Video Editing is one thing, making MONEY as a video editor is another.

Today I’m sharing my tips on how to get started as a video editor and the tools you need to start landing jobs :)

Taking the First Steps to Professional Video Editing…

More than likely, you’ve gone to school or taken some kind of course on video editing, like me. And while I THOUGHT my editing skills were good when I came out of school, they were nothing compared to the skills I learned in the workforce. Since then, I’ve learned so much from working on different jobs and editing all sorts of projects.

Your first step is obviously the setup. 

What you’ll definitely need is a powerful desktop or laptop. Personally, I use a 2015 MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM. This young lady has carried me through years of editing and cost me around $2500. Yours does NOT need to cost that much, just as long as it’s powerful enough to handle video editing. I’d recommend a desktop or laptop with a little bit more RAM than mine, but 16GB is good enough to start out with.

In addition to that, having one or more hard drives is super important. I recommend one that is at least 1 terabyte (TB) because you’ll be needing a ton of storage. 

Headphones can also be very nice, but they’re not necessary. I use ear buds at work, and they do just fine for me. 

Your software will be the most important part. If you are still in school or recently graduated, I recommend purchasing an Adobe subscription because you will get the student rate! All you need is your student email to verify you are in school. Even if you’ve graduated, your email will last you well past your time as a student before the price jumps up to the standard rate. Adobe Premiere Pro was all I needed starting out.

I would recommend either Premiere or Final Cut to be your chosen software, but you can definitely select both to be more well rounded! Certain companies prefer you use one or the other so it gels with their workflow, so the more you know and the more you own, the more hirable you are!

Define Your Style

Consider the different types of video editing that appeal to you:

• YouTube

• Social Media Advertising

• Weddings

• Music Videos

• Commercials

• Local News

• Sports

• Feature Films

• Short Films

• Documentaries

• The list goes on and on!!!

While it’s important to be adaptable and to be able to edit anything, consider what would make you happiest to edit! I recently realized how much I love editing wedding videos! I also love editing for YouTube and, in general, shorter form content.

What do you like to edit? You have a long career ahead of you. Strive to form a path for yourself and do what you like.

Understand Pigeon-holing

Once you figure out what you want, meaning what KIND of editing work you want to pursue, start taking small steps toward achieving this goal. If you want to get into wedding editing, people are not going to trust you automatically if you’ve only edited for YouTube and vice versa. 

Start Small, Develop Your Authority. 

The ONLY work that matters is the work you do outside of school. When you start off, consider a small job or two that you do for LITTLE money, like almost free. Nothing is too small in this crucial beginning of your career. My first Upwork job was for 10 dollars. Because of that job, I got a 5 star review and experience working for a total stranger. 

Speaking of Upwork, if you’re going to use a platform like Upwork or Freelancer or Fiverr, I say stick to one and conquer it. I don’t go NEAR Fiverr because I have no clout built there and I’d essentially have to start from zero. With Upwork, I know the flow better, and I have authority and ratings there. I would suggest trying to master one platform that you like. Either way, you’re competing with a lot of people so it’s better to focus your energy on one for now.