Editor Resume Example for 2024 (W/ Free Templates & Guide)

Editor Resume Example

The editor resume above is a great example of what you want your resume to look like.

These are the elements that make it a great editor resume:

• Reverse-chronological resume format. In addition to highlighting your most recent work experience first, the reverse-chronological resume format is hiring managers’ favorite worldwide. Due to this, it’s the best choice for an editor's resume.
• Professional contact details. The editor resume above includes contact information, such as the candidate’s name and surname, email address, phone number, location, portfolio link, and links to any relevant social media such as LinkedIn.
• Eye-catching resume summary. A brief but impressive resume summary is at the top of this editor resume, which highlights the candidate’s skills and top achievements.
• Quantifiable achievements. To emphasize the impact of the listed work accomplishments, the editor resume backs up every claim with concrete data.
• Concise education section. Your skills and experience as an editor are a lot more important than your degree, so the editor resume example keeps the education section short and to the point.
• Organized in bullet points. Making sure you’re resume is easy to read is as important as the information it contains. To keep things organized, the editor resume example uses bullet points instead of paragraphs when describing work experience.
• Relevant skills sections. The editor resume focuses on in-demand editor skills and lists the candidate’s hard skills separate from their soft skills to make their resume easier to navigate. 
• Additional sections. To highlight any extra strengths and proficiencies, the candidate uses optional resume sections such as memberships, languages, and hobbies. 

10 Steps for the Perfect Editor Resume

You know what it takes to make a job-winning editor resume, so now it’s your turn to write one.

Follow these steps to make your editor resume:

#1. Pick the Right Format

If your resume is the manuscript of your career journey, then your chosen resume format is the structure that holds it together.

You can choose from one of three resume formats:

• Reverse-chronological (also called chronological)
• Functional (also called skill-based)
• Combination (a blend of the reverse-chronological and functional formats)

In 99% of cases, we recommend that you stick to the reverse-chronological resume format when creating your editor resume.

The reverse-chronological resume format highlights your most recent work experience and achievements, which makes it the best format to show off your strengths.

And it doesn’t hurt that it’s the favorite resume format amongst hiring managers either. The reverse-chronological format is by far the most popular worldwide, so it’s the best choice.

#2. Tweak the Layout

Now that you know how to format your editor resume, let’s look at some basic layout tips!

The hiring manager is going to see your resume before they even try to read it, so you want to make sure your resume gives a good first impression.

Here are some guidelines you should follow:

• Adjust the line spacing. Apply the standard line spacing to your editor resume, which is 1.0 between text and 1.15 after subheadings and between double lines.
• Pick a professional font. Your resume’s font determines its readability, so you should choose one carefully. Avoid overused fonts like Times New Roman and quirky fonts like Comic Sans – there are plenty of better fonts out there. (E.g. Roboto, Ubuntu, etc.)
• Keep it a single page. Your resume should be short and eye-catching, so stick to a single-page layout. Unless you’re applying for a job that requires decades of experience, the hiring manager won’t be eager to read a two-page resume.
• Choose the right file format. Always save and send your editor resume as a PDF file to ensure the layout stays the same across any device or Operating System the hiring manager might use to open it. The only exception is when the employer specifically requests a different file format, like a Word document.

Or Use a Resume Template to Save Time

Let’s be honest – you’d rather be editing an up-and-coming novel than a page of your career history.

It takes time and energy to adjust the margins, keep the font sizes consistent, and tweak the line spacing - all the while making sure your resume never spills over to page two.

So why not just skip all the hassle?

Just try one of our free resume templates and create your editor resume in minutes.

Each template is created in close collaboration with leading HR professionals to make sure your resume is ATS-friendly, easy to read, professional, and pleasing to the eye.

Choose a stylish resume template that highlights your individuality and you’ll be good to go in no time. 

Here is how our templates compare to a standard text editor resume template:

#3. List Your Contact Information (Correctly)

Your resume’s contact information section should stick to the facts.

Include the following details:

• Full Name. (E.g. Rupert Woodson)
• Professional Title. The title in your resume’s header should match the position you’re applying for, word for word. (E.g. Associate Editor)
• Phone Number. Add your country’s dial code in front of your phone number if you’re applying for a job abroad, otherwise, the call might never come through.
• Email Address. Keep your email address professional and avoid obscure references or nicknames. Some variation of your first and last name is more than enough. (E.g. tenderisthenightshift@yahoo.com is not appropriate, but woodson.ru@gmail.com is.)
• Portfolio Link. Including a link to your online editor portfolio is a must when applying for any job in the field. You can optionally also add links to any relevant social media websites, such as LinkedIn or Medium.
• Location. Add the name of your city, state, or country – there’s no need to add a full mailing address unless specified by the employer. If you’re looking for a job that will let you relocate or a remote position, be sure to specify this somewhere in your resume.

Leverage your attention to detail to ensure this section is correct.

Letting a typo in your email address or phone number slip past you will likely make a bad impression on the hiring manager and sabotage your chances of hearing back from them.

Let’s take a look at a spot-on example of a contact information section:

#4. Write a Resume Summary or Objective

Hiring managers go through hundreds of resumes daily, which means you only have seven seconds to convince them that yours is worth reading.

This is where a resume summary or objective does all the heavy lifting. Adding one of these short, two to four-sentence paragraphs in your resume’s header shows the hiring manager who you are as a candidate and what you can bring to the company.

Here is how the two differ:

• Resume summary. For an experienced editor, a resume summary is the best way to give an eye-catching introduction to your career. It should include your years of experience, top skills, and notable achievements.
• Resume objective. If you’re just starting as an editor, consider using a resume objective instead. This is meant to give an overview of your skills and relevant experience and present your professional goals or career aspirations.

Let’s check out an example of a well-done editor resume summary:

#5. Focus on Your Work Experience

Your work experience as an editor is what most hiring managers will be looking for, so it's needless to say that it’s important to pay attention to this section.

Here’s what your work experience section should include:

• List everything in reverse chronological order. Your latest work experience should be at the top of this section, so the hiring manager can trace your career.
• Use your actual job title. Your resume should remain professional and only include the correct job titles for your previous roles. Buzzwords are rapidly losing popularity and have no place on your editor resume.
• Include the employer’s details. Add the name and location of the company. You can mention what the company specializes in as well, especially if it isn’t a household name.
• Specify the employment period. Use the mm/yyyy format throughout your resume.
• Describe responsibilities and achievements. When describing your previous work experience, use bullet points instead of paragraphs. Five to six bullet points are sufficient for your most recent role, and no more than three or four are necessary for older positions.

And that’s all there is to formatting your work experience as an editor.

But if you want your resume to impress, not just inform, there are a few extra steps.

Follow these tips to make your work experience section really pop:

• Tailor your work experience. If you have a lot of work experience, you should only add your most recent positions, as well as those most relevant to the job you’re applying for (e.g. skip your pizza-delivery gig from 7 years ago).
• Emphasize achievements. Your day-to-day tasks in your previous job don’t convey your value as an employee. But the more achievements a hiring manager sees you have, the clearer it is to them you can be an asset to the company.
• Back up everything with data. Give credibility to your achievements by adding numbers wherever possible. (e.g. ‘Simultaneously managed several projects mounting up to over 40k words per month while upholding a 95% approval rate for quality standards’ sounds a lot better than ‘Managed multiple manuscripts at the same time’).
• Use powerful verbs. Show off your way with words by avoiding the cliches like “responsible for this” and “managed that”. Make your experiences stand out with more powerful words like pursued, organized, perfected, conceptualized, or spearheaded.

Here’s an example of a spot-on editor work experience section:

What if I Don’t Have Work Experience?

If you’re just getting started as an editor, you might be worried that you don’t have any relevant work experience under your belt.

The thing is, when you’re applying for an entry-level position, hiring managers won’t expect you to have any experience either.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t still create an impressive resume with no work experience.

All you need to do is fill up that portion of your resume with other sections that show your skills and passion for the field.

Instead of work experience, you can mention any editing experience you have, such as:

• Internships
• Volunteering
• Academic projects
• Personal projects
• Extracurricular activities

For example, if you had an academic project that required a lot of editing work and an eye for detail, you can highlight that on your resume.

Here’s how:

#6. Create Your Portfolio

As an editor, your portfolio of edited works is just as important as a writer’s would be.

The easiest way to do that is by adding a clickable link on your resume that leads to your portfolio website. Your portfolio itself can be hosted on a website like Clippings.me or a personal website you created yourself.

But if you have a variety of editing experience that is relevant to the role you’re applying for, you can also create a portfolio section on your resume. This way you can elaborate more on your best work and highlight the skills that make you the right candidate for the job.

Here’s an example:

Keep in mind that editors are employed across many different fields, so your portfolio should always be tailored to the specific job you’re applying for.

Don’t provide samples of copy editing you’ve done for a publishing house if you want to be an SEO line editor for a digital marketing agency – there is a difference.

#7. Keep the Education Section Brief

According to Zippia, over 98% of employed editors in the USA have a university degree. So education clearly plays a part when it comes to finding a job as an editor.

However, the most important thing that hiring managers look at on your editor resume is your work experience, portfolio, and skills sections.

Keep your education section brief and focus more on your hands-on experience as an editor.

Here’s what you should include when describing your education:

• Degree Name. E.g. BA English Philology and Culture, Minor in Journalism
• University Name. E.g. Jagiellonian University
• Location (optional). E.g. Krakow, Poland
• Years Attended. E.g. 2018 - 2022

Here’s what this looks like in practice:

There’s no need to mention your high school education unless that’s the highest level of education you have.

#8. List In-Demand Editor Soft and Hard Skills

Your skills section is another crucial part of your editor resume.

The skills you list on your resume tell a hiring manager several things, including what you can do for them or how much time they might need to train you.

This section needs to make you look perfect for the job, not all-knowing. Don’t list every single editing skill you can think of, just focus on the ones specific to the position.

For example, if you’re trying to get a job as an academic editor, there’s no point in listing your SEO writing skills or marketing insight.

Here are some tips to take your skills section to the next level:

• Tailor your skills to the job ad. Carefully read through the job description and keep an eye out for any required skills it mentions. Add the skills that apply to you to your editor resume, including software you’ve used and specific writing skills.
• Research editing trends. Language evolves, vocabularies expand, and specific editing skills come in and out of fashion. Get the ball rolling in this section by checking out our list of 101+ essential skills and add the ones that apply to you on your resume.
• Separate your soft and hard skills. Your resume will be neater and easier to navigate when you keep your soft skills separated from your hard skills, which means the hiring manager will have an easier time finding what they’re looking for.

You know how to list skills on your editor resume.

All that’s left is to find out what skills you should list.

Get inspired with this list of the 59 most in-demand soft and hard skills for editors!

59 Most In-Demand Editor Skills for 2024

13 Editor Soft Skills

1. Time management
2. Attention to detail
3. Interpersonal skills
4. Communication
5. Critical thinking
6. Adaptability
7. Teamwork
8. Creativity
9. Active listening
10. Leadership
11. Organizational skills
12. Problem-solving
13. Presentation skills

46 Editor Hard Skills

1. Writing
2. Research
3. Editing
4. Line editing
5. Copyediting
6. Copywriting
7. Content marketing
8. Content editing
9. Marketing insight
10. Search Engine Optimization
11. SEO writing
12. Branded content
13. Grammar
14. Narrative flow
15. Story judgment
16. Creative direction
17. Visual storytelling
18. Digital publishing
19. Web editing
20. Layout understanding
21. Microsoft Office
22. Budgeting
23. Stylistic editing
24. Structural editing
25. Proofreading
26. Formatting
27. Scheduling
28. Editorial calendar management
29. Indexing
30. Manuscript Evaluation
31. Computer skills
32. Media production
33. Media management
34. Content management systems
35. Google Workspace
36. WordPress
37. Adobe Acrobat
38. Adobe InDesign
39. Canva
40. Fact-checking
41. Sourcing photos
42. Columns
43. Features
44. Journalism
45. Original reporting
46. Interviewing skills

#9. Take Advantage of Optional Resume Sections

You might have some space left over on your editor resume. If that’s the case, now is the time to leverage optional resume sections.

Some optional resume sections can back up your professional experience and show the employer how dedicated to the field you are. Others can flesh you out as a candidate, show the hiring manager your personality, and make you stand out from other applicants with similar work experience and skills.

These are some of the optional sections you can add to your editor resume:

• Awards. Just as there are awards for authors, there are awards for editors out there. If you’ve won any prizes or been nominated for an award, showing off a little won’t hurt.
• Memberships. If you’re an active member of any societies, associations, or other organizations related to editing, you can add them to your resume.
• Certifications. As an editor, you’re constantly learning and improving, so any extra courses or certifications you’ve sought out to hone your skills are a welcome addition to your resume.
• Languages. Proficiency in different languages is always a plus, particularly if you’re looking for a role that includes translation or editing translated texts. Any languages you know could make you a preferred candidate for the job you’re applying for.
• Hobbies and interests. You might be surprised to hear this but your hobbies and interests can increase your resume’s chances of success. Just try to keep your listed hobbies and interests relevant to the job. (E.g. Reading and science fiction are better for an editor resume than archery and track racing).

Let’s take a look at an example of optional sections on an editor resume:

#10. Include a Cover Letter

You don’t need to be told how important the written word is when making an impression, but you might be surprised to hear that cover letters are still crucial for a successful job application.

In fact, hiring managers will expect a cover letter with your application, and not attaching one could hurt your chances of getting an interview.

By writing a cover letter, you’re showing the hiring manager you care about THIS specific job, in THIS specific company. You aren’t just sending the same generic resume without doing your research.

So let’s take a look at some cover letter tips you can use to write a stellar editor cover letter:

• Add contact details in the header. Your cover letter should include your name, contact details, and the title of the position you’re applying for. Make sure everything here matches the information on your resume.
• Address the hiring manager. To set yourself apart from other candidates, research and find out how to address your cover letter. If possible, find out the hiring manager’s name, and include their contact information when addressing your cover letter.
• Write an attention-grabbing opening paragraph. Start your cover letter by explaining why you’re writing, and introduce a couple of your top achievements or qualifications.
• Dive into the details. You can expand on your professional background in the body of your cover letter. Include anything from your resume you wanted to elaborate on or relevant information you didn’t have the chance to mention there. This part of your cover letter should convey how your experience and skills make you the best fit for the job.
• Wrap it up with a call to action. Close your cover letter by inviting the hiring manager to take some sort of action. (e.g. ‘I’m looking forward to discussing how I can best contribute to your future publications at your convenience’) and add a sign with a professional closing line, followed by your name. (e.g. Respectfully yours,)

Easy, right?

Now let’s see an example of a cover letter made to match our editor resume example:

Key Takeaways

And that concludes our guide to creating an editor resume!

Hopefully, now you feel ready to get out there and land your dream job.

But before we send you on your way, let’s recap what we talked about:

• Your editor resume’s format and layout are just as important as its contents. Use a professional resume template and a reverse-chronological format to keep your resume neat and organized, and let the hiring manager navigate it easily.
• Having a short paragraph in your resume’s header, like a resume summary, is a must. Make sure it includes your top skills, achievements, and years of experience.
• Prepare a portfolio with samples of your best editing work and make sure to provide a link to it on your resume.
• Keep the skills section relevant to the position. You can reference the job description for what skills are required and just add the ones that apply to you on your editor resume.
• Finally, wrap up your application with a matching cover letter tailored to the role you’re applying for.