Magazine Editor Resume Example

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

1. Highlight your expertise. List some specialized skills you have that make you stand out among other magazine editors.
2. 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.
3. 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

1. 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.
2. 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.

• HubSpot Academy Content Marketing Certificate
• HubSpot Academy Social Media Marketing Certificate
• SEO Certificates
  

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.

Top Salaries by State

• District of Columbia -- $92,120
• Massachusetts -- $88,120
• New York -- $87,140
• New Jersey -- $90,400
• California -- $79,960
• Virginia -- $78,070

‍Data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Zip Recruiter.
‍

Related Career Paths

• Executive Editors
• Assistant Editors
• Copy Editors
• Managing Editors
• Publications Editor
• Reporter
• Content Marketing Associate
• Broadcast News Analyst
• Technical Writer
• Publication Assistants
• Public Relations Coordinator

See more related positions on Truity and College Grad.

Available job openings for Magazine Editors

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