Copy Editor/Designer
(Female, Age 33) from Chesapeake, VA
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 33 who works as a Copy Editor/Designer in Chesapeake, VA. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Copy Editor/Designer |
|---|---|
| Salary | $54,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 40 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Chesapeake, VA |
| Years Experience | 6 years |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
daily newspaper covering southeast Virginia and parts of North Carolina, 200,000 circulation
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
As a copy editor, I edit news and business articles, and write headlines and captions. I also design inside pages and choose the photos to accompany them.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
401(k), health, dental, eyecare
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
well
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Absolutely yes — producing a newspaper is a team effort. We are in constant collaboration with each other to get the design right, get the facts straight, choose the right photos and write the best headlines. It’s one of the best things about working here because everyone we hire is all about collaboration.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
I work in an office. Because of the nature of our work, we do not have walls separating us and work very close to each other. I like that part because we have constant conversation. The bad part is that our office has no natural light and the office lighting is terrible.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 3
Benefits: 7
Hours: 6
Co-Workers: 2
Supervisors: 4
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 5
The Actual Work: 1
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
referral
What was the application process?
submitted resume and cover letter
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
The interview process was two days long. First, there was dinner with the copy editors I’d be working with, where I could ask them frank questions about the job and the environment without any management around. Then I met with my immediate supervisor to critique the paper. The next day, she and I went out for lunch, then met with the managing editor, who oversees the entire newsroom. After that was a question-and-answer session with three editors.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
I can remember, because I’ve become part of the interviewing process now and we use the same questions for everyone. They are in four categories: judgment, teamwork, attention to detail, and achievements.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
yes
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
I was qualified before arriving at this paper, but on my first day, I sat with a “mentor,” who showed me the ins and outs of the process here and the computer system.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
No. Journalism is mostly learned through internships, not classes.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
Absolutely. see above.
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Bachelors degree in journalism, complete at least one internship
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
excellent grammar skills, ability to work quickly, creativity, eye for detail, great memory for minutia, social skills
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
college degree
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Learn about the area your newspaper is covering
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | copy editor/designer | 3 years | 33000 | copy editor and page designer for regional daily newspaper |
| Prior Job 2 | ad designer | 2 years | 23000 | designed ads, helped with paste-up process of weekly newspaper |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3.7
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.5 | Maryland | journalism, BA |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
N/A |
Ask a Question of this Mentor
This mentor has opted to receive questions from people interested in this career or job position. Please be respectful of their time and willingness to help. Include some basic relevant background so they can intelligently answer your question.