Life As An Editor

Written By Hiba Khan

I still remember joining Logicose last year, and wondering if I’d even make it through the probation period.

It was my first ever REAL job, and I wanted to make the most out of it. Being a Computer Science graduate and having no design background, I spent nights wondering if I’d be able to fulfill my role at Logicose.

So, I took up online design challenges, courses, and tests to improve my design skills. Turns out, what I feared wouldn’t last longer than the probation period, ended up being a promotion.

After being promoted, I thought to myself, “WOW, no more work?”, but little did I know that I had entered a whole new world of deadlines & responsibilities.

From One Editor To Another

The first file I edited took me about half an hour. I kept reading it and panicking, thinking I might be missing out on important corrections. However, I finally got the hang of it. And now, after learning a new skill (which I can add to my resume), it’s time to pass on what I’ve learnt to future editors.

If you’re a new editor, or aspiring to be one, here’re few tips to help you succeed:

Pay Attention To Detail

This is a must-have in every editor’s toolkit – or skillset. Spend proper time over each document to make sure every piece you send out is in its perfect form.

Sometimes, this means working together with the writer to exchange ideas & edits.

Meticulous care is needed for every piece you review; having a critical eye & politely pointing out mistakes is the main part of your job.

Maintain Pro-Active Communication

This job really does test your communication skills.

No matter how many times you may have to edit the same piece, communicating it to the writer/designer effectively & politely is important. This way, you improve the work and provide valuable feedback to writers/designers, who can learn and improve their abilities.

Editing has improved my critical analysis skills, writing skills, and has also given me the opportunity to learn and look at new designs & content every single day!

Ted Talk Recommendations

This new role at work has taught me a lot in terms of communication, productivity, leadership, and time management. But I’m still constantly browsing for new learning opportunities. I watch YouTube videos, read articles/research papers, and listen to podcasts, which add valuable information to my knowledge set.

Here’re some of my favorite talks from TedX:

• How boredom can lead to your most brilliant ideas | Manoush Zomorodi
• Great leadership starts with self-leadership | Lars Sudmann | TEDxUCLouvain
• How to speak so that people want to listen | Julian Treasure

To Sum Up

Being a good editor takes courage, time, and a lot of self-reflection & improvement. Editors lead a team of writers/designers, but they also do so much more than that; they take responsibility of the team & the work assigned, making sure both improve over time in order to deliver results.

But with this responsibility comes the need to embody skills that make a great editor; good communication, effective time-management, critical analysis, and attention to detail go a long way.