Just as you compose a timeline full of all the best shots, sound effects and transitions to convey emotion and style, your video editor cover letter will need to use the strongest bits of your experience to explain why you’re the right candidate for the job.
As a video editor, you’re used to letting the work speak for itself, but now is not the time to be modest. While your resume can convey your previous jobs and skills, your cover letter gives you a chance to speak directly to the hiring manager and convince them of your expertise. Luckily, you’re not alone in this endeavor. With 180+ cover letter examples and writing guides, Resume.io is a career resource for job seekers in all fields and stages of their careers.
Here’s what we’ll cover in this guide and the corresponding video editor cover letter example:
Now is a great time to finish your cover letter! The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the demand for film and video editors to grow by a staggering 29 percent over the coming decade. That’s much faster than the average for most professions.
Just as a great edit contains a clear beginning, middle and end to guide the viewer, your cover letter format should lead the hiring manager through your experience in a concise and interesting manner.
Here are the essential elements your cover letter format should contain:
Your cover letter must be effective in a relatively short amount of space. Most hiring managers agree that the ideal length for a cover letter is around 300 words. That means you only have a few paragraphs to highlight your key strengths as they relate to the video editor role. You’ll find more tips and specific formatting advice in our comprehensive cover letter guide.
Make sure to customize your cover letter for each position you apply to. While your core skills may remain the same, you may want to emphasize different experiences depending on the style or business operations of the client. For example, your cover letter for a video editor job at a lifestyle magazine may focus on your wedding and commercial edits, while a production company might be more interested in a cover letter focusing on your film and television work.
Below you’ll find our adaptable video editor cover letter example which can serve as a jumping off point for your own:
Dear Ms. Pearslake,
Editing viral memes and videos for some of the largest social media influencers in the world has taught me much about how an audience processes visual content. If the visuals are off, the message is lost – 250+ videos over the past two years have reached 85 million impressions.
The start of my career at Hammer Studios taught me the fundamentals of video production – skills which I still implement today in every piece of social content. I source material from the best third-party creators, blending in music and voice talents and use cutting edge graphics software to create a seamless and professional story. My industry-acclaimed showreel hopefully speaks for itself.
As an early adopter of Illustrator, After Effects, Photoshop and Premier, I have polished my pre- and post-production skills alongside the developments in the software. My musical background (I play violin in an orchestra) helps me to find the perfect beat for the music and dialogue, while my love of theater has taught me the art of dramatic timing.
For a video to leave an impression it needs to take the viewer on a journey. My work has been recognized at 25+ industry ceremonies and my average client retention at my former agency was 3.5 years. Many of them may seek to come with me to my next employer.
I am excited by the breadth of your industry reach and know a good many of your team already. Video editing requires close cooperation with a wide range of creatives – I understand how to find a consensus when differing opinions clash.
Sincerely,
Jannik Green
The header plays two important roles for your cover letter. The first is to capture your essential contact information in one easy-to-find place so that the hiring manager can easily contact you to set up an interview. Make sure to include your full name, email address and phone number. You may include a city or other location depending on if the job requires your presence in-person.
The second role of the cover letter is to create an attractive format that catches the hiring manager’s attention and helps you stand out in their mind. Since the cover letter header is located at the very top of the page, it’s a great place to add a touch of color or another design flourish to help you create a “personal brand” for your application. Check out our adaptable cover letter sample for an idea on how to create your own header.
The greeting of your cover letter is the way you address the person who will be reading it. The greeting has a big impact when it comes to setting the tone for your application and correctly capturing the company culture of your prospective employer. “Dear” is generally the most formal and safest option but some companies call for more casual greetings like “Hello” or even “Hey”.
Whenever possible, strive to use the name of the hiring manager or the supervisor who will be reading your application. If this is not possible, a general greeting like “Dear (Company Name) Hiring Manager” or “Dear (Company Name) Video Team” can also work well.
Dear Ms. Pearslake,
The introduction of your cover letter is arguably the most important sentence on the page. That’s because a hiring manager may choose to stop reading if not hooked by the first few words. Luckily, as a video editor, you know just how important an energetic opening is when it comes to keeping the audience’s attention throughout the video. Applying those same techniques to the introduction by starting with your best material: offer a short anecdote that conveys your strongest skills or an achievement that captures just how efficient you are. There are many ways to write a great introduction, so don’t be afraid to get creative and customize it for the employer. Get more inspiration from our adaptable cover letter sample.
Editing viral memes and videos for some of the largest social media influencers in the world has taught me much about how an audience processes visual content. If the visuals are off, the message is lost – 250+ videos over the past two years have reached 85 million impressions.
Now that you’ve captured the hiring manager’s attention, the middle part of the cover letter, or body, gives you the space to communicate your biggest selling points. One way to do this is by using the CAR method. First, describe a Challenge you faced – perhaps a project with many moving parts or an impossible deadline – then, explain your Action and the positive Result it brought about.
Should a video editor focus more on hard or soft skills in their cover letter?
Both hard and soft skills are crucial for video editors. You need the soft skills to understand from your clients how the final video should land and the hard skills to then make it happen. It is the interpersonal soft skills that set the best video editors apart from the rest.
Again, make sure to swap out these anecdotes based on the employer’s business model and choose examples that highlight key skills needed for the role based on the job description. While technical skills are the basis of video editing, don’t miss the opportunity to discuss a few personality traits that make you the right fit for the particular company. You can also use your cover letter to discuss your creative motivation or connection to the employer – key pieces of information that often don’t fit onto resumes. Check out the middle section of our adaptable cover letter example below.
The start of my career at Hammer Studios taught me the fundamentals of video production – skills which I still implement today in every piece of social content. I source material from the best third-party creators, blending in music and voice talents and use cutting edge graphics software to create a seamless and professional story. My industry-acclaimed showreel hopefully speaks for itself.
As an early adopter of Illustrator, After Effects, Photoshop and Premier, I have polished my pre- and post-production skills alongside the developments in the software. My musical background (I play violin in an orchestra) helps me to find the perfect beat for the music and dialogue, while my love of theater has taught me the art of dramatic timing.
For a video to leave an impression it needs to take the viewer on a journey. My work has been recognized at 25+ industry ceremonies and my average client retention at my former agency was 3.5 years. Many of them may seek to come with me to my next employer.
Just as a great edit comes to a satisfying close – and maybe even signals an action on the part of the viewer – your cover letter should wrap up on a positive note that leaves the employer ready to schedule an interview.
The best way to do this is by including a call to action. This sentence expresses your enthusiasm for the position and invites the hiring manager to contact you. Make sure to remain optimistic without coming across as demanding or arrogant. Then, sign off in a way that matches the tone of the rest of the cover letter. “Sincerely” and “Best regards” are the safest options. See the closing of our adaptable video editor cover letter sample below.
I am excited by the breadth of your industry reach and know a good many of your team already. Video editing requires close cooperation with a wide range of creatives – I understand how to find a consensus when differing opinions clash.
Sincerely,
Jannik Green
One of the greatest things about video editing is that it allows you to learn on the job and teach yourself new tricks as you go. However, that also means that you may find yourself applying to video editor roles with no formal work experience to show. If that’s the case, a great cover letter is your secret weapon.
Even though you may not have worked in a formal video editing role before, your cover letter gives you the chance to talk about what motivated you to get started as an editor, your creative inspiration, and your outlook on each project. Your cover letter is also the place to explain what benefit you can bring to your prospective employer, even if it’s a fresh perspective.
Focus on pieces from your portfolio that showcase your top editing skills and discuss your reasoning behind those choices. Explain how your employment would help bring about the employer’s goals, whether by increasing views on social media accounts or by enhancing product sales. Remember, you should never lie about your experience, but there’s no harm in showing that you are confident in your abilities.
By avoiding simple errors, you can place yourself far ahead of less prepared candidates and highlight your organization and attention to detail – essential qualities for a great video editor.
Here are a few issues to watch out for:
For more writing and formatting ideas, check out our related cover letter examples: