How can I become an Editor at a Newspaper?

As mentioned previously, you'll need to start with reporting or even copy editing.

A route to get there via college is by taking journalism courses, learning Associated Press (AP) style (mandatory), and then building a portfolio of writing samples through published articles.

By writing for your school newspaper you gain experience in different article or column writing formats and copy editing. For my college paper, I wrote the police beat, news articles, feature stories, and an opinion column. School paper experience can lead to internships which lead to more experience which leads to your job out of school.

Other avenues for news writing experience, once you know AP style, is to work for or volunteer to write for small, local papers. You can also search online for contributing writer or copy editor jobs whether part time or project based. I have used www.journalismjobs.com, www.guru.com, and www.sologig.com and I'm sure there are many more today.

Volunteer/try to get an internship and you can work your way up.

An editor, especially of a large newspaper, is not an entry-level job. You will have to begin as a reporter and learn the business and craft of journalism before you can become an editor. Reporters rely on editors to be their guides, both in their efforts at gathering information and then crafting that information into great articles, which the editor will then continue to polish until it is ready for publication.

Then you also have to consider that editors have a lot more to their jobs than editing the raw stories. They also have to manage the people below them, including the reporters and other support staff who make up the newspaper or magazine. Learning how to work with and manage people requires time and the accumulation of experience.

There is no quick or easy way to become an editor. You do not just step into the position from the beginning. But the good news is that working as a reporter first is a great career on its own and you will accumulate all the various skills and gain the knowledge to someday become a great editor.

Don't look for shortcuts. Start at the beginning with an internship or entry-level job and try to learn everything you can and take in as many experiences as possible before attempting to move up.

Like any other job, in order to be an editor, you have to prepare. Rarely do people begin as an editor. They start with lesser jobs in the company. Having the right skills and a strong work ethic is the best way to get what you want. You have to be willing to do something that may not be your favorite job, but bosses notice how if their employee is completing work without errors and on time. Also they notice that you show up to do your job.

You wont' start at the top, but if you take the steps, you'll get there.