Magazine Editor Resume Example & Writing Tips for 2020

Guide to writing a Magazine Editor resume

When you think of magazine editors, editing articles might be the first thing that comes to mind. However, being a magazine editor is much more than just editing pieces.

Magazine editors are essentially the leaders of magazine publications and they work hard to develop story ideas, assign them to writers, advise writers as well as managing the production processes.

Let’s dive into how to effectively showcase your journalistic background and skill set to allow yourself to stand out amid a pool of applicants and appeal to employers as a magazine editor.

How to Write a Summary as a Magazine Editor

Highlight your expertise. List some specialized skills you have that make you stand out among other magazine editors.
Summarize yourself as a work professional. How would you describe yourself in the workplace? Use 2-3 adjectives to describe your work ethic. In this resume example, the words “curious” and “self-motivated” are used, and they are traits that employers look for in an employee and a magazine editor.
Showcase your previous experience. What companies/industries have you worked for in the past? You should let employers know your previous experience to give them a brief overview.

How to List Your Work Experience as a Magazine Editor

Use a reverse-chronological format. List your most recent jobs at the beginning of your work experience section. This way, employers can see how you progressed over the years and how you applied learned experience and skills to a new position. And it makes it easier for them to pay more attention to your most recent work experience and tasks you performed as well.
Use action verbs that showcase your technical skills. Action verbs are crucial in showing your employer your capabilities. The following action verbs can help you demonstrate the various basic and advanced journalistic and editorial skills.

Managed
Conceptualized
Oversaw
Monitored
Collaborated
Made decisions
Served
Led
Pitched
Covered
Expanded (readership)
Developed
Worked
Conducted
Curated
Organized
Assisted

See our list of over 350 action verbs you can use on your resume right now.

Senior Level Work Experience as a Magazine Editor

Manage a team of 15 reporters, assigned stories according to writers’ interests and abilities
Conceptualize, incubate and develop creative and ambitious long-term editorial projects and work closely with the editorial leadership
Oversee the layout, styles and articles of each issue and work closely with the production department to ensure the quality of each issue
Monitor social media presence and climate, including mentions, trending topics and regularly practicing social listening
Oversee special packages and issues of the magazine
Collaborate with internal partners, including marketing, events and products team, to optimize content
Made decisions on article & marketing content on each issue to ensure topic diversity
Serve as a mentor and advisor to the staff writers
Successfully led the team to achieving goals; increased readership by 45% during the last quarter

Junior Level Work Experience for a Magazine Editor

Pitched and covered stories as assigned by the senior editor, including news reports, feature articles, editorials and opinion pieces
Expanded readership with SEO-friendly headlines and other audience-oriented strategies
Developed stories on the beat
Worked closely with public relations coordinators to develop stories
Collaborated with the editorial team on long-term editorial projects
Assisted with content planning and editorial strategies for the overall success of the publication
Managed social media promotions and strategies to increase publicity

How to List Your Skills as a Magazine Editor

As a magazine editor, one has to be skilled in media and editorial strategies to succeed in the industry. Try emphasizing the various technical skills as well as soft skills you’ve gained over the years:

AP Style
Content Management Systems (CMS)
SEO Strategies
Social Media Strategies
Hootsuite
Content Development
Copywriting

How to List Your Education as a Magazine Editor

Magazine Editors generally require a bachelor’s degree in journalism, communication, media studies, english or other related degrees.

A bachelor’s degree
Minimum of years of relevant experience (for non-entry level positions)
Complete a background check

Certifications are not required, but they can better showcase your skills and increase your chances of landing your desired job.

Magazine Editor Career Overview

Job Outlook

The job outlook for editors is estimated to decline by 7% from 2019 to 2029. There is job growth in online media, however, employment for print publications is projected to decline overall.

‍Average Salary
According to Zip Recruiter, the average annual salary for magazine editors is $51,842 as of August, 2020.

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