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Copy editor skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted experts
Jeff Rice Ph.D.,
Thomas Reynolds
Copy editor example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical copy editor skills. We ranked the top skills for copy editors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 11.8% of copy editor resumes contained proofreading as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a copy editor needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 copy editor skills for your resume and career

1. Proofreading

Here's how copy editors use proofreading:
  • Managed copy editing and proofreading responsibilities of weekly business newspaper and special supplements.
  • Provided editing and proofreading support for morning edition of daily metropolitan newspaper.

2. House Style

Here's how copy editors use house style:
  • Edited customer-provided copy for readability and adherence to in-house style standards.
  • Edited for consistent quality and tone; ensured adherence to standard grammar and spelling, in-house style, and SciBX-specific style.

3. Digital Publishing

Here's how copy editors use digital publishing:
  • Managed summer editorial intern and provided expertise on digital publishing and content development.
  • Demonstrate strong understanding of technical concepts, digital publishing and tracking, and hire and mentor technical editors.

4. Fact Check

Fact-checking is a procedure that pursues to verify information, to promote the authenticity and accuracy of reporting. Fact-checking can be performed either before or after the text gets published. There are two major types of fact-checking methods. Ante hoc fact-checking: it aims to identify errors so that the text can be corrected/ rejected before distribution. Post hoc fact-checking submits a written report of mistakes.

Here's how copy editors use fact check:
  • Comprehended, fact checked, and edited multidisciplinary research journal written by faculty-mentored undergraduate students.
  • Verified medical terminology; performed fact checking and some substantive editing.

5. SEO

Here's how copy editors use seo:
  • Conducted comprehensive SEO audit and brought organic search in-house leveraging existing resources.
  • Collaborated on implementing effective SEO methods to increase traffic and impressions.

6. Web Content

Here's how copy editors use web content:
  • Reviewed web content for accuracy and functionality.
  • Web Content Manager - Format and upload news articles to the paper's website using a web content management system.

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7. Style Guides

A Style Guide, otherwise known as a manual of style, as the name suggests, is a single document or a collection of such documents which offer a standard for the creation and formatting of other documents. These can either be designed for general use or for a specific company, for advertisements, or for individuals, organizations, or academic institutions. The style guide often speaks of a number of things, such as appropriate font choices and size, for colour palettes, and formatting of pages.

Here's how copy editors use style guides:
  • Ensured all copy was consistent and conformed to publication style guides for grammar, spelling, usage, punctuation and typography.
  • Format coursework based on client provided materials, edit content based on internal style guides as well as client-provided style preferences.

8. Adobe Indesign

Here's how copy editors use adobe indesign:
  • Utilized Adobe InDesign, InCopy and in-house content delivery systems to create, edit, and manage content assets.
  • Designed an average of 10 pages nightly, including front pages, in Adobe InDesign for four Connecticut dailies.

9. Edit Copy

Edit copy is the process of checking copy for mistakes, spelling errors, style, punctuation and repetition and inconsistencies that may affect the quality of the copy used. In checking and identifing areas of error, you can make corrections to copy to make it of higher quality and appeal to the target audience.

Here's how copy editors use edit copy:
  • Proof and edit copy for commencement ceremonies publication.
  • Edit copy for eloquence, clarity, structure, organization, usage, errors in grammar, and AP style.

10. Copyedit

Copyedit is the process of checking written materials before publishing, aiming to identify any discrepancies, mistakes, and other technical errors. Copyediting also involves correcting materials, revising them as necessary to produce high-quality content.

Here's how copy editors use copyedit:
  • Design newspaper pages, write headlines, copyedit and write stories for the daily Sun Journal and SunJournal.com.
  • Helped copyedit DSN Retailing Today, Drug Store News, Continuing Education Quarterly.

11. News Stories

News Story is a term that is quite self-explanatory as it refers to all the information that is recorded either in writing or as an interview and aims to inform the public about any particular matter, event, idea or mishap. A news story can be very short as well lengthy depending on the type and quantity of content and consist of relevant facts and figures.

Here's how copy editors use news stories:
  • Edited business/municipal news stories and lifestyle features.
  • Copy edited breaking-news stories on PilotOnline.com.

12. PowerPoint

Here's how copy editors use powerpoint:
  • Aided sales personnel in conceiving PowerPoint presentations.
  • Print from various file types including Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word, Publisher, PowerPoint, and Excel.

13. News Articles

Here's how copy editors use news articles:
  • Researched, interviewed and gathered all relevant information for specific news articles; edited entire newspaper prior to weekly distribution.
  • Created conversational headlines and photo captions and added informative sidebars to complement news articles.

14. Twitter

Here's how copy editors use twitter:
  • Managed social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to disseminate information about CAP s work to fans.
  • Supported ICAF's mission and goals via social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

15. Adobe Acrobat

Acrobat Reader, a software program created by Adobe Systems, and they are used to view files in PDF. The main purpose of Adobe Acrobat is to view, create, and edit PDF documents. It can also import nearly all document as well as image formats, and save them in a PDF format.

Here's how copy editors use adobe acrobat:
  • Copy edited onscreen (Adobe Acrobat) for program consistency, clarity of language, style, and grammar.
  • Telecommuted for five years using Word's track changes and Adobe Acrobat's electronic mark-up features.
top-skills

What skills help Copy Editors find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on copy editor resumes?

Jeff Rice Ph.D.

Professor, Chair, The University of Kentucky

Research skills. Written and digital communication skills. Knowledge of digital tools - whether Adobe products, podcasting software, and such - but also how to use the tools to reach audiences, create sticky content, develop brands, send information, persuade, and inform. It's one thing to know how to create a movie or poster or infographic or report or Instagram post; it's another thing to have the rhetorical and writing skills to properly use that tool to create information for a specific audience.

What copy editor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Thomas ReynoldsThomas Reynolds LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, University of Minnesota

Technical writing and communication can span many fields. However, there are specific fields that are especially open to technical communication, such as information technology and computer software (technical documentation, for example), as well as medical and health fields. Many of our graduates work for companies that involve computer technology, such as software companies and content management for web consulting firms. In addition, many of our graduates work in biomedical companies that require technical and global documentation of medical devices.

I can't say that I know of a sure bet, but places that deal with medical technology, healthcare, and related fields are probably going to need people well-trained to communicate specialized knowledge to a variety of audiences and in a variety of ways. Telemedicine seems to have gained a more permanent stronghold in the healthcare system, and I imagine that the various communication channels involved in this new way of practicing medicine will open opportunities for well-trained graduates, such as ours who are willing to be pioneers in this area.

What type of skills will young copy editors need?

Dr. Christina FisanickDr. Christina Fisanick LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor of English, California University of Pennsylvania

College graduates in 2021 and beyond, need all of the skills that English programs have to offer: critical thinking, effective communication, creativity, and flexibility. New hires need to be able to adapt to workplace changes quickly and with aplomb, which requires critical thinking and problem solving and the ability to communicate those solutions to a diverse audience clearly and effectively. Those skills are refined and practiced regularly in English programs.

What technical skills for a copy editor stand out to employers?

Gayle RogersGayle Rogers LinkedIn profile

Professor and Chair, University of Pittsburgh

Many employers tell me that they seek graduates who can bridge the stereotypical-yet very real-divide in the technical world between the more rote elements of coding and the more creative elements of narrative that departments like my own (English) have traditionally taught. Creative coding and the ability to mesh what computer scientists and poets do-employers have consistently told me that there is great promise in that, now and going forward.

What soft skills should all copy editors possess?

Jason Whittaker Ph.D.Jason Whittaker Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Head of School of English & Journalism, Lincoln University

Among the key skills for graduates, some of these remain the same as before, particularly in terms of being able to communicate clearly, analyse information, and engage creatively with problem solving. The past year, however, has really brought to the fore the importance of resilience in our students, especially as they will need to be even more flexible as their careers develop in the future. We spend a considerable amount of time working on building confidence among our students, so that rather than being overwhelmed by rapid change they see this as a challenge and opportunity.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about copy editor

List of copy editor skills to add to your resume

Copy editor skills

The most important skills for a copy editor resume and required skills for a copy editor to have include:

  • Proofreading
  • House Style
  • Digital Publishing
  • Fact Check
  • SEO
  • Web Content
  • Style Guides
  • Adobe Indesign
  • Edit Copy
  • Copyedit
  • News Stories
  • PowerPoint
  • News Articles
  • Twitter
  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Press Releases
  • HTML
  • Blog Posts
  • Content Management System
  • Edit Stories
  • Grammatical Errors
  • Edit Articles
  • Feature Stories
  • Photo Captions
  • Factual Accuracy
  • Copywriting
  • Copy Desk
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Press Style
  • Sentence Structure
  • Local News
  • Editor-In-Chief
  • Editorial Content
  • Adobe Incopy
  • Proofread Copy
  • APA
  • Fiction
  • Editorials
  • Quark
  • Journal Articles
  • Design Pages
  • Metro
  • Website Copy
  • Promotional Materials
  • Staff Writers
  • Blogging
  • Substantive Editing
  • Content Marketing
  • Proper Grammar

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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