As with any resume, a video editor resume must highlight skills, qualifications, and experience in an attention grabbing, succinct, and thorough manner. But what is different than other fields, is that a video editor resume must also share specific projects, creativity, technology proficiency, and the important skills of understanding the director’s vision.
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Overview of a Good Video Editor Resume
A video editor resume must have all of the basic parts of a resume, but it also has some unique requirements because of the nature of the field. When it comes to creative positions, the resume needs to step away from the basic format and include some other components of the job and skill set. As resumelab.com points out, video editors are used to using pictures and images, not words to send their messages. But when it comes to a resume, words have to take the forefront. Video editors need an eye for beauty, a sense of timing, and skills in software platforms. And that has to be showcased in the resume.
Here are the main sections a video editor resume should contain:
- Personal information
- Summary
- Experience
- Education
- Specific Projects and Productions/ Honors and Awards
- Certifications/Extra Classes
- Technology Skills
- Hard and Soft Skills
- All of this should be presented in an aesthetically pleasing, succinct format
This should all help you on how to write a video editor resume that will be ready to wow any employer who sees it.
Summary Section
This is one of the most important sections of any resume. It is what gives the hiring professional the information to take a deeper look. This is the applicant’s moment to get the most information across to describe not only the desired position but also how they will be successful at it. According to jobscan.com, you may hear this section referred to as other things like:
- Career summary
- Personal statement
- Professional summary
- Summary of experience
- Summary of qualifications
- Qualifications summary
- Competencies
This section traditionally was the objective section in a resume, but it has morphed into more of a summary which offers the reader a better insight into the candidate. The goal of a summary statement is to demonstrate the job seeker’s unique value through their skills and accomplishments.
As in the entire resume, every word here counts. But it really, really counts here. Remember, this is that first glance, maybe a few seconds worth, where the employer will decide to read further or toss your resume. Your summary could essentially be the ticket to your dream job. Not only should you include your experience, for example, Video editor with 5+ years experience as lead editor on national films, but this section should also include the core values of the applicant. Here is where you can share your beliefs and values. For instance, looking to be lead editor on documentaries regarding global issues facing our generation in order to share valuable information.
Be careful with each and every word here. There’s no space or time for extraneous words. Think of this section as your elevator pitch. You’ve only got a very limited place to describe how perfect you’d be to hire. Use it well.
Experience Section on Video Editor Resume
Here is where you get to brag on yourself. You don’t just list your experience here, you give objective details to let employers know how driven, successful, and valuable you are. This is also the place to include any relevant experience. So in fact, if you have to limit the work and experience you have done in the past, make sure to include the most relevant. Maybe right out of college you worked in a bank to make money, but you created and edited your friend’s wedding videos on a freelance basis. Perhaps you also mentored kids in video editing as volunteer work. Those are both more valuable to your potential employers in the video editing field than your bank experience.
You also don’t want to leave any gaps in your experience section. If you were without work for a certain amount of time, see if you can come up with something relevant that you did, whether it was take class, get a new certification, taught yourself a new editing skill, or simply worked on editing videos. Maybe you worked on videos but in voice over editing instead of video editing. This is still great experience and clearly relevant.
According to Velvetjobs.com, keep your experience to your past three to four positions. Also, whereas you may omit some positions because they weren’t relevant, that’s only if you have enough to fill the space, both literally on the page and chronologically. Remember, even that bank position taught you something. So it’s better to include it than not if it is in your recent history. Perhaps you learned communication skills, how to make quick decisions, and how to deal with unhappy customers. All of these are relevant in any field.
You also want to include specific achievements and numbers where applicable. Perhaps you earned a $5,000 scholarship for your mentoring work. Or maybe you mentored over 50 students. You could list that you were the top requested video editor at your past company and be sure to include the numbers. All of these are relevant and clear cut achievements in your experience section.
Education Section on Video Editor Resume
This section is fairly straight forward, like personal information. However, depending on where you are in your career, you will include more or less information. If you have been working for 10 years or more, your degree and school are relevant, but the details not so much. However, if you are still new in the professional world, you may want to list more detail on your education and how it is relevant to your career goal.
Specific Projects, Productions, Honors, and Awards
You may have gotten to include all of this in your experience section, but if not, this is the place to do so. Maybe you won an international award for a film you edited. Include it here. Perhaps you created a project for those kids you mentored, and it went national. Include it here. Maybe you consistently won the “Best Editor” award in your company. Yep, include it here. If you have a few outstanding accolades from college, you can list them here as well. Remember, you are bragging on yourself. Don’t be shy.
Certifications and Extra Classes Section
This is a great place to include things you have gone above and beyond to do, like your Adobe Premiere Pro CC certification or Avid Certified Professional Media Composer. If you have done anything on your own or even through a past job, include it here. This doesn’t just have to be video editing classes and certification, but it could be about entrepreneurship, time management, or marketing skills. However, it’s not the place to list your culinary class that your girlfriend gave you for your anniversary. Keep it relevant. There’s plenty of extra skills to work on if you are a video editor. Take advantage of them and let your potential employers know.
Technology Skills on a Video Editor Resume
Technology is hugely important on a video editor resume. If you don’t have these skills, well, you may want to work on them before applying. Here is where you list your technical skills, such as specific knowledge of editing equipment and special effects software. List what equipment you work with and know best, and how you pride yourself on staying up to date on technology. Go ahead and list specific equipment while also saying you are always excited to learn new technology.
Hard and Soft Skills on a Video Editor Resume
Like any position, a video editor needs much more than knowing the fundamentals of how to edit videos. Here is the place to list those things that are all important, such as the ability to read the director’s vision and make independent decisions. Some other hard and soft skills that an employer in this field may look for are:
- An eye for aesthetics and knowledge of camera angles
- Flexibility to deal with delay, strong personalities, and changes in production ideas and schedules
- Commitment to following the director’s vision rather than making it your own
- Ability to get along well and take direction for a variety of people in different positions
- Good problem solving skills to handle things if they go wrong
- Strong interpersonal and communciation skills
- Ability to meet deadlines and stay ahead of schedule
- Animation skills
- Pro Tools
- Blender
- Collaboration
The Aesthetics of a Video Editor Resume
Now is when you put it all together and make it look great. Remember, you are applying for a visual position, you want this resume to wow anyone looking at it. This resume does not necessarily have to be traditional, but the components should all be there in a format that makes sense. Make sure the fonts you use go together and the sizes represent the material. Also, let some white space show through so you haven’t crowded the space.
According to resumecoach.com, it’s beneficial to research the company before creating your resume (which you should do anyway). If they are a more traditional company, keep the aesthetic of your resume that way. However, if you find them to be a little more on the creative, artistic side, let your resume go that way. You could use a border or some color on the resume, just keep it subtle enough so that it doesn’t distract from the content.
Summing Up Video Editor Resumes
A video editor resume has all of the components of a traditional resume while expanding on the specific skills required for this position. Make sure to list the strongest and most current qualifications first and let the employer see a real picture of you at your best. You can always take a look at some video editor resume samples. Aesthetics are important, and as a visual artist, this should be right in your wheelhouse. Don’t be afraid to brag on yourself and toot your own horn. After all, you are the best one for the job, aren’t you? Now, go and get it!
