Resume template · Updated October 2026
Editor resume template
Short answer
Henrietta suits editors and copy editors: it has the conventional business look newsrooms and publishers expect, and education follows straight after experience. The fictional sample moved from a daily newspaper's copy desk to senior editor at a business news site, with weekly line and structural edits, freelance writers to manage, a fact-check checklist and corrections log, and a Poynter ACES editing certificate.
Download the editor sample
Rebecca is a fictional senior editor. Replace every detail with your own before you send it.
The files are made in your browser by Resumity's own exporters, from this sample. The builder opens it as your own resume: click any line to replace it. Free plan, no watermark.
Why Henrietta suits an editor resume
Editors are hired by people who notice every inconsistency, and Henrietta is the most traditional of the seven: a left-aligned name, uppercase headings over hairline rules, nothing decorative. It prints experience right after the summary and then education, so the copy desk years and the journalism degree sit high on the page.
Second choice: Leslie. Leslie also puts experience first, under a single blue header; it suits editors at magazines, brands or agencies where a little colour is welcome.
What goes in each section, in Henrietta's order
Henrietta prints its sections in a fixed order, the same in the PDF and the Word file. Here is that order for this sample, and what to put in each section.
- Professional Summary. Name the kind of editing (copy, line, developmental, managing) and the material (daily news, features, books, corporate content). Add the style you edit to, AP, Chicago or a house guide, because hiring editors check that first.
- Work Experience. Volume and type of edit in every role: stories a night, words a week, structural versus line edits. Then the responsibilities around the text: commissioning, fact-checking, headlines, legal flags, corrections.
- Education. Henrietta prints this right after experience. Journalism, English or a subject degree that matches your beat (economics for business news) fits on one line.
- Skills. Henrietta prints a three-column grid without labels, so put editing skills in the first group and tools in the second. Name the style guides, since an editing posting usually lists them.
- Certifications. Editing certificates print near the end. The Poynter ACES certificates come in introductory, intermediate and advanced levels with no prerequisites, so list the level you completed and the year.
The sample resume as text
The same content as the files above, so you can copy a line or compare it with your own.
Rebecca Thorne
Senior Editor, Copy Editing and Features
Chicago, IL | rebecca.thorne@example.com | (312) 555-0144 | linkedin.com/in/sample-rebecca-thorne
Editor with nine years at a daily newspaper and a business news site, from copy desk to senior editor. Edits features and daily news for structure, accuracy and style (AP and house), manages six freelance writers and runs the corrections process.
Experience
Senior Editor, Lakefront Business Journal, Chicago, IL (05/2021 to Present)
- Edit 15 to 20 stories a week, from line edits on daily news to structural edits on long features, to AP style and the house guide.
- Commission and manage six freelance writers: pitches, briefs, deadlines and payment approvals.
- Introduced a fact-check checklist for investigative pieces and run the corrections log; published corrections fell by about half the following year.
- Write headlines and search titles for the homepage and newsletter, testing two versions on major stories.
- Update the house style guide twice a year and train new editors on it.
Copy Editor, Prairie Ledger, Peoria, IL (06/2017 to 04/2021)
- Copy edited about 40 stories a night for grammar, style, clarity and legal risk, and wrote headlines and captions to fit the page.
- Checked names, figures and quotes against reporters' notes and sources before print deadlines.
- Flagged potentially defamatory wording to the managing editor and proposed safer phrasing.
Education
BA, Journalism, Sangamon River University (05/2017)
Certifications
- Poynter ACES Intermediate Certificate in Editing, Poynter (2024)
Skills
Copy editing, Line and structural editing, AP style, Fact-checking, Headline writing, Commissioning, WordPress, Google Docs suggesting mode, Microsoft Word Track Changes, Audience analytics dashboards, Managing freelancers, Clear written feedback
How to make the sample yours
Match the style guide to the job
AP for news and many corporate teams, Chicago for book publishing and some magazines, a house guide almost everywhere. Lead with the guide the posting names, if you know it well.
Separate copy editing from line and structural editing
Publishers and newsrooms staff them differently. Say which you do and at what volume, so a hiring editor knows where you fit.
Make the safety work visible
Fact-checking, legal flags and corrections go unnoticed when they are done well. A bullet on the process you run, and any drop in corrections, brings them into view.
Swap news for books or corporate content
Book editors list titles, genres and stages (acquisitions, developmental, copyedit); corporate editors list content types, approval workflows and the style guides they maintain.
Show the people side of editing
Commissioning, briefing and giving feedback to writers are half of a senior editor role. Say how many writers you manage and how you keep them on deadline.
Keywords to keep where they are true
Terms this kind of resume is usually searched for. Use the posting's exact wording, and only for work you have done.
- editing
- copy editing
- line editing
- structural editing
- AP style
- Chicago Manual of Style
- house style
- fact-checking
- headline writing
- proofreading
- commissioning
- content management system
- corrections
- editorial standards
Mistakes to avoid
- Listing "attention to detail" as a skill. Your page is the proof, and one error on it cancels the claim.
- Counting pieces edited without saying what kind of edit they got.
- Leaving out the style guides you know, which are often the first filter on editing jobs.
- Taking credit for a reporter's scoop. Say what you did to the story: structure, verification, headline.
How the sample PDF reads in text extractors
We exported this sample with Resumity's PDF exporter in Chrome on 2026-10-29 and read the file back with three open-source text extractors. This shows whether software that turns a PDF into text can recover it; it is not a test of any commercial applicant tracking system. How we test templates.
| Extractor | Name, email, phone | Headings | Bullets intact |
|---|---|---|---|
| pdf.js 4.10.38 | All found | 5 of 5 | 8 of 8 |
| pdftotext (Xpdf) 4.00 | All found | 5 of 5 | 8 of 8 |
| pypdf 6.13.0 | All found | 5 of 5 | 8 of 8 |
Frequently asked questions
What separates an editor resume from a copy editor resume?
A copy editor resume centres on accuracy and style at volume: stories or pages a shift, guides followed, errors caught. An editor resume adds judgement about content: commissioning, structure, managing writers. If you do both, give each its own bullets.
Should editors attach an editing sample?
Many employers set their own editing test, so you rarely need one. A short before-and-after sample can help freelancers; get permission if the original text is not yours.
Is a Poynter ACES certificate worth listing?
It is useful when you are moving into editing from writing or another field, or want proof of a particular level. Poynter lists no prerequisites for any of the three levels, so it carries most weight next to real editing work.
How do I show freelance editing alongside a staff job?
List freelance work as its own entry with dates and client types (publishers, nonprofits, agencies), and keep it to two bullets if it is a side practice.
Should I mention languages or subject expertise?
Yes. A second language or a specialism such as law, medicine or finance narrows the field of editors competing with you. Put it in the summary and the skills grid.
Will applicant tracking systems read this Henrietta PDF?
The sample PDF read back with its contact details, all 5 section headings and all 8 bullets intact in three open-source text extractors (pdf.js, pdftotext and pypdf). Commercial systems such as Workday, Greenhouse or Taleo were not tested, and each employer configures its own.
Guides and templates for this resume
Sources, checked 29 October 2026
We opened every page below on that date. Pay, rules and requirements change, so check the source before you rely on a detail.
- Poynter: Poynter ACES Certificates in Editing (three levels: Poynter ACES Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced Certificate in Editing; no prerequisites for any of the certificates)
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