really enjoy learning new things, I decided to learn how to be a proofreader as well. And here I am!

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

I was working as a part-time English teacher and wanted to keep learning more about English and language. Proofreading really interested me, so I decided to explore it further.

How did you decide Knowadays was right for you?

I loved that they offered a work placement after finishing the course. I know some people take courses like these because they want to work for themselves, but I was much more interested in having the opportunity to step straight into established work.

Can you tell us a bit about your learning process?

I studied around my part-time work, sometimes in bursts and sometimes taking a few weeks off.

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

Overall, I really enjoyed taking the course. The “real-life” practice documents at the end of each subject were great to get a feel for what the actual work might be like.

Was there anything you found surprising or particularly tricky? How did you overcome any challenges?

I thought the editing course was trickier than the proofreading course, but I think that comes down to editing being subjective in nature. The course materials really helped me understand tone of voice, clarity, and flow, as well as how to judge when a change is needed and when it’s better to leave something alone.

Was your course experience what you hoped for? Do you feel your investment was good value?

Absolutely!

What was your experience of the Proofed work trial like?

I began my Proofed trial period in October 2025, and it took me roughly 1–2 months to complete. 

I was so happy to be invited to join a business team, as there weren’t always very many documents available to work on in the main queue. The documents on this business team were much harder than I expected, and it was quite the learning curve! It was still a great experience, and I learned a lot.

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

It was great! 

I was invited to join some more teams and work on different types of documents. I really appreciated receiving all the feedback on those early documents to understand where I was making mistakes and what improvements I could be making.

Now, I am accepting work almost every day.

How did you find the transition to freelance or remote work?

I found the transition quite easy and didn’t have any problems adjusting. I think proofreading naturally involves a lot of quiet, independent work, which suits the way I like to work.

Where do you usually work from? What’s your setup like?

I have a lovely home office that is quiet and has lots of natural light.

Can you tell us about your usual work routine?

Recently, I was offered the position of Service Delivery Specialist (SDS), which means that I am now also helping to support the editors and reviewers. It has given me a steadier weekday routine, closer to a 9-to-4 schedule, which has been a positive change because I sometimes found it difficult to say no when work was available at all hours.

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

I enjoy the variety of clients and document types, and I am learning something new every day.

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

I don’t have a preferred document type, and I am happy to give everything a go at least once. However, academic or highly scientific documents would not be my first choice.

Is there anything you’ve found surprising or challenging about the job?

Time zones! It is definitely not something I was used to before. It can sometimes be challenging when I need to wait a few hours, or even until the next day, to speak to someone on my team. I also have to be careful when I say, “Let’s talk about that tomorrow.” Whose tomorrow – mine or yours? Is it even day or night where you are?

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

I don’t think the remote aspect is necessarily what I enjoy most about the job. Of course, it is nice not having to commute every day and having the freedom to work from my balcony if the weather is nice. But for me, it is more about enjoying the work itself and the flexibility that comes with it.

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

I think what has surprised me is that, while working across different time zones can make communication more challenging, once everyone is online, it feels very much like a traditional workplace. You can send someone a quick message or ask if they have a few minutes for a video call, and suddenly it does not feel like you are all working in different parts of the world.

Do you do any other work alongside proofreading and editing? If so, how do you balance your workload and schedule?

I am not teaching as many English classes anymore since starting the new SDS role, as I found it difficult to balance both.

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

I love reading, going for walks, playing pickleball, doing pilates, taking holidays with my family, baking, and playing mahjong.

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

Overall, it has been a really positive change. I’m very satisfied with the work I’m doing, and I enjoy the flexibility that comes with it. I’m still working on finding the right work-life balance, but I think that is probably something most people are always working on!

Do you feel you’ve benefited from taking the Knowadays courses? Have they helped you achieve your goals?

Definitely. I originally chose the Knowadays course because of the work placement opportunity, with the goal of working as a proofreader. In that sense, I think I have exceeded the goal I started with.

Since joining Proofed, the learning has continued: I was given the opportunity to become a reviewer and have now moved into the SDS role. I feel very fortunate that completing the course has led to opportunities I had not necessarily expected when I started.

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

The work placement is a very real opportunity, and the team is incredibly supportive and wants you to succeed, so take all the advice they have to give. 

Do not give up if it is something you really want! I didn’t pass one of the course assignments on my first attempt, but I learned from my mistakes, retook it, and passed. That experience taught me a lot, so my advice would be to take the feedback on board and keep going.

Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor 

Today, Stacey works from a home office with lots of natural light, which was exactly the kind of quiet, independent setup she wanted. She’s taken on a SDS role at Proofed, supporting other proofreaders and editors. This provides her with a more consistent day-to-day routine without losing the flexibility that drew her to the work in the first place.

Ready to build a flexible new career of your own? With Knowadays, you can study at your own pace, deadline-free, with lifetime access to course materials for whenever you need them. 

And right now, you can save 15% when you bundle the Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor courses together. Score distinctions in the final assignments, and you’re guaranteed work with Proofed as soon as you graduate.

There’s never been a better time to start!