How the Bookkeeper Became a Proofreader
Going from bookkeeping to proofreading isn’t as crazy as it sounds. Both jobs actually have a lot in common. In fact, I’d say that if I hadn’t started out as a bookkeeper, BulletProof probably wouldn’t have ever come about.
Hello, Bookkeeping
When I was in high school, I remember my English teacher telling me that I had no business scoring lower than a five on the College Board’s AP composition exam. That’s the perfect score, just in case you aren’t familiar with the AP exams. Then in college, my English professor pulled me aside one day to mention how much she enjoyed my writing. My history professor wanted me to get a job in the university’s writing center. You would think with all that encouragement, I would pursue an English degree and set off on a promising career as a writer or editor once I graduated.
I did not.
I graduated with a philosophy degree and promptly became a bookkeeper. Are there similarities between bookkeeping and proofreading? Absolutely! Both roles need someone organized and efficient who can see both the big picture and the details. Both jobs must follow an established set of rules or regulations to maintain a high-quality output. So, it wasn’t such a crazy switch to end up with numbers for a living.
The Bookkeeping Years
For fourteen years, I worked as a bookkeeper for small businesses and individuals. But during that time, my position covered many responsibilities in addition to bookkeeping. Sometimes I covered part of human resources, trained new employees, or supervised the administrative assistants. Sometimes I actually was the administrative assistant, or I collaborated with the marketing team. Once my employers figured out I was good with words, they put me in charge of proofreading the company memos and newsletters. At one point, I had to rewrite the employee handbook. When I was promoted and became the manager of the accounting department, I immediately began drafting our policies and procedures manual.
Hello, Proofreading
So I never could get away from words, even in a world supposedly centered around numbers. While I enjoyed my time with numbers and appreciate everything I learned during those fourteen years, it is hard to resist something you love. And I love words. I always have, always will. Because of that, I decided to change careers. I took training courses to make sure I was qualified to help others with their writing. Then I launched BulletProof, my proofreading business.
When I’m not proofing someone else’s papers, novels, blog posts, or newsletters, you’ll find me working on my writing projects. Like I said, I can’t escape the draw of the written word, but then again, why would I want to?
If you need proofreading help with your novel, article, short story, or memos, let me know. I look forward to partnering with you!
Want to learn more about proofreading? Maybe you’re wondering if you need a proofreader or why you should pay for proofreading? Or what the difference is between proofreading and editing? Learn the answers to those questions and more on our blog, Becoming BulletProof.