Examples & writing guide
Editorial CV example and writing guide
Updated 16 July 2026
An editorial CV has to do two jobs at once: explain what you have edited and demonstrate that you can write clean, controlled copy. This guide covers the structure, evidence and qualifications worth including, with examples you can adapt using figures you can verify.
Examples by experience level
Junior Editorial Assistant
TemplateAshford1 / 5
Why this works
This example turns limited experience into credible editorial evidence through clear workflow ownership, careful quality control and defensible measures of output and improvement.
Continue writing your CVEditorial Manager CV
TemplateNavy Atlas4 / 5
Why this works
Shows steady progression from hands-on editing to ownership of schedules, contributors and measurable digital performance.
Continue writing your CVSenior Editorial Director
TemplateTeal Signal2 / 5
Why this works
Shows clear progression into editorial leadership, with credible evidence of publishing scale, workflow improvement, audience growth and team development.
Continue writing your CVJunior vs senior: what changes
| Aspect | Junior | Senior |
|---|---|---|
| Personal statement | Lead with editorial focus, transferable evidence and the type of assistant role sought. Keep claims proportionate to limited experience. | Lead with editorial discipline, leadership scope, publishing scale and outcomes, selecting details that match the target role and company. |
| Experience evidence | Show hands-on tasks such as proofreading, fact-checking, updating web copy, maintaining calendars and supporting contributor deadlines. | Show ownership of editorial direction, workflow standards, team delivery and measurable improvements across a larger content operation. |
| Metrics | Quantify manageable evidence such as articles checked per week, newsletter sends, turnaround times or deadlines met. | Use defensible measures of portfolio scale, team output, audience performance, production efficiency or error reduction. |
| Skills emphasis | Prioritise copy accuracy, written and verbal communication, attention to detail, deadline management and confidence with relevant publishing tools. | Prioritise editorial judgement, commissioning, stakeholder management, workflow design, coaching and the use of performance evidence in planning. |
| Education placement | Place relevant education prominently and include useful modules or A levels where they strengthen an early-career application. | Keep education concise and let recent editorial leadership and results take most of the space. |
| Portfolio and scope | Use a small, carefully chosen set of published, student, voluntary or self-directed examples that match the vacancy. | Select examples that demonstrate range, consistent standards and responsibility for work produced by contributors or a wider editorial team. |
How to write an editorial CV
Use a two-page, reverse-chronological CV. Put your name and contact details first, followed by a personal statement, core skills, experience, education and a brief extras section when it adds useful evidence. Choose clear headings, readable type and enough white space for quick scanning.
| Section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Personal statement | Experience level, editorial discipline, strongest relevant abilities and target role |
| Experience | Editing tasks, publication or channel, workload, collaborators and measured results |
| Skills | A focused mix of editing methods, publishing tools and working habits |
| Education | Relevant qualifications and modules, with more detail early in your career |
| Extras | Selected portfolio links, languages, volunteering or publications that support the application |
Write the personal statement after drafting the rest of the CV. Once the evidence is visible, it is easier to choose strengths that sound credible rather than generic. For experience, describe work you actually completed, such as preparing copy, marking up proofs, liaising with authors or chasing material to deadline. Add scale or impact when your records support it.
Name specific skills instead of using broad labels. Adobe InDesign, WordPress, fact-checking and house-style enforcement say more than "publishing skills". Deadline management and taking constructive criticism can sit alongside technical abilities. If you are early in your career, draw on unpaid, academic or non-publishing work to demonstrate attention to detail and clear written and verbal communication. Give education more room when professional experience is limited.
Tailor the language and evidence to each editorial role and company rather than sending an unchanged CV with every application. Check every line for spelling, grammar, punctuation and consistent style. Employers will read an editorial CV as evidence of your judgement as well as your employment history.
Personal statement examples
Editorial assistant with two years' experience preparing web and print copy, coordinating contributor deadlines and applying house style across weekly publishing schedules. Confident in WordPress, fact-checking and proofreading, with evidence of moving copy through review while protecting accuracy and tone. Now seeking an editorial role focused on clear, useful digital content for a defined audience.
Hard-working editorial professional looking for a new challenge. I am creative, passionate about words and good at working alone or in a team. I would like to join a successful company where I can gain experience, develop my skills and make a positive contribution.
Writing your experience
Treat each experience bullet as a compact piece of evidence. Begin with the action, identify the editorial scope, then add the result or measure: "Edited 18 web articles a week, applying house style and resolving factual queries before publication, with 97% delivered to schedule." Useful measures include copy volume, turnaround time, deadlines met, correction rates, newsletter performance and the number of contributors coordinated. Use figures only when they come from records or you can defend them.
| Too vague | Stronger version |
|---|---|
| Helped with articles | Sub-edited 12 weekly features for clarity, punctuation and house style, returning 95% within the agreed turnaround |
| Managed contributors | Coordinated briefs, feedback and rewrites for 14 freelance contributors, keeping 28 of 30 commissioned pieces on schedule |
| Worked on newsletters | Built and proofread two weekly newsletters, testing subject lines and lifting average opens from 31% to 35% over one quarter |
The revised bullets show the work, its scale and what happened next. When the outcome concerns quality rather than growth, make that visible. "Fact-checked 40 source references across a 16-page supplement and corrected nine discrepancies before sign-off" carries more weight than "Responsible for fact-checking". For digital work, connect an edit to performance only when the analytics support that connection. You can report refreshed headlines alongside a change in search visits without pretending that one automatically caused the other.
Entry-level candidates can use university publications, volunteering, internships and non-publishing jobs. A customer service role may demonstrate concise written communication; a society magazine may supply evidence of proofreading and deadline control. Describe the editorial action plainly and keep the scale honest.
Strong opening verbs include edited, commissioned, proofread, rewrote, verified, scheduled, coordinated, briefed, published, optimised and analysed. Vary them because the tasks differ, rather than cycling through synonyms for effect. Keep each bullet centred on one result, put the strongest evidence first and include enough workflow detail to separate editorial work from general administration.
Key skills & ATS keywords
Hard skills
Soft skills
ATS keywords
Education & certifications
A university qualification is an optional route into editorial assistant work, not a universal entry condition. A qualification in English, journalism, or media and communication studies may give an applicant an advantage, although most subjects are acceptable. Someone targeting a specialist publishing field may need a closely related degree; physics or maths are examples for work on a scientific journal.
Present education in reverse-chronological order. State the qualification, subject, institution and completion year. Early-career candidates can add relevant editorial or publishing modules and A levels, while experienced candidates can usually reduce older education to one or two lines. Do not list every module. Select details that explain your editorial interests or practical preparation.
For the university route, applicants will usually need 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, plus 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent. These expectations apply to that route. They are not requirements for every editorial vacancy.
A Publishing Professional Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship with a company is another optional route into editorial assistant work. Specialist training courses with professional bodies also offer an optional route. List training only after completion, using its exact title and provider. Add the completion date and a short description when the title does not explain the content.
Editorial assistant work calls for an excellent grasp of English language. Demonstrate yours through precise wording, consistent punctuation and careful proofreading instead of relying on an unsupported adjective in a skills list. Place certificates and short courses below formal education unless a completed course is particularly relevant to the vacancy.
Common mistakes to avoid
AvoidSending the same editorial CV for every vacancy, with no change to the personal statement, skills or evidence.
InsteadTailor the CV to the editorial discipline, advertised duties and company. Move the most relevant examples near the top and mirror the vacancy's language where it accurately describes your work.
AvoidListing vague duties such as "edited articles" without showing the workflow, volume or result.
InsteadName the work you completed, such as briefing contributors, marking up proofs or chasing copy, then add a defensible measure such as pieces per week, deadlines met or errors corrected.
AvoidSubmitting a CV with inconsistent punctuation, spelling, capitalisation or formatting.
InsteadProofread the final document as carefully as published copy. Check every heading, date, bullet and style choice because the CV itself demonstrates your editorial standards.
AvoidFilling the skills section with broad claims such as "excellent communicator" while omitting editorial methods and tools.
InsteadBalance evidenced people skills with specific capabilities such as copy-editing, fact-checking, house-style enforcement, WordPress and Adobe InDesign.
AvoidHiding transferable experience because it came from unpaid, student or non-publishing work.
InsteadUse relevant examples wherever they occurred. Show how you improved copy, checked detail, met deadlines or communicated clearly, and label the context honestly.
AvoidAdding impressive-looking figures that cannot be checked or explained at interview.
InsteadUse only figures you can defend. If commercial outcomes were not available, quantify workload, turnaround time, publishing frequency, contributor numbers or on-time delivery instead.
Frequently asked questions
Use a two-page, reverse-chronological CV. Cut repetition before shrinking the type, and give the most space to recent work that matches the editorial vacancy.
Yes, particularly at entry level, if you can show relevant evidence from study, volunteering, student media or other work. Focus on accurate writing, attention to detail, communication, deadlines and any copy you edited or published.
No. A British CV normally leaves out both a photo and date of birth; use the space for evidence of your editing, workflow experience and results.
Choose skills that match the vacancy and that you can support with examples. Useful editorial terms include copy-editing, proofreading, fact-checking, house style, WordPress, Adobe InDesign, SEO, deadline management and constructive feedback.
Do not add a credential simply to fill space. Include a role-specific qualification or relevant training only when you have completed it, name it accurately, and explain its relevance briefly if the connection is not obvious.
Start with a concise personal statement that names the editorial work you are targeting. Translate earlier experience into concrete evidence of writing, checking detail, handling feedback, coordinating people and delivering to deadlines, without presenting unrelated duties as editorial work.
From example to application
Turn this editorial example into a CV that sounds like you.
Keep the structure that works. Tailor the details around your experience, strengths, and the role you want.