How to Get a Job As an Editor
Getting into publishing can be a difficult task, doubly so with editing. Most editors work for years in the industry before they land their first job as an editor. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics estimates that while writing jobs will increase, editing jobs are on the decline. Still, highly motivated or experienced candidates who work hard work should be able to find a position.
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Instructions
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Get educated. Getting a job as an editor is next to impossible without a bachelor's degree. Degrees in English, journalism, and communications are most likely to help you land the editing job of your dreams. But if you've already got a bachelor's in another discipline, don't worry. If you majored in the humanities or social sciences, chances are that you did a lot of writing and editing. Those who majored in the hard sciences should have an enormous portfolio to shop around to discipline specific publications. There are also many post-secondary certificate and degree programs tailored to editing. Put simply, you cannot be too educated.
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Build a portfolio. Getting an editing job requires having some kind of a portfolio. This can be your own well-edited writing. It can also be other things that you've worked on. If compiling the latter into a portfolio, keep a before and after of the work in question. Don't be afraid of doing free work for friends or volunteering to edit not-for-profit publications.
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Build a network. Find publishing groups in the real world and on the Internet. Try to meet as many people working in publishing as you can. This helps you to learn about jobs before the general public does.
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Apply for jobs that aren't ideal. An editor's position could turn up at a publication within your field of knowledge, but not in your top three or even top ten subjects. Further, an entry-level position could appear at a place that fast tracks diligent writers into editing positions. Remember that getting a job as an editor can be a longterm project. Keep your eyes on your goal.
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Look on industry-specific job boards. Everyone knows about big job boards like Craigslist, Monster, and CareerBuilder. Few know about places like EditorJobs.com and EditingCrossing.com. Look in more out-of-the way places specifically geared towards publishing.
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