Knowadays Review: The Ins and Outs

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With the growing trend of working from home, maybe you’re one of the many people who have researched the different fields that allow you to work remotely. I know I was. Maybe you’ve come across data entry, writing, virtual assisting, and so on. But, if you’re like me, proofreading caught your eye. That’s why you’re here, right?

Before starting my work as an editor, I had experience in writing, but besides that, I had been working in the medical field my entire working life. So, how did I get here?

I spent hours researching. I came across a multitude of classes, many of which required a lot of money and a lot of time. But for me, the biggest factors in making my decision were cost, flexibility, and quality. So, a traditional college was out. In-person classes were out. Despite my many conditions, however, Knowadays fit the bill. (Knowadays was formerly known as Proofreading Academy.)

Why I Chose Knowadays

I ended up doing the Becoming a Proofreader course, but there is another course they offer for more in-depth editing. (They recommend you take the proofreading course before moving on to the editing one.) But why Knowadays? Two words: work guarantee. It always sounds too good to be true, but after reading countless blogs of others’ experiences, I was reassured that it was real. And it definitely is! You just have to receive a score of 80% or higher on their final assignment. (See the August 2023 update at the end of this article.)

As a beginner in the field, the promise of immediate work and experience was invaluable. In a working world where everyone either expects a college degree or years of experience, it opens the door right from the beginning. And the editing experience improves your skills and upgrades your resume for future work.

But what is the course really like? And does it teach you everything you need to know? Let’s look at a few key aspects.

1. It’s Affordable

When I purchased the Becoming a Proofreader course in mid 2022, I paid $360. (I have seen others say it was priced at $399, but I think I bought it with a discount.) However, because of continual improvements, it is now at $499 (as I’m writing this in May 2023). Compared to similar courses, this price point isn’t out of the ordinary. And you can imagine the thousands of dollars you would spend on a college course!

Knowadays also provides a bundle discount if you purchase this course and their editing course at the same time. Right now, they are both priced at $499, so the bundle is $849. (Check the website, however, for current prices.)

2. It’s Flexible

Another selling point to me was the flexibility of the course. It is a totally online, self-paced course with no deadline to complete it. I finished the course in six months while working part-time, but I didn’t overdo it either. I took my time and didn’t rush myself. With different circumstances, I can easily see someone taking more or less time. You also have access to the course forever. You can easily refer back to it whenever you need.

Throughout the course, they provide short quizzes as you progress. Although they show you the percentage of what you got correct, these quizzes are not sent to a Knowadays employee to grade, and they do not affect your final grade. You can take them as many times as you want. Because of this, you’re not waiting for feedback. It allows you to keep moving along the course without pause.

3. It’s Thorough

Because the course is straightforward and short, they dive into the deep aspects of proofreading right away. It explains the different kinds of editors and what is expected of a proofreader. (Note that at the end of the course, they also call you a copy editor, which is more in-depth than a proofreader.)

You’ll learn various grammar rules, the differences in other English dialects (they focus on US and UK), and what is involved in editing specific kinds of writing, such as academic, business, and creative writing. Along the way, they provide links to extra information, such as reliable dictionaries, style guides, and tips and tricks. I wholeheartedly recommend bookmarking these links to a folder on your internet browser. They’ve become a great time-saver. To see the full course curriculum, Knowadays provides a description of every unit on their website.

The majority of the course is written; however, there are also videos for the hands-on lessons. While you edit, there is much more than just knowing and correcting errors; you have to know how to show your client the work you have done. For this course, they show you how to edit Microsoft Word documents and PDFs on Adobe Acrobat. Because this is more involved, the videos include a voice-over of the process while you watch a screen recording. It’s extremely helpful!

4. It’s Adaptable

Although the lessons are only demonstrated on Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat, they explain how to use them on both a Windows computer and a Mac. So each written and video lesson on the programs is available specifically for each. And if you don’t have one of the two, you can skip the lessons for the other; it won’t affect your completion of the course.

People learn in many different ways. Maybe the videos feel too fast, or maybe you prefer pictures or written explanations. For the videos, they also provide the instructions in these other formats. And they can also be downloaded onto your computer. I’ve done that for a few tricky lessons, and they’ve proven to be a quick and handy reference.

5. It’s Aimed for Success

If the material wasn’t already enough, Knowadays provides tutors you can call for questions throughout your time taking the course. If you don’t reach the 80% on the final assignment (the requirement to go on to their work guarantee), you’re allowed to retake it. They want you to get it!

Not only do they support you through your course—they give their continual support through your new career. They send emails with tips and tricks, provide their own resources for explaining grammar rules, and regularly post blog articles on social media so you can access these tools easily.

One more thing to note: If you pass the Becoming a Proofreader course and start working with their partner company, Proofed, they give you a discount if you want to take the Becoming an Editor course. I did not find that mentioned anywhere on the website, but it’s a nice perk to know in case you want to expand your skills. (See the August 2023 update at the end of this article.)

6. It’s Always Improving

Even while taking the course, I saw improvements to the material as they were made available. One thing to note, however, is the course used to provide lessons on formatting. Right in the middle of taking my course, those lessons were taken away. But because of this, they took away the formatting part of the final assignment.

I do think it’s important to mention that the reason they took away that portion of the course was in order to create a new course that’s centered on formatting. Although this course isn’t up just yet, because I bought the course before the change, they promised me free access to the new course when it comes up. I’m sure that’s not the case if you purchase it now, but I do think that was admirable of the company. (See July 2023 update below.)

The Final Assignment

Because the final assignment is the only grade that matters and your ticket to your new editing career, it’s important to know exactly what you’re getting into. This assignment (at least during January 2023) consists of two proofreading tests on Microsoft Word. When you send it in for review, you’ll receive personal feedback from a Knowadays tutor in an email. It will mark everything you did right and everything you did wrong. Then you’ll schedule a time to video call the tutor to discuss your results together. They’ll also answer any questions you may have, such as grammar tips or how the work guarantee works.

Again, in order to be accepted by their partner company for the job, you must receive 80% or higher on this assignment. If you don’t make the grade the first time, they welcome you to take it again.

The Work Guarantee

This guarantee is a trial with Proofed, an editorial company that provides proofreading, editing, and formatting services. By passing the final assignment, you will not become an employee, but rather an independent contractor. In order to keep working with them, you must pass their trial, but they provide many resources and support to help you. (See August 2023 update below.)

The trial is at your own pace, so they don’t rush you to finish. It’ll last until you’ve completed 20 documents with them. They regularly send you updates and tips, and the community of editors help each other with difficult editing problems. The company is very supportive. With each document you take, they’ll give you feedback so you know what to improve.

Possible Concerns to Consider

While racking my brain for what I think is negative about the course, I found that I couldn’t figure out anything directly wrong with it. However, there could be possible concerns. For example, it’s important to know yourself before taking a self-paced course like this. No one is going to push you to finish, so you need to be self-motivated and ready to come up with your own schedule and stick to it.

There are some requirements that involve money. For instance, you’ll need an internet connection, a laptop or desktop computer, and a Microsoft Word subscription (they say the free online version is not suitable for the course). However, if you really want to be an editor, these are must-haves anyway. So again, this is not exactly a negative but a heads-up.

The work guarantee is not written in stone. It’s stipulated on whether you pass the Proofed’s trial once you start. Also, because of the vast amount of editors on the platform, it can be difficult to get work because of the competition. But the company does aim to make sure you finish your trial sooner than later. They also have a selection of practice documents that they’ll pay you to complete, which counts toward your trial. Also, be prepared to have another source of income. Because of the amount of editors, it can take a long time to actually earn enough to make this your only job.

Conclusion

Out of all the options out there for courses, you’ll find the one that’s perfect for you. It’s up to your needs and wants. But if you choose Knowadays, rest assured it’s worth your time and money. As soon as I finished the course, I felt ready to take on my new career. Because of this, I totally recommend learning with Knowadays. To check out their site and even try their free sample lessons, you can click on my affiliate link here. You’ll get a 15% discount on any course you choose when you use my discount code—EMILY15.

If you have any questions about my experience, feel free to ask below! Whichever course you choose to take, I hope you enjoy your journey to a successful editing career.

July 2023 update—The new formatting course came out early July with a 50% off discount for established learners for the first two weeks after the launch. I emailed the company directly to receive my course at no cost (based on their documented promise), but they said that they could no longer offer that to me because of the extra value they put into the new course. After emailing back and forth, they would only extend the two-week discount period for me, but I’ll still have to pay 50%. Needless to say, I’m disappointed with their ethics in this regard.

August 2023 update—The work guarantee is now only applicable if you pass the final assignments for both the Becoming a Proofreader course AND the Becoming an Editor course. Because of this extra cost in order to gain the work guarantee, it’s definitely another factor to consider when deciding if this is the right course for you. If you do begin working with Proofed, it’s worth checking if they provide discounts on other Knowadays courses.

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If you would like to learn more about what it is that proofreaders and copy editors do, you can check out my blog post here.

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