Video Editor onboarding at a glance

Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.

Before day one

Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
Verify required credentials: Avid Certified User, Adobe Certified Professional in Premiere Pro (as applicable)
Prepare equipment and access: adobe Premiere Pro; avid Media Composer; daVinci Resolve; final Cut Pro
Assign a buddy or preceptor
Enroll the new hire in Video Editor training so foundations are covered before or during week one

Week one: orient and protect

Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
Use ergonomic setups and take breaks
Back up projects
Respect music and footage licensing
Protect client confidentiality
Shadow an experienced video editor through a full shift
Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)

Days 1–30: learn

Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.

Supervised practice: build a rough cut
Supervised practice: use j-cuts and l-cuts
Supervised practice: export a video for the web
Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins

Days 31–60: contribute

Goal: handle a regular workload independently.

Organize and log footage: independently
Select shots and assemble cuts: independently
Edit for story, pacing and rhythm: independently
Add music, sound effects and graphics: independently
Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
60-day check-in

Days 61–90: own

Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.

Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
Begin cross-training on a secondary task
Agree on a credential goal (for example, Avid Certified User)
Discuss the career path: Assistant Editor → Video Editor → Senior Editor
90-day review

Competency checklist

Skill or task	Trained	Observed	Signed off
Build a Rough Cut
Use J-Cuts and L-Cuts
Export a Video for the Web
Editing software
Storytelling and pacing
Audio editing
Color correction

How to measure onboarding success

Time to first independent project
Revision rounds per project
On-time delivery rate
90-day retention

How Video Editor training maps to this plan

Introduction to the Video Editor Role
A Day on the Job
Essential Video Editor Vocabulary
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Common Tasks, Step by Step
Tools, Equipment and Technology
Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
Skills Employers Look For
Launching Your Video Editor Career
Final Knowledge Check

Get team pricing

Video Editor Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)