Each editor at CACTUS is unique and infuses the workplace with great diversity. Our learning-oriented environment and the emphasis on sharing knowledge motivate employees to discover new strengths. Working at CACTUS is like a summons to excel. Click here to read what our editors themselves have to say.
An editor does not have the creative license that a writer does. While a writer’s thoughts are limited by nothing other than his/her imagination, an editor is required to function within the restrictions imposed by the writer. Hence, as an editor, the scope for creativity is limited. Nevertheless, within the boundaries of the processes we follow, there is much room to explore your creative skills with the English language. Editing is a challenging art because not everyone can master the skill of bringing sparkle and clarity to a piece that is not one’s own.
CACTUS is committed to making editing a financially rewarding career. Your compensation will depend on your educational background and work experience.
Yes, we are open to hiring freshers who are looking at building a career in editing. We look for superior English-language skills and subject-area expertise.
Here’s what an edited paper looks like. This will give you an idea of the kind of changes an editor is expected to make.
All new editors go through an intensive month-long orientation program. The program covers topics such as grammar and language, academic writing conventions, and in-house style. Apart from this, editors receive periodic feedback from clients and peers, undergo regular skill training, and are given access to a range of subject-area and language resources.
The editing team at CACTUS consists of individuals with diverse backgrounds and qualifications: doctors, engineers, teachers, journalists, as well as graduates and postgraduates from various disciplines like the biological and medical sciences, economics, psychology, the social sciences, and the physical sciences. But all of them have one thing in common: they have a passion for their subject, a superior command over the English language, and a keen eye for detail. For some of our editors, editing was a natural career choice; others began their careers in other industries but were drawn to editing because of their sheer love for the language.
The author of a paper is responsible for the accuracy of its content but is not always the best wordsmith. ESL (English-as-a-second-language) authors in particular are may not be able to express their ideas in clear English and this often poses a barrier to publication. Through our academic and scientific editing service, we correct and enhance the language in research papers so that the level of English matches that required by international journals. Thus, editing helps authors meet their objective of publishing their research in leading journals that have a global audience.
Editing is the flagship service of CACTUS. In 2002, we spotted the need for an academic editing service that would cater to the requirements of ESL (English-as-a-second-language) researchers. In April that year, CACTUS began operations as an English-language editing service specializing in the editing of research manuscripts.
We currently have over 43,000 clients from 107 countries. Our client base consists primarily of researchers who wish to publish their research in international journals but we also offer editing services to universities and academic societies.
Yes, we do provide training. The type and duration of the training depends on the role you will be playing. So while an editorial role will have a fixed training program and duration, and most customer-facing positions have orientation programs, other positions (e.g., HR positions) may have more intuitive or on-the-job training plans.
We have a 5-day work-week for most roles. But some roles (specially customer-facing ones) may require you to work 6 days a week when necessary. And when you’re in training, you’ll be on a different schedule and may need to work 6 days for the duration of the training, depending on the team you’re joining.
We want to make sure that we work with the best talent and with people who believe in and share our values. That’s why we follow a rigorous recruitment process that includes CV/application screening, followed by test/s (not all positions have tests), and 3 or more rounds of interview.
CACTUS is part of the scientific, academic, and medical publication industry. Our aim is to accelerate the development of global science and research. To that end, we partner with researchers, academic institutes, journals, publishers, and pharmaceutical companies, helping them create and rewrite material through services like editing, translation, publication support, and medical writing.
Yes, you can download the Reception Booklet to know more. You can also write in to us at behappy@cactusglobal.com
Most of your first day will be spent in an induction program conducted by HR. During this program, you will learn about CACTUS, the work environment, the Indian culture, how to travel, and what to eat. You’ll also learn a few Hindi words that will help you get acquainted with the national language of India. You’ll be introduced to your team as well as key members in the organization.
The currency of India is the Indian Rupee (INR). You can exchange your home currency for Indian currency at the international airport in India. We also recommend that you bring along your credit card, as most merchant outlets in India accept credit/debit cards.
We will provide you with subsidized accommodation at a company apartment that has all the necessary amenities and furniture. The apartment will be located a short distance from the office.
We will arrange to have you picked up from the airport and dropped at the company apartment.
Before you leave for India, read up a bit about diseases that are common in Indian climatic conditions. You can then consult your physician and get yourself vaccinated. Here’s a list of common diseases; the list is not exhaustive.
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Typhoid
• Diarrhea
• Malaria
We do not follow a dress code. You can wear casual t–shirts and denims at work or whatever you are comfortable in. However, in keeping with Indian cultural norms, we recommend that all female employees avoid carrying/wearing shorts, miniskirts, tops with low necklines, and other clothes that could attract unnecessary attention or be construed as offensive.
You need to apply for an employment visa.
Yes, we provide job-specific training. The duration of the training program will depend on the role you will be playing.
Yes, CACTUS provides all employees with health and accident insurance.
We work 5 days a week. You’ll receive more information about the work timings during your interview.
India’s economy is growing, and so are the opportunities for individual career growth. Working in India, especially in the financial capital of Mumbai, affords an ex-pat or a foreigner the opportunity to explore the ancient history and culture of a diverse country while being a part of a truly modern and global work culture.
Here, you’ll rub shoulders with people from various countries, cultures, classes, and schools of thought and you’ll have the opportunity to carve a career in high-growth industries. In short, you’ll get a little bit of everything. To hear what our people—both Indians and others—think about the work culture at the CACTUS India office, click here.
In the case of editing and translation, we typically select professional editors/translators. However, there have been a few cases in which someone with superlative language skills but with little or no editing/translation experience approached us and then went on to become one of our best freelance editors/translators. We’ve seen this happen only in the case of researchers with exceptional English skills. So if you think you have what it takes to be an editor or a translator, check out our current openings and apply for the position that matches your background.
For transcription, we strongly prefer professionals with at least 2 years of experience.
If your sample does not clear our review process, we will let you know about it and will be unable to take your application forward.
There is no magic formula, but we’ve found that our best freelancers display a consistent pattern. They have exceptional editorial/translation/transcription capabilities, superlative language skills, in-depth knowledge of relevant academic and typographical conventions (or an ability to learn them), subject-matter expertise, a keen eye for detail, and a zest to keep learning and improving their skill sets.
Because we receive many applications on a daily basis, it takes us at least 1 week to review your sample and reach a decision. The sample is reviewed by our senior editors, reviewers, and quality experts.
Yes. Read on for details…
Editing: You need Microsoft Word. You will need to be familiar with Word’s track changes feature.
Translation: You need Microsoft Word.
Transcription: You need to have access to all transcription-related hardware and software (audio players compatible with foot pedals such as Express Scribe) and to MS Word.
Editing and Translation: The editing and translation exercises comprise excerpts from research papers across several academic disciplines. You will be asked to edit or translate one or more of these passages based on your subject-area expertise.
Transcription: The transcription exercise comprises audios that you will need to transcribe so that we can test your proficiency.
• We review your CV.
• If your application is shortlisted, we seek relevant additional information and may send you a sample exercise, depending on the role you are applying for.
• Once things move forward, you will need to sign a contract letter and confidentiality agreement with us.
If we do not have an open position for your speciality/subject area, we will keep your application on file and approach you when the position re-opens.
Check out our current openings .. If you find a position that interests you, use the Quick apply link at the bottom of the page, fill in all the necessary details, and upload your CV. Once we receive your application, we will review it and get back to you within 7 working days if your profile matches our requirements.
Note: We process a large number of applications and may not be able to revert within this timeframe if your profile does not match our requirements.
We share information about our rates when we reply to your application. We offer different rates for different services: copyediting, substantive editing, content review, journal selection, pharmaceutical editing, translation, translation review, and transcription. Rates fall within certain pre-determined ranges and are based on relevant professional experience and your performance on the sample exercise.
For some roles (e.g., editing), we conduct feedback and discussion sessions for our new freelancers. Details will be discussed when you are on board.
We promise our clients excellence in service delivery. We guarantee that the quality of any document edited/translated/transcribed by CACTUS will meet the standards required by the international publishing industry. We ensure that our completed assignments are always delivered on time. This client promise guides our quality policy, and we require that our freelance experts deliver nothing short of excellence.
Our contract covers the following:
• terms of employment (e.g., contractual)
• terms of service (e.g., rates, nature of work)
• our quality policy
A confidentiality agreement or an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) is a legal contract between two parties, written to safeguard proprietary or confidential information. The agreement outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the two parties will share with each another. Most importantly, it restricts them from disclosing this information to a third party.
As a freelancer, you will work with us on a contractual basis. You will not be on our payroll. We will sign a contract letter and confidentiality agreement with you.
The volume of work you receive and the amount of time you spend working with us will depend on how much time you can devote to working with us and on the level of quality you deliver.
We receive hundreds of assignments on a daily basis. The volume and frequency of work you receive depends on the quality of work you deliver, your professionalism and adherence to deadlines, your availability, your speed, your specialization, and other such considerations. With newer freelancers, we start slowly so as to give them time to adjust to our client and quality requirements.
Write to us at freelancepositions@cactusglobal.com.
This varies widely. A document could range from 1000 to 20,000 words (or more) in length.
In terms of conventions and styles, here’s what we need you to know.
Conventions
We require our freelancers to have a good working knowledge of the conventions in academic writing in their areas of expertise. For example, if you specialize in the life sciences, knowledge of species nomenclature is essential; if you are a chemistry expert, you are expected to know how chemical compositions and formulae are represented; and a linguistics expert is expected to be well versed with the terminology used in the field.
Style manuals
As far as style manuals are concerned, while you need not know all the manuals, it will be helpful if you are conversant with the style guide that is closest to your area of expertise. For example, if you edit papers from the field of psychology, then knowledge of the APA style manual is ideal.
Basic reference and style formats
Basic knowledge of various academic formats, such as different referencing styles (Harvard, MLA, APA, Chicago) will greatly increase your value as an editor.While we share relevant information about our in-house style with freelancers, we do not provide freelancers with style guides/manuals. Most professional editors own a copy of the style sheet that they follow. It is best to acquire the style guide that you will need to use most frequently. The Internet is also a great resource in this regard, but remember to verify the authenticity of the online source before using it.
We receive research papers, conference proceedings, presentations, journal articles, theses, dissertations, book chapters, study reports, grant proposals, and many other types of documents.
Yes and no. While we do have a house style that we share with our freelance editors, we don’t use this style for every assignment. This is because style/formatting requirements differ from assignment to assignment, as our clients submit their papers to a variety of international journals. Naturally, each client could have different requirements for style/format. We give clear instructions on the style to be followed for each assignment.
The table below provides an overview of the basic differences between copyediting and substantive editing.
Type of edit
Substantive
editing
Copyediting
Typographical errors
Punctuation
Grammar
Consistency in terminology and style
Consistency in page layout and font
Sentence construction
Terminology/reference check
Only terminology check
Word choice
Suggestions for text with unclear meaning
Language tips
Logic, relevance, clarity
Structure and flow
Word reduction
Journal formatting
We do not conduct fact checks for authors using our copyediting service. However, under our substantive editing service, we do fact check to ensure the accuracy of author names, titles, and publisher info. Under our copyediting service, we check citations and the reference list for consistency in format, not for factual accuracy.
Under both services, we ensure that common terms are used correctly–in terms of hyphenation, capitalization, spelling, and usage.
At CACTUS, substantive editors have the right combination of unmatched linguistic skills and subject-matter expertise. In addition to being gifted copyeditors, they have the ability to suggest or make structural changes that enhance presentation and readability. They spot and/or correct information and logic gaps in text; comment on content and organization; and correct tone, form, and style.
A substantive editor is expected to have
- exceptional copyediting skills
- at least 1 year of substantive editing experience
- expertise in one or more of the following subjects: radiology, chemistry, physics, engineering, computer science/information technology, earth and environmental sciences, statistics, agricultural science, pharmaceutical science, medicine, surgery, economics, finance, linguistics, psychology, law, archaeology, and music
- experience in working with manuscripts written by ESL (English-as-a-second-language) authors
- familiarity with the style and conventions followed in academic writing
Copyeditors at CACTUS are responsible for both form (language, typographical errors, etc.) and content. When we say “content,” we don’t mean that they add, delete, write, or rewrite content. We are referring to the responsibility of a copyeditor to retain the author’s meaning and intent when revising sentences, and to point out discrepancies or factual inaccuracies in text.
A copyeditor is expected to have
- exceptional command over the English language–its structure, grammar, and idiomatic usage
- relevant editing experience (at least 1 year)
- expertise in one or more of the following subjects: radiology, chemistry, physics, engineering, computer science/information technology, earth and environmental sciences, statistics, agricultural science, pharmaceutical science, medicine, surgery, economics, finance, linguistics, psychology, law, archaeology, and music
- experience in working with manuscripts written by ESL (English-as-a-second-language) authors
- familiarity with the style and conventions following in academic writing
Yes, you can download the Reception Booklet to know more. You can also write in to us at behappy@cactusglobal.com
We have a 5-day work-week for most roles. But some roles (specially customer-facing ones) may require you to work 6 days a week when necessary. And when you’re in training, you’ll be on a different schedule and may need to work 6 days for the duration of the training, depending on the team you’re joining
Most of your first day will be spent in an induction program conducted by HR. During this program, you will learn about CACTUS, the work environment, the Indian culture, how to travel, and what to eat. You’ll also learn a few Hindi words that will help you get acquainted with the national language of India. You’ll be introduced to your team as well as key members in the organization.
The currency of India is the Indian Rupee (INR). You can exchange your home currency for Indian currency at the international airport in India. We also recommend that you bring along your credit card, as most merchant outlets in India accept credit/debit cards.
We will provide you with subsidized accommodation at a company apartment that has all the necessary amenities and furniture. The apartment will be located a short distance from the office.
We will arrange to have you picked up from the airport and dropped at the company apartment.
Before you leave for India, read up a bit about diseases that are common in Indian climatic conditions. You can then consult your physician and get yourself vaccinated. Here’s a list of common diseases; the list is not exhaustive.
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Typhoid
• Diarrhea
• Malaria
We do not follow a dress code. You can wear casual t–shirts and denims at work or whatever you are comfortable in. However, in keeping with Indian cultural norms, we recommend that all female employees avoid carrying/wearing shorts, miniskirts, tops with low necklines, and other clothes that could attract unnecessary attention or be construed as offensive.
If you’re affiliated with AIESEC, you need to apply for a business visa. If you’re a student but are not affiliated with AIESEC, you need to apply for an internship visa.
Yes, we provide job-specific training. The duration of the training program will depend on the role you will be playing.
Yes, CACTUS provides all employees with health and accident insurance.
Yes, you can apply for an internship position with our Client Servicing or Marketing teams for a period of 12 months.
India’s economy is growing, and so are the opportunities for individual career growth. Working in India, especially in the financial capital of Mumbai, affords an ex-pat or a foreigner the opportunity to explore the ancient history and culture of a diverse country while being a part of a truly modern and global work culture.
Here, you’ll get to see both cows and BMWs on the same road; you’ll rub shoulders with people from various countries, cultures, classes, and schools of thought; and you’ll have the opportunity to carve a career in high-growth industries. In short, you’ll get a little bit of everything. To hear what our people—both Indians and others—think about the work culture at the CACTUS India office,click here.
