Winning tactics to get jobs in editing
Undeniably, there are many opportunities and many different types of jobs in editing. An editing career can take one of many paths and bring you into an exciting field of the media, such as TV production, a national newspaper, film scripts, book publishing, and advertising. There is great demand for editors, but no one wants to take on an editor without experience. It is a difficult task reaching the first rung of the career ladder, but here are a few pointers to help you win jobs in editing.
Start young
If you are reading this at the point of starting out in your career, this advice probably has come a little late. However, successful candidates for jobs in editing are those who can show they had editing experience even before they got their first job. School newspapers and club newsletters are great avenues to get experience in editing at an early age. Such experience can help you get internships or an entry-level job in publishing that will get your resume noticed the first time you apply for full-time jobs in editing. Furthermore, with any type of school-age internship, you will be able to build up contacts, and the local paper or advertising agency that gives you a placement or internship may be willing to offer you a permanent job once you graduate.
Work for free
It may be difficult to accept, but you may need to do your first few jobs in editing without pay. Think of these experiences as free training rather than slave labor. The most prestigious magazines rarely pay anything at all to their junior staff. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t make top wages the first time around; the name of a world-renowned magazine on your resume will get you a job that pays well the next time. There are many jobs in editing that pay very well, but you will have to build a career to have the experience to win such jobs. Starting at the ground floor, you need to do anything you can to get a good name on your resume.
Pitch for work
You must see many advertisements, brochures, and websites that contain bad spelling and grammar. Web pages that are badly laid out and brochures that don’t fit related issues onto the same page are losing their businesses sales. Look for the websites of enthusiast clubs, small businesses, and even church and local community projects. Offer to edit their existing copy, and make suggestions on how they could improve their presentations. You may charge a fee for this service, but it would cost those cash-strapped organizations a lot less than it would to hire an advertising agency to revamp their image. Once you have a number of these consultancy jobs in editing under your belt, your resume will fill out, and you will have references to improve your chances when you decide to apply for jobs in editing.
Build a website
Many online jobs in editing are given to applicants who can give a link to their own website on the application form. You can use your site to attract piecework from small clients and to showcase your talents to support any applications you make for jobs in editing. Include a blog or an article base giving advice on spelling and grammar. This will show your enthusiasm for the details of the profession and help you win your first employment in the field.