An associate editor is generally a mid-level position for someone who has some editorial experience, but not so much that they are qualified to be a senior editor, or even a managing editor. There are a number of different associate editor jobs, depending on the type of editorial work an individual wants to do. Some of the most common are associate editor jobs in book publishing or magazine publishing, where there will be a number of editors in different departments. In some cases, a newspaper might also hire associate editors; websites may offer some of these positions as well.
The specific tasks required in associate editor jobs can vary as well. Generally, this position requires a mixture of editing work, supervision of other employees or freelancers, and coordination of tasks. Most people enter these positions with editing skills, either from prior work as an entry-level copy editor, and/or with a college degree in a field such as English or journalism. As a result, it is typically expected that anyone applying for associate editor jobs already has editing experience, and knows what he or she is doing in relation to using various style guides and following the basic rules of editing.
Supervision and task management are the other two common aspects of many associate editor jobs. Often, an associate editor will need to work with or supervise other editors in the department, such as copy editors. He or she may also need to work with freelancers and writers, making sure they submit assignments on time, or act as a liaison between them and the senior editors in the company. Associate editors may also be responsible for making sure that larger projects stay on their timetable; for instance, staying on top of other people to make sure that things go to print on time, or that others have the information they need to complete their work.
Associate editor jobs can be very competitive, as are most writing and editing jobs, because there are so many qualified people who want to do this type of work. In general, it is most difficult to get into the larger book or magazine publishing houses without getting some sort of internship first. Some people find that starting small, and looking for associate editor jobs with smaller, local companies allows them to build up their experience, making them more qualified for jobs that open up at the larger publishers down the road.
