📥8+ Excellent Resume Templates Download

Quitting a low-paid waiting job at a steakhouse and transitioning into video editing might seem daunting. But in just three months, I went from waiting tables to working consistently as a freelance video editor, landing clients like Netflix, Apple, and more. The best part? It didn’t require years of experience or a degree—I simply worked with the skills I already had, focused on growing quickly, and put myself out there.

If you’re a filmmaker tired of odd jobs or looking for a career shift, video editing could be your ticket to earning more while growing your craft.

Let me break it all down for you.

Realising Editing Could Be the Path

Like many filmmakers, I juggled countless random jobs—waiting tables, valet parking, dog walking—all while trying to fund short films. At the time, I directed and edited my own projects but never considered editing as a full-time career.

That changed when I was editing a web series I’d directed. While working with the producers, they said something that stuck: “You’re really good at this—you should be an editor.”

Until that moment, I thought my options were limited: be a director or stick to side jobs. Editing as a profession hadn’t crossed my mind. A quick look into editing salaries showed me how wrong I was. Why take job shifts for pennies when I could actually make real money using a skill I already had?

From that moment, my goal was clear—transition into video editing.

The Plan: From Novice Editor to Professional

I wasn’t naive going into this. I knew success wouldn’t happen overnight. My plan had three main stages:

1. Sharpen my editing skills: I had the basics down but lacked industry-level understanding.
2. Build connections: I’d reach out to anyone who could teach me about video editing or freelance work.
3. Get hired: Create a standout reel and résumé, apply for assistant editor gigs, and climb up.

I gave myself a year to achieve this. Surprisingly, it only took three months.

Honing the Craft: Learning Adobe Premiere

Though I’d been using Adobe Premiere for years, my approach was far from professional. I had no idea how much I was missing.

I chose to refine my skills using resources like lynda.com. These courses taught me fundamentals I’d skipped when learning on my own—everything from workflows to keyboard shortcuts.
I even made flashcards for Premiere hotkeys. In just a few days, I memorised them all. It sounds nerdy, but this saved me hours of work later. It’s a must if you want to improve your editing speed.

Beyond the technical side, I consumed everything I could—Reddit threads, tutorials, blog posts—all to understand the industry and how to market myself as a freelance editor.

Finding Work Through Online Communities

Networking doesn’t need to be fancy. For me, it started with a Facebook group called I Need an Editor. Browsing posts, I found someone looking for an assistant editor that started the next day.

I didn’t have much to show, but I sent them my directing/editing reel and threw out an arbitrary rate: $150/day. Within an hour, I was on a call. An hour later, I had my first paid gig lined up.

The First Assistant Editor Gig

I arrived at a co-working space in Hollywood the next day—unsure what to expect. The lead editor was a seasoned professional flown in from New York. My tasks were straightforward: syncing up footage, creating multi-cam sequences, and rough edits for him to refine.

While the work was basic, the week-long experience was priceless. Any chance I got, I picked his brain. I asked about résumés, reels, rates, and navigating freelance editing. His candid advice shaped the next steps of my journey.

One key takeaway? He barely glanced at my reel when hiring. He chose me because I had a mutual connection, my rate was low, and I was available. This taught me how much your network—and reasonable rates—matter in landing gigs early on.

Networking for Opportunities

After that first gig, I went back to waiting tables but with fresh motivation. Now I could call myself a professional assistant editor. The trick now was turning one gig into many.

One valuable referral came through meeting another freelance editor for coffee. I reached out, asked questions about his work, and he eventually passed me contact details for a client. This led me to a small production company in Los Angeles.

Rather than ask them for a job, I emailed with questions about what they look for in editors. Within days, I was asked to come in for a trial project at $250/day.

Becoming an Editor

That trial project felt like a huge leap. Suddenly, I wasn’t an assistant editor—I was an editor.

The job was a corporate video with endless interviews. At first, I felt overwhelmed, but I refused to fail. Over the weekend, I took all the raw footage and crafted a paper edit by hand, noting every quote and timecode. By Monday, I had a rough cut ready.

It wasn’t perfect, but the client liked it enough to rehire me. My efforts paid off, skipping the expected year of assistant editing.

Tackling New Challenges: The Ad Agency Gig

Not long after, something bigger came through. The lead editor from my first gig referred me to an LA ad agency. Walking into their office, I felt intimidated—it was trendy and fast-paced.

The rate? $400/day—a step up from the corporate client.

But I hit a snag on my first day. The team handed me a Mac and a Thunderbolt 2 hard drive, and I froze. After years of using PCs, I didn’t even recognise the port. Panicked, I silently sweated as the whole room waited for me to start.

Eventually, the director handed me the right adapter. Crisis averted. From that moment, I knew I’d have to familiarise myself with every piece of equipment in future gigs.

Building a Reputation Through Effort

At the end of the day, the agency needed someone to deliver gift baskets to clients after their courier cancelled. It wasn’t my job, but I offered to do it anyway. It wasn’t convenient—it was on the other side of town—but it paid off.

Going above and beyond left a great impression, and within weeks, they called with more work.

Steady Work and Quitting the Restaurant

With two consistent clients—one corporate and one agency—I was finally earning enough to quit my restaurant job. Though it took three months, it felt liberating to leave that world behind.

From there, I raised my rates quickly. The corporate work stabilised at $400/day, while the agency eventually paid as much as $750/day.

Freelancing isn’t perfect—there were slow months, and I got complacent early on by relying too heavily on my first clients. But learning to expand my network kept things steady in the long run.

Key Takeaways From My Journey

1. Use your existing skills: Don’t undervalue what you already know. Editing your own films or projects can translate into real job skills.
2. Keep learning: Online tools made brushing up on Premiere easy and effective. Perfecting the basics improved my confidence.
3. Network smartly: A message, coffee meeting, or Facebook group can lead to valuable clients. Relationships matter more than a flashy résumé.
4. Be persistent: You’ll make mistakes and feel out of your depth at times. Push through anyway.

Transitioning from waiter to freelance editor in just three months wasn’t magic—it came down to a few clear steps: learning the tools, networking, and applying for gigs. Sometimes the quickest way to transform your career is just to start.

If you’re ready to make a leap, take it from me—your dream career might be closer than you think.