Top freelance copy editor sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
Things to remember when writing your freelance copy editor experience section
Freelance copy editor experience section checklist:
- Keep it short: use no more than 4-6 bullet points per position;
- Go for short, easy-to-read sentences to keep recruiters engaged;
- Focus on relevant job experience that will enhance your application;
- Describe your experience using the C-A-R (challenge, action, result) methodology;
- Ditch buzzwords and go for power words instead.
To illustrate it more clearly, we’ve collected some of the best experience section examples from real Freelance Copy Editor resumes. Check them out below!
- Reinvented company's brand identity for modern clientele
- Wrote and helped develop "NSC Animation" pilot project
- Increased catalog sales by 20% in 2016
- Edited, wrote, and designed
- Won state awards for composition
- Rebuilt the newspaper with modern fonts and better spacing
- Worked on market research reports on diverse verticals including:• Information and Communications Technology• Lab Automation• Medical Devices• Pharmaceuticals• Food and Beverage• Education
- Had the privilege of working on client requests, reports that aretailored to the needs of the client
- Provided training to new recruits
- Prepared questionnaires for new recruits and evaluated answers
- Thoroughly proofread, fact checked, and edited more than 100 articles per month
- Implemented SEO best practices into all edited articles to drive visibility
- Managed over 100 article specific web pages through WordPress
- Conducted thorough research to better ensure content quality across multiple verticals, including Politics, History, and Technology
- Liaised with international pool of writers ensuring articles adhered to Culture Trip's in-house style guidelines
- Edit articles, blogs, email newsletters, books, promotional copy, social-media content, and disclosures for structure, style, clarity, consistency, coherence, grammar, punctuation, and spelling to ensure each piece meets strict quality standards.
- Thoroughly research articles to ensure the accuracy of every piece of information contained therein. Employ my proficiency in LexisNexis, Wayback Machine, JSTOR, Spokeo, Alexa, and various other tools and databases to guarantee the content is both factually and contextually correct.
- Develop, maintain, and execute workflows and schedules to balance multiple concurrent assignments and meet stringent and continuous deadlines.
- Build new online content and migrate print articles to the web using an in-house CMS.
- Act as liaison among writers, editors, and production staff. Coordinate with legal counsel to preemptively flag potential issues.
- Create and continually update house style guide as language evolves and new issues emerge.
- Served as point person for the copy desk, performing nearly all daily editing. Edited and approved new content — including articles, recipes, and blog posts — collaborating with the UI, QA, production, and design teams to ensure quality across the site.
- Created and managed the workflow of five weekly and five daily newsletters, distributed to more than 3 million subscribers.
- Developed the process for creating, scheduling, and deploying newsletters, including establishing and enforcing deadlines and defining individual responsibilities.
- Edited all newsletter copy and acted as liaison for magazine editors, online editors, designers, and producers.
- Lead editorial resource for content creation for various confidential projects
- Trained and developed staff consisting of content writers, assistant editors and proofreaders
- Performed competitive analysis and keyword research to drive SEO
- Utilized clearly defined goals and buyer personas to create effective content
- Created documentation to ensure consistency and adherence to the expected quality and AP Style
- Delivered content with an average turnaround time 2 days under the agreed upon deadline
- Completed on-job training in one week and initiated work on Content Management System (CMS)
- Manned the news desk and maintained rigorous coordination with the news crew and the Central News Desk personnel
- Drafted news stories and news reports for prime-time bulletin
PRO TIP
Don't make the same mistake everyone else does. What we mean is, don't list your Freelance Copy Editor job responsibilities instead of your achievements. Recruiters know what you do. They want to know what kind of difference you can bring to their company. Focus on what you've accomplished.
Action verbs for your freelance copy editor resume
Recommended reads:
The Best Way to Write Your Freelance Copy Editor Resume’s Skills Section
Freelance Copy Editor resume: Skills section checklist
- Scan the job advert for keywords worth including in your resume;
- List both hard and transferable skills;
- Leave room for discussion: include some of your skills in other sections of your resume;
- Focus on skills that prove your expertise and leave the irrelevant ones behind.
Top skills for your freelance copy editor resume
Upwork
Quickbooks
Microsoft Office
Email clients
PayPal
Budgeting
Marketing
Design
Communication
Leadership and project management
Teamwork
Problem
Solving
Work Ethics
Flexibility
Adaptability
Interpersonall skills
PRO TIP
When picking skills to feature in your resume, make sure they'll be relevant to the position you’re applying to. The point of listing skills is for you to stand out from the competition. Stay away from repetitive, meaningless skills that everyone uses in their resumes. Or else, they’ll backfire and make you look like an average candidate.
Recommended reads:
Freelance copy editor resume header: Tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your freelance copy editor resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Include a link to your portfolio in your Freelance Copy Editor resume header. Most companies will require that you include one in your resume, and even if they don’t, it’s an excellent opportunity to directly show them your proudest projects.
Writing a strong freelance copy editor resume summar
Freelance copy editor resume summary checklist:
- Mention your position and total years of experience in the field;
- Highlight 1-2 of your top achievements;
- Go for shorter sentences and keep them to the point – don’t include anything that doesn’t support your application;
- Add 2-4 keywords present in the job description.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Highlight specific past projects that you’re most proud of in your summary. It sets an excellent tone for the rest of your resume. You can talk about all of your former jobs in your work experience section later on.
Recommended reads:
Adding education, courses, and certifications to your freelance copy editor resume
Education section tips and tricks:
- Add info about your highest degree level, incl. year of graduation, place of study, and degree subject;
- Mention some education-related awards you’ve received;
- Share a bit more about your certifications (if they are relevant);
- Entry-level applicants: Tailor your education section by including classes that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.
Top Certifications for your Freelance Copy Editor resume
How to Become a Freelance Editor: Make Money Copy Editing
Learn how to start or add editing to your freelance offerings!
Kickstart a Freelance Editor & Proofreader Career on Upwork
The Complete Guide to Satisfying Clients and Growing Your Freelancing Business
Become a More Effective Copy Editor
Tips, Tricks, and Tools to Improve Your Copyediting
Modern Copywriting: Writing copy that sells in 2022
Learn how to strategically deliver words that get people to take action using the art and science of copywriting.
Editing Mastery: How To Edit Writing To Perfection
The Deep Editing Secrets Of The World's Best Editors
Recommended reads.":
PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
The best format for your freelance copy editor resume
Choosing the right format for your resume might seem difficult, regardless of whether you’re a newbie or a master. In short, there are three basic resume formats for you to choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
The choice you make depends on your level of experience and the company you’re applying for.
The reverse-chronological resume format is great for you if you have at least 10 years of experience, no employment gaps, and are not looking for a career change. Here, you are expected to list all your previous jobs in a reverse-chronological format, starting from your most recent position and going back to the oldest one. It’s perfect for experienced individuals who are looking for a straightforward way to highlight their expertise.
The functional skills-based resume format, on the other hand, is great for recent graduates or professionals with large employment gaps. It focuses on skills and education, rather than experience. This makes it ideal for showing you’re the right fit without putting too much emphasis on your lack of (relevant) experience.
If you’re looking for something a bit more creative, go for the combination resume format. It’s a mix of the reverse-chronological and the functional skills-based formats, which makes it ideal for all types of applicants. What’s more, it’s considered modern and innovative, and isn’t this what you want your application to feel like anyway?
After choosing the right format for your Freelance Copy Editor resume, it’s time to perfect the layout and style.
- Go for traditional 1-inch resume margins;
- Choose a simple resume font, sized 10-12p;
- Make sure that the length of your resume matches your applicant profile: try to fit in a one-page template; two-page templateare suitable only for candidates with over 10 years of experience.
- Save your resume in PDF to avoid issues around formatting and unauthorized editing.
Looking for more ways to make your application stand out? Read this article!
Recommended reads:":
PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Freelance Copy Editor resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
Other sections to include in your resume
Depending on the type of company, your position, and your general desire to experiment and showcase your creative side, you might want to add some additional sections to your resume. Some examples include:
Creating a memorable freelance copy editor resume
You want your resume to put you in front of other candidates even when the competition is high, right? Right!
One of the easiest ways to do this is by adding a drop or two of creativity. You can choose a colorful and out-of-the-box template, or maybe even put a ‘what my typical days look like’ section at the bottom of your resume
It’s totally up to you. Just make sure to match the level of creativity to the industry, the position, and the company.
What makes a great freelance copy editor resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
