23. Proofreading

The difference between win or lose. 

So you have now followed our recommendations and guidelines to craft the perfect report... but is it that perfect? We all make mistakes; because we type too fast, because we get distracted, because we have a new idea, because we assume everyone has the same knowledge as us... the list in endless. But the fact is: you need to proof read your work over and over.

This is one of the main argument for starting your work early, and finishing it ahead of the deadline: so that you can sleep on it, and read it again, to see if it still makes sense. But very often, as you cast your eyes over your work, you realise that you know it by heart, making it extremely hard to spot typos and grammatical errors.

You therefore need what is often referred to as a Guinea Pig, someone you can use to proof read your work and get an outside opinion. I generally advise my students to make a deal with a friend studying a completely different subject, and get them to proof read their work and vice versa. In most of my businesses, I have implemented the Wingman concept: each employee is assigned a Wingman to go over their work and proof read it.

This is absolutely crucial as errors can negatively impact the perception of your work: a CV with typo will end up in the bin straight away; so will an invitation to tender with wrong grammar. As far as essays, reports and academic papers are concerned, your grade could easily go down by 20% if the work submitted as not been proof read properly.