How to Make an Editor Resume: Formatting, Tips, Do’s and Don’ts

Editors play an important role in the content department. This position necessitates a keen eye and extraordinary attention to detail. For many writers, becoming an editor or editor-in-chief is the ultimate goal if they want to advance in their careers.

As a result, the editor resume should be well-written and error-free. It should be perfect. There should be no grammatical or spelling errors. Your resume as an editor is your ticket to an interview and, hopefully, a job. One minor mistake on your resume can result in your CV being discarded.

What does an editor do?

You may associate editing with correcting grammar and spelling errors, but this is only a small part of the process. Editors plan, coordinate, revise, correct, and format written content for publication, all while collaborating with writers to improve their work.

Editors plan, coordinate, and revise content for books, newspapers, periodicals, and websites. Editors look over story ideas and decide which ones will be most appealing to readers. During the review process, editors provide feedback on the product and suggest titles and headlines. In smaller organizations, a single editor may handle all editorial duties or delegate them to a few others.

How much does an editor make?

As of September 26, 2022, the average Editor salary in the United States is $74,025, according to salary.com . However, the range typically falls between $63,839 and $83,833. Salary ranges can vary greatly depending on a variety of factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, and the number of years you have worked in your field.

How to write an Editor resume

As an editor, you may believe that creating a resume is simple. While this may be true to some extent, keep in mind that this is a competitive industry. You are expected to be a content creation expert. You must be meticulous. Your editor resume must be top-notch. It must be flawless.

Begin by reviewing the job description as well as the qualifications and requirements established by your prospective employer. Read them carefully and tailor your resume to the job description.

It is acceptable to send one resume to everyone, but if you want your editor resume to stand out, you must tailor it to the job description. This is the most effective way for you to get an interview and eventually be hired for the job.

Demonstrate to the hiring manager that you are an expert in your field. You deserve to be called and interviewed. Prepare a presentable and flawless resume to showcase your skills and experience. Here are some pointers to consider when writing your resume.

• For your editor resume, use the proper format, layout, and structure.
• Make sure you read and comprehend the job description, and use it as a foundation for tailoring your resume.
• Take note of any keywords that appear in the job posting or advertisement and incorporate them into your resume. Some HR Managers use application tracking systems, and these keywords will help your resume rise to the top of the pile.

Keep in mind that you are applying for the position of an Editor. You should be able to demonstrate that you have exceptional editing skills, including the ability to spot errors quickly. You must have a flawless resume. Furthermore, you must be able to generate story ideas and have excellent writing skills. As a result, your resume should be written with these considerations in mind.

How to structure your Editor resume

Your editor resume must be well-organized and follow the proper structure. This is another opportunity for you to demonstrate your writing and editing abilities.

Aside from the reverse-chronological format, you have two other options. These are the common functional and combination layouts found in editor resume samples.

Because this resume format focuses on skills, the functional layout may also be beneficial for editor resumes. If you have little to no experience as an editor, this is the better format to use.

You can also choose the combination layout. This format combines reverse-chronological and functional formats. The combination layout is the most common because it allows you to highlight your skills while also displaying your extensive experience.

You can look at editor resume examples or use a resume builder to help you write your own resume. While all of the above formats are acceptable, these are the essential sections that every editor's resume should include regardless of format:

• Header
• Resume Summary
• Work Experience
• Education
• Skills
• Additional Sections

We’ll discuss each of these sections in detail below.

Editor Resume Example

What should you include in the Editor resume?

Let’s look at the different parts of the editor resume and what you can write to make yours stand out.

1. Your name and contact information

Your name should be the largest text on the page, near the top of the document.

It is not necessary to include the street name or building number in your address; simply listing your city and state will usually suffice.

Your email address should be professional, but it should not be the same as your current work email address. Using your work email for personal projects is not a good idea.

If you have a full-fledged LinkedIn page or another social media page that showcases your relevant skill set, you can include it with your contact details.

2. Professional summary

The professional summary or editor resume summary is your second chance to demonstrate your exceptional writing abilities. A summary does just what its name suggests: summarizes the most impressive parts of your resume so that your potential employer can easily recall them, while also filling in personal qualities that may not appear elsewhere on the page. Remember that summaries are brief and made up of concise sentence fragments. You can include your most notable accomplishments, highlights of your professional experience, and other details that will catch the hiring manager's attention.

Your editor resume summary must be compelling enough to entice the hiring manager to read the rest of your resume. This increases your chances of being called for an interview.

Examine some editor resume examples to learn how to write the summary section.

3. Work experience

As previously stated, an editor position is rarely an entry-level position. Before becoming an editor, many people work as editorial assistants or writers. Hiring managers are also interested in those who have honed their editing skills prior to looking for work.

Having said that, the work experience section of your editor resume is critical. Editor resume samples will demonstrate various approaches to listing an aspiring editor's work history. You can also look through our resume templates for help with listing your experience.

While you want to highlight your most noteworthy experiences and accomplishments, it is best to list your work experience in reverse-chronological order, beginning with your most recent job or position.

Be sure to describe each of your professional experiences when writing about them. Each item in your work experience section should include the position title, company name, location, years worked, job responsibilities, and noteworthy achievements.

Again, pay attention to the keywords in the job description, because this section is an excellent place to use them. Write down job responsibilities that you've had in the past that are related to the requirements and qualifications in the job ad.

How do you describe freelance editing on a resume?

A resume for a freelance editor should highlight your educational background, work experience, and accomplishments.

You should also include links to your website or online portfolio where employers can see samples of your work. The employer may want to read something you wrote in the past, whether it was for a professional publication or as guest writing for blog posts, to see if you are a good fit for the position.

4. Education

Most editing positions require a bachelor's degree in journalism, communication, or a related field. These will also need to be listed on your editor resume.

Include your degree, the name of your college or university, the location, and the years you attended, on your professional resume.

You may also include any achievements or involvement in editorial-related activities or clubs that you had while in college.

5. Skills

As long as you have those skills, your resume's skills section should include the most important keywords from the job description. If you haven't started your job search yet, you can look through resumes to see which skills are most important.

Here are some pointers to consider when writing your resume's skills section:

• Include 6 to 12 skills as a bulleted list.
• List mostly hard skills; soft skills are difficult to assess.
• Emphasize the most important job-related skills.
• Hiring managers value hard skills more because they are related to on-the-job knowledge and specific experience with a particular technology or process.

Here are some examples of hard skills:

• Proofreading and editing
• Excellent writing skills
• Excellent verbal skills
• Fact-checking
• CMS software (e.g. Asana, Monday)
• Public speaking
• Graphics design skills
• WordPress experience
• Project management

Soft skills are also valuable because they are highly transferable and make you a great team player, but they are near impossible to demonstrate on a resume. If you want to include some soft skills, here are some you could write in:

• Attention to detail
• Team player
• Organizational skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Time management
• Leadership skills

Tips to make your Editor resume stand out

Do’s and don’ts for your Editor resume

DO include both hard and soft skills.

Editing is more than just reviewing and rewriting content; it is also about providing guidance to writers and successfully completing projects using software and technical know-how. Include skills on your resume that demonstrate your high quality standards (for example, "Well-versed in the Chicago Manual of Style"), as well as your knowledge of content management software such as WordPress.

DON’T write an overly long resume.

It takes a recruiter about six to seven seconds to scan a resume. The longer your document, the more likely it is that you will lose a recruiter's interest. Unless you're applying for a senior position, work on condensing your work history and skills sections (while still including relevant details) to keep your resume down to one page.

DO use unique keywords to communicate your skills.

Keywords like "attention to detail" and "team player" are commonly used terms — get yourself noticed by describing your individual talents when you mention these skills. "Strong problem-solver adept at managing content flow on spec" conveys far more to a recruiter than "problem-solving."

DON’T use the same resume format for each job application.

Research each job and industry for which you are applying and tailor your resume accordingly. For example, the skills required for an advertising agency position will be different from those required for a publishing house. Examine job descriptions for required skills and include them in your resume as needed.

DO show a track record of success.

Focus on accomplishments that demonstrate how you would add value to an editorial position — simply listing experiences in a grocery list format will not suffice. Quantify your accomplishments with genuine facts and figures wherever possible. "Published 'special editions' for a magazine that sold 2 million copies," for example, or "Increased advertising revenue by 15% by realigning the sales team." Whether you've contributed to business growth or played an important role in client satisfaction, recruiters are more impressed with your track record.

DON’T forget to mention awards and extracurricular activities.

Any awards you've received, whether academic or professional, will pique a recruiter's interest. Include extracurricular activities that demonstrate your abilities, such as a blog project or contributions to newspapers or magazines. This information also gives a glimpse into your personality and distinguishing characteristics that may be relevant to an editorial position.

Wrapping Up

Standout resumes should include a resume summary, a traditional reverse-chronological layout, skills, and work experience relevant to your target position. This guide demonstrates how to incorporate those elements onto a page.

Maintain an easy-to-scan resume format for both humans and computers; our resume template was designed by our experts to satisfy both audiences. Include your own abilities, accomplishments, and experiences as well. Job-winning resumes effectively market you, making recruiters and hiring managers want to learn more.

Finally, use a personalized cover letter to express your enthusiasm. When writing, keep in mind that the resume and cover letter should complement each other.