It’s safe to say that all proofreaders and copyeditors did something before they started out. Here are some of the things I learned that I still use every single day, though none of them in themselves are about editing.
Brownies and Guides
I was a Sixer and a Patrol Leader, so early on I was learning about teams, about working together for a common goal within my own team and in conjunction with others, yet not to be afraid to stick my neck out and do things off my own bat.
School
Deadlines! Thou shalt have thy homework in on time! Show your workings. Quality output pleases people. I ended up a prefect, so more acceptance of additional responsibility.
Saturday job
(four years in a pet shop)
Be nice to people and they’ll come back. Businesses are built on returning customers. Watch your wastage. The backroom parts of the job are important, too. Regular heavy lifting builds muscle – if it seems hard at first, it will get easier with practice.
University
Make sure you understand the brief, and can carry it out independently and to a high standard. Look things up if you’re not sure, or even if you think you are – avoid dumb mistakes. Self-discipline and time management. The importance of research. The art of procrastination (sad, but true, and I’ve spent a lot of time unlearning it since then, honest).
Psychology experiment subject
(earning a bit of cash to help out whilst studying)
Check your understanding of what’s required. Test your equipment. Concentrate.
Bar work
(earning a bit more cash to help out whilst studying)
When your friends turn up whilst you’re working, resist temptation: no partying with them until your shift is over.
Postgrad course choice
You can survive the most horrendous mistakes.
Proper job
(joined the civil service as a direct entrant junior manager and took it from there for the next 18 years in central government, then forcibly outsourced to the private sector)
The value of precision work. Negotiation. Vigilance. Effective communication with customers of all kinds and temperaments. Running a budget. It’s easier to save a pound than earn a pound. Cash flow is king. Know where you and the work you do fit into the overall process. Under-promise and over-deliver, but don’t go crazy on either.
Look ahead and anticipate problems. Calculate task dependencies. Prioritise and plan. Keep people informed. Be realistic. If things look like going pear-shaped, take early action and warn people as soon as possible. Offer solutions. Put yourself in your client’s shoes and act accordingly. Be reliable. Be flexible, but don’t be a doormat or a yes-man – it does no one any good and it’s embarrassing to watch. Seek out training. ‘We’ve always done it that way’ is the wrong answer. Estimating. Give yourself contingency time. Don’t work at 100% of capacity as routine – if there’s a crisis, you’ve nothing else to give.
After every project think about what worked, what didn’t, what needs tweaking and what needs investigating further with a view to bigger changes, then act before the next project. Don’t get so wrapped up with the work in front of you on your desk that you don’t see what’s going on around you. Keep an eye on industry innovation.
Last salaried position
(aka the reason I’ve been freelance since 2006)
Don’t be afraid to quit when all other avenues have been explored. Taking that leap of faith may turn out to be the best move you’ve made.
This is an updated version of a piece originally published by the then Society for Editors and Proofreaders (now Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading) blog on 26 June 2015 as ‘Transferable skills and life lessons’.
