Sample Resume for an Editor

Therefore, the resume for an editor should be well-written and must not have any mistakes. It should be flawless. There shouldn’t be any grammar or spelling mistakes. Your resume as an editor is your ticket to an interview and eventually getting hired. One tiny mistake on your resume can lead to your CV getting thrown in the trash.

Payscale places the average annual salary of an editor at $54,000. This rate can become higher or lower depending on your skills, experience, editorial position, location, and the company you’re working for among other factors.

Our research shows some editors make hundreds of thousands per year. You have to consider the industry in which you’re working.

In digital media, for instance, there are so many opportunities available. The massive increase in independent content creators and traditional publishers transitioning to digital platforms has opened many editor jobs and positions for editorial staff.

If you are now creating your own editor resume, better take it seriously. Make sure you’re highlighting your editing skills not by simply writing it on your resume, but displaying it through an error-free and well-crafted CV.

Additional Information About the Editor Resume

The abundant job opportunities along with numerous applicants wanting to pursue an editorial career make it even more challenging to secure an editor position. This gives you even more reasons to ensure that your editor resume is perfect.

But where can you find editorial jobs? More often than not, these are jobs offered by newspapers, book and magazine publishers, radio, TV, and film companies, and many more. There are also numerous digital platforms such as websites, e-commerce companies, social media platforms, and YouTube content creators, among others. Also, many companies in practically all industries look for editors to join their marketing team.

Depending on your work history and proven record, there are plenty of jobs waiting for you in a wide range of industries.

Below are some of the top paying industries for editors per average annual wage (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Attractive salary packages and a wide range of opportunities make an editorial career very inviting to experienced professionals and fresh graduates. Your editor resume must stand out. You can start by using a resume builder to help you create and organize all the details of your CV. Begin writing your resume and make sure you proofread it thoroughly before submitting it to a hiring manager.

Example of an Editor Resume

How to Make an Editor Resume

As an editor, you might think that writing a resume is quick and easy. While that might be true to some extent, you must remember that this is a competitive industry. You are expected to be an expert in content creation. You must be detail oriented. Your editor resume must be the best. It must be perfect.

Start by checking the job description as well as the qualifications and requirements set by your potential employer. Read these carefully and tailor your resume according to the description.

Having just one resume to submit to everyone is acceptable, but if you want your own editor resume to stand out, then you must customize it according to the job description. This is the best way for you to get the chance of being interviewed and eventually getting hired for the job.

Show the hiring manager that you are a subject matter expert. You are worth getting called and being interviewed. Display your skills and experience by preparing a presentable and flawless resume. Here are some tips that you can keep in mind when writing your resume.

The Layout of the Editor Resume

Your professionalism can be shown through the layout of your resume. More often than not, editor jobs are not entry-level positions. You are expected to have some background or work experience.

The best resume format to use for your editor resume is the reverse-chronological format. This allows you to place focus on your resume experience section.

The Structure of the Editor Resume

Your editor resume must be organized and must follow the correct structure. This is another opportunity for you to display your writing skills and editing skills.

There are two formats you can choose from aside from the reverse-chronological format. These are the functional and combination layouts that you will commonly see in editor resume samples.

The functional layout may also be beneficial for editor resumes as this resume format focuses on skills. If you have minimal or no experience as an editor, then this would be a better format to choose.

You may also opt for the combination layout. This is a combination of the reverse-chronological and functional formats. The combination layout is most commonly used as it allows you to focus on your skills while also displaying your vast experience.

You can check out editor resume examples or use a resume builder that can serve as your guide while writing your resume. While all the above formats are acceptable, these are the primary sections that every editor’s resume should include no matter the format used.

Start with the Header of the Editor Resume

Every resume starts with a header. The header of an editor’s resume includes your full name and contact information. It is best to include your phone number, a professional email address, your location, and a link to your portfolio or website, if available.

Example of a Header for an Editor’s Resume

Example of a Bad Header for an Editor’s Resume

Is a Photo Required in the Editor Resume?

You are not required to add a picture on your editor resume, but no one’s really stopping you from doing so. You should know though that many companies and hiring managers do not consider applicants who add a picture on their resume.

Adding a photo on your editor resume is not only irrelevant to the job you’re applying for, but it can also be the cause of discrimination. We recommend you don’t add a photo .

If you are adding a photo on your resume, just make sure that it is a professional photo. Do not use selfies. Have your photo taken professionally. If you have a nice camera or a good enough camera phone, you can take the photo yourself or ask a friend to do it for you. Wear something decent and take the picture with a neutral background.

Choosing Your Editor Title

This is one of the few sections that can help you display your creativity and an opportunity to grab the attention of the hiring manager. Choosing your editor title can be as simple as just writing “Editor” or you can also be more specific.

Once again, check the job description. Customize your editor title according to the job ad. For instance, if the job advertised is for a copy editor, then you can create a job title related to being a copy editor.

Professional Summary for an Editor

The professional summary or editor resume summary is your second opportunity to show your excellent skills in writing. This section is simply a summary of the contents of your resume. You can include your most notable achievements, professional experience, and other details that can help grab the attention of the hiring manager.

Your editor resume summary must be good enough to compel the hiring manager to be interested in reading the rest of your resume. This gives you more chances of getting called for an interview.

Take a look at some editor resume examples to get an idea of how to write the summary section. You can also get some inspiration from professional summaries written in editor resume samples.

Work Experience in the Editor Resume

As earlier mentioned, an editor position is rarely an entry-level job. Many would start out being an editorial assistant or writer before becoming an editor. As for those who have honed their editing skills even before finding a job, they are also entertained by hiring managers.

All this being said, the work experience section is an important part of your editor resume. Editor resume samples will show you different ways on how to list an aspiring editor’s career history. You can also check out our resume templates that can guide you while listing your experience down.

While you want to highlight your most notable experiences and achievements, it is ideal to list your work experience in reverse-chronological order with your most recent job or position listed first.

Describe Your Professional Experiences on Your Editor Resume

When writing about your professional experiences, make sure you describe each one of them. Each item on your work experience section typically includes the position title, company name, location, years worked, job responsibilities and notable achievements.

Once again, pay attention to the keywords in the job description as this section is a great opportunity to use them. Write job responsibilities that you’ve taken on in the past related to the requirements and qualifications listed on the job ad.

Examples of Professional Experiences for a Junior Editor

As an entry level editor, include internship experiences or related jobs you’ve held in the past that are relevant to an editor position. Here’s an example that you can add to your professional resume.

Examples of Work Experience for a Senior Editor

Education in the Editor Resume

Most editor jobs require a bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Communication, or other related courses. You will be listing these on your editor resume as well.

On your professional resume, include your degree, the name of the college or university, location, and years attended.

Should You Start with Education or Work Experience for an Editor Resume?

Once again, take a look at the description of the job. Use your best judgement to determine whether it’s best to place your work experience or education first. There are some employers that value educational background such as a bachelor’s degree more than experience, or it can be the other way around.

Find some related resumes or editor resume examples that you can use as your guide when making this decision. As a rule of thumb, work experience is generally more valuable than qualifications, but if your experience is limited, emphasis on your qualifications can mask your inexperience.

If you are applying as an experienced or senior editor, it is best to place your work experience before the education section. This way, you can highlight your relevant and related work history on your resume and they can be easily seen by the hiring manager.

How to Properly List Your Education in an Editor Resume

As mentioned earlier, you need to include your associate or bachelor’s degree, the name of your school, and years attended. If you had achievements or you were involved in any editorial-related activities or clubs while in college, you may include them here as well. You may also check the education section on other editor resume examples to get options and ideas on how you can display your educational background.

Example of the Education Section of an Editor Resume

Skills to Put in an Editor Resume

Most editor resume examples include a skills section. Whether or not you have a lot of editorial experience, you still need to list down your hard and soft skills. This is a great way for you to enumerate everything that you are capable of doing that can be useful to the company you’re applying for.

Make sure you are listing down the right skills every editor should have. Leave out your singing and dancing skills for now since they won’t be useful as an editor. Include skills that you can use while working for the company. Check out our resume examples to get some ideas of how to list your professional skills.

What are the Main Skills Sought for in an Editor Resume?

There are different kinds of skills that you can include in an editor’s resume. Both hard and soft skills matter greatly as they can be used in your position. List your top skills down in bullet points so they can easily be spotted on your resume.

As mentioned, your soft skills are just as important as your hard skills. Your soft skills make a big difference because they can help convince the hiring manager that it would be a great decision to hire you for the job.

What Skills for a Junior Editor?

As a junior or entry level editor, you are not expected to have the highest level of skills. However, you still need to have the basic skills required to deliver the job.

What Skills for a Qualified Senior Editor?

If you’re a senior editor or editor in chief, you’re expected to have higher or professional level skills. You will most likely lead an editorial team and you are expected to have the ability to work independently.

Aside from soft skills like time management and leadership capabilities, here are some of the skills you can add to your senior editor resume:

Write the Ideal Resume Hook for an Editor Resume

A lot of editor resume examples include interesting hooks. Perhaps, this is because many editors are also great writers. So if you’re writing a resume hook, show that you are well versed and you are actually a good wordsmith. This way, you can stand out among the many other editors applying for the job.

A resume hook is a very short statement, usually not longer than 1 or 2 sentences. It is a brief introduction about yourself. You can use this section of your editor resume as another opportunity to grab the attention and interest of your potential employer.

You can write your favorite quote or motto, your achievements, or a simple introduction on the resume hook section.

Example of a Tagline for a Junior Editor

Dependable copy editor with excellent copywriting and copyediting skills.

Sample Tagline for a Senior Level Editor

Award-winning associate editor for Fast & Fancy Cars best-selling automobile print magazine

Additional Headings for Your Editor Resume

While you can easily end your resume with a list of your top skills, it would be ideal to add more sections. As an editor, there’s much to say and share about you.

Think of it this way – in an editorial team of several writers, there’s usually only one editor managing all team members. Find ways to impress potential employers. It’s rare that you could hand in your resume in-person.

More often than not, editor resumes are passed to companies digitally or placed on the receptionist’s table. You won’t have a chance to speak to the hiring manager in advance. Let your resume speak about you instead. Create one that shows you deserve a shot at the job.

Place as much relevant information as you can on your resume without making it look stuffed and cramped. Look at editor resume examples to see how others add these additional headings. Use a resume builder so your resume will still appear organized despite the additional headings.

Computer Skills and Certifications in an Editor Resume

We’ve mentioned earlier that many editors work on computers a lot. You are expected to have advanced computer skills if you will be applying for an editorial position. More than just Microsoft Office, your pen and paper, you need to gain more technical knowledge to have an edge over other editors.

Here are some computer skills you can add to your editor resume:

You can also add certifications you have on this section. Even if you have a lot of certifications, especially with a vast work history, it is best to include only those that are relevant to the job. For instance:

Interests in an Editor Resume

Interests aren’t required or even necessary on a resume. Furthermore, they can be inconvenient at times and will just eat up space. However, some editor resume examples include this section and the interests appear just fine.

If your interests are related to the job you’re applying for, by all means, add them to your resume. If not, you can just skip this section. Some interests such as reading or being internet-savvy can somehow be related to the job. Also, for instance, if you are applying to become an editor for a boating magazine and your interests include boating or fishing, then it would be best to add that to your resume.

Languages in an Editor Resume

Editors are expected to have excellent communication skills. You should be a good writer and ideally a great speaker too as you would be communicating with your team of writers or other departments within a company.

Also, you might find yourself editing or proofreading articles that contain foreign languages. Speaking and writing more than one language is definitely an advantage for an editor.

You can add a languages section to your resume if you speak languages other than English. If you would be doing this, it is best to include your proficiency level. You can simply illustrate the level of your proficiency or you can write whether you are a fluent or native speaker or writer in a specific language.

If you have taken proficiency tests or received certifications in the languages, you can add them in this section, too. Here’s an editor resume example of the languages section

Summary: Key Points for Writing a Perfect Editor Resume

Writing an editor resume can be both easy and challenging for editors. Many editors are great writers so creating a resume is a simple task. However, it gets challenging when you need to be sure that your resume is flawless and absolutely perfect. After all, you are applying for an editor position – you should be able to proofread and edit your own resume.

Write a Cover Letter That Goes with Your Editor Resume

Write a brief and straightforward letter to the company you’re applying for when submitting your resume. The cover letter must be customized for each application to show your genuine interest in the company and the position.

A cover letter is not necessarily a requirement for job applications. In fact, many applicants would just skip writing a cover letter and submit just their resume.

If you want to get the job as an editor, you need to find ways to impress hiring managers. Grab this opportunity to introduce yourself further. Let them know why you deserve to be called for an interview.

Frequently Asked Questions for an Editor Resume

How do you write a resume for editing?

You can start writing an editor resume using a resume builder. You may also use editor resume examples or templates that can serve as your guide. Include the primary sections such as the header, professional summary, work history, education, and additional sections. Also make sure that you’re submitting a cover letter along with your resume when you send your application.

What is resume editor in job application?

There are plenty of editor jobs in a wide range of industries. When applying for an experience editor job, create a professional resume that will grab the attention of your potential employer. Take advantage of the tips you’ve found above, use a resume builder or look into editor resume examples as well as related cover letters to get an idea of what to include in your application.

What skills should an editor have?

Editors are expected to have excellent or at least above average knowledge and experience in writing, editing, and proofreading. List both your hard and soft skills on your resume in bullet points as they are equally important.

Simply explained, your hard skills are abilities that can be measured or learned through experience or education. They are what you can do when hired for the job.

Soft skills, on the other hand, are just as important because they are considered by your potential employer when deciding why they should hire you for the job. Your soft skills determine your character – your ability to work with other team members and the rest of the company.

How can I edit my resume for free?

Use a resume builder or editor resume examples as a guide when you create your resume. Proofread your editor resume carefully and make sure it is flawless and error-free.