Video editors assemble raw footage into finished content — social media reels, brand films, YouTube series, documentary features, corporate training videos, or broadcast TV packages. You'll work in a post-production house, an in-house creative team at a company like Red Bull or BBC Studios, or as a freelancer juggling multiple clients. Most editors report to a creative director or lead producer, and your week typically alternates between offline editing (rough cuts), online finishing (colour grade, audio mix), and revision rounds that can be substantial. Speed matters as much as craft, especially in social content roles.
Alex Kim
Video Editor
📍 Manchester, UK✉️ alex.kim@email.com
Summary
Creative Video Editor with 4 years of experience producing content for social media, brand campaigns, and documentary-style storytelling. Proficient in Premiere Pro, After Effects, and DaVinci Resolve. Portfolio includes work for brands with combined 5M+ views.
Work Experience
Senior Video Editor at Social ChainJan 2023 — Present
Edit 15+ videos per week for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube across 8 brand accounts
Produced viral brand campaign for Gymshark achieving 3.2M views and 12% engagement rate
Assistant Editor at BBC Studios (Freelance)Jul 2020 — Dec 2022
Assisted on editing 6-part BBC Three documentary series achieving 1.8M iPlayer views
Performed rough cuts, colour grading, and sound mixing in DaVinci Resolve
Video Editor CVs need to show both technical proficiency and creative judgement. Recruiters want to see the platforms you edit for, view counts, brand clients, and your showreel URL.
Key Skills to Include
Premiere Pro, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, colour grading, sound design, short-form social content, motion graphics, and storytelling.
Common Mistakes
Not including a showreel link. Your CV gets you to the showreel, and the showreel gets you the job. Make your portfolio URL the most prominent thing on your CV.
Formatting Tips
One page. Use a modern, creative template. Include your showreel URL prominently. List view counts and brand clients. Show both short-form and long-form capability.
Average Salary — Video Editor
United States
$52,000 – $85,000
United Kingdom
$34,000 – $58,000
Germany
$36,000 – $56,000
UAE / Dubai
$36,000 – $58,000
Canada
$46,000 – $72,000
Australia
$52,000 – $78,000
Figures in USD. Ranges reflect mid-level experience (3–7 years). Senior roles and major metro areas typically sit at the top of these bands.
Top 5 Interview Questions — Video Editor
1Walk me through your editing workflow from receiving raw footage to final delivery.
Cover ingestion, organisation (bin structure, labelling), offline edit, rough cut review, revisions, colour grade, audio finishing, and export specs. A methodical answer here is far more impressive than talking about your creativity in the abstract.
2How do you approach editing content for different platforms — YouTube versus Instagram Reels versus LinkedIn?
Talk about aspect ratios (16:9, 9:16, 1:1), attention span differences, captions, pacing, and safe zones for UI overlay. Show you think about where the viewer is watching, not just how the edit looks on your timeline.
3Tell me about a project with a very short turnaround. How did you manage it?
Be specific about the timeline and what you prioritised or cut — maybe you skipped a colour grade pass, used proxy files, or pre-built a template. Show you can deliver under pressure without sacrificing what actually matters.
4What's your experience with colour grading, and which tools do you use?
Name specific tools (DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Lumetri, Final Cut Pro colour tools) and describe your understanding of primary and secondary corrections. If you're not a colourist, be honest — but show you understand the handover process.
5How do you handle a director or client who keeps requesting changes that are making the edit worse?
Describe how you'd document the version history, articulate your creative reasoning briefly, and offer to show both cuts side by side. You can advocate for your work professionally without making the client feel ignored.
How to Tailor Your CV
Broadcast companies (BBC, ITV, Channel 4) and post-production houses like Envy or Evolutions want Avid Media Composer or Premiere Pro listed as primary tools, plus experience with tapeless workflows and broadcast delivery specs. YouTube-first studios and creator agencies want to see fast turnaround times and social-specific work in your reel — ideally with view counts or subscriber growth attached. Corporate and brand in-house roles (Nike, Unilever) look for motion graphics capability in After Effects alongside editing. Freelancers applying to agencies should have a showreel link front and centre — if the employer has to dig for it, they won't.