What an editor really does
You make other people's writing accurate and readable, decide what runs, and take the heat when it goes wrong.
FieldCreative and media
Preparation (O*NET Job Zone)Considerable preparation needed
What the work involves
What fills a typical week for editors, built from O*NET occupation data.
- Checking facts, names, dates and numbers against sources before anything publishes
- Editing and rewriting copy so it reads clearly, and catching spelling and grammar errors
- Writing headlines, summaries and newsletter text
- Pitching and assigning story ideas to writers, and coaching them through revisions
- Deciding with other editors what leads and how much space each piece gets
- Reviewing final proofs and keeping production on deadline
- Answering reader questions and complaints
What the days are like
What people in the job know
- You are responsible for other people's mistakes once your name is on the edit. Work outcomes and results of other workers: 52% very high responsibility (O*NET Work Context)
- Fact checking is the top task, above writing or polishing. Verify facts, dates, and statistics using standard reference sources: importance 92, ranked first (O*NET task 1)
- Disagreements are a weekly thing, with writers, colleagues or readers. Conflict situations: 32% once a week or more; Dealing with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous people: 25% once a week or more (O*NET Work Context)
- It is a very people heavy job, not quiet time alone with text. Contact with others: 68% constant contact; Telephone conversations: 68% every day; Face-to-face discussions: 67% every day (O*NET Work Context)
- Deadlines are daily and weeks often run long. Time pressure: 57% every day; Duration of typical work week: more than 40 hours 47% (O*NET Work Context)
How people get into it
Most editors have a bachelor's degree (69% of new hires per O*NET survey), often in journalism, English or communications. Many start as writers, reporters, editorial assistants or copy editors and move up after several years. A portfolio of edited and published work helps.
The Firstday trial, easy to hard
Three simulated tasks at The Riverbend Ledger, a fictional company, with AI coworkers who message you, react to your work and coach with questions. Nobody scores you.
What the trial can't show: The trial cannot show long term work like editing a book manuscript over months, building a team of writers, or setting editorial policy. It uses a simplified editing tool instead of real content systems like WordPress, Drupal or NewsGate. It also cannot reproduce the real legal stakes of publishing something wrong about a real person.
Reading about it is one thing.
Find out how the work feels to you before you spend on a degree, course or job change. Your first trial is free.
Other careers you can try
Job details on this page are built from O*NET OnLine, 27-3041.00. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.