Top 12 Video Journalist Skills to Put on Your Resume

In the dynamic field of video journalism, standing out to potential employers requires a well-crafted resume that highlights your unique skill set. This article outlines the top 12 skills that video journalists should emphasize on their resumes to showcase their expertise and adaptability in a fast-evolving media landscape.

Video Journalist Skills

1. Final Cut Pro
2. Adobe Premiere
3. After Effects
4. DaVinci Resolve
5. Avid Media Composer
6. Lightroom
7. Photoshop
8. Audacity
9. Pro Tools
10. DSLR Mastery
11. Drone Operation
12. Social Media Analytics

1. Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro is a professional non-linear video editing software developed by Apple, built for fast, high-quality editing with tools like multicam editing, HDR support, powerful color correction, and 360-degree workflows.

Why It's Important

For a video journalist, Final Cut Pro delivers speed and stability under deadline pressure, plus deep toolsets for polishing stories without bouncing between apps.

How to Improve Final Cut Pro Skills

To sharpen your Final Cut Pro chops as a video journalist:

1. Customize the workspace: Build a layout that mirrors your day-to-day tasks (logs, trims, grades). Window > Workspaces > Customize.

2. Learn the shortcuts: Map and memorize keys for trims, skims, markers, ranges, and exports. Seconds saved stack up.

3. Use proxy/optimized media: Transcode heavy footage to proxies for smooth editing on the go. File > Transcode Media > Create Proxy Media.

4. Compound and multicam clips: Wrangle complexity. Group layers into compound clips and cut interviews with multicam for quick angle swaps.

5. Color tools: Lean on Color Wheels/Curves for fast, consistent corrections. Save presets to keep your looks unified across packages.

6. Plug-ins and titles: Expand capabilities with trusted effect packs and motion templates; keep a lean, reliable set you know cold.

7. Update routinely: Install updates via the App Store to gain speed bumps, fixes, and new features.

Dial in these habits and your edits get faster, cleaner, more compelling.

How to Display Final Cut Pro Skills on Your Resume

2. Adobe Premiere

Adobe Premiere Pro is a widely used editor for cutting, refining, and delivering news packages and feature stories with broad format support and tight integration with other Adobe apps.

Why It's Important

It’s a newsroom workhorse. Flexible, fast, and battle-tested for quick turnarounds and complex timelines alike.

How to Improve Adobe Premiere Skills

Level up Premiere with focused practice:

1. Keyboard mastery: Customize keys and practice JKL, trims, ripple edits, and markers until they’re instinctive.

2. Lumetri basics: Nail white balance, exposure, contrast, and simple secondary corrections; save looks for consistency.

3. Audio polish: Clean dialogue with dynamics, EQ, and noise reduction. Loudness-normalize for platforms.

4. Smart project structure: Use bins, labels, and consistent sequence presets for different deliverables.

5. Dynamic Link when needed: Send graphics to After Effects without rendering; keep comps organized and named clearly.

6. Stay current: Keep Premiere updated via Creative Cloud to access stability and performance improvements.

Focus on speed, structure, and sound. The trifecta of clean delivery.

How to Display Adobe Premiere Skills on Your Resume

3. After Effects

After Effects powers motion graphics, lower thirds, maps, data visuals, and compositing—those details that help viewers grasp the story faster.

Why It's Important

It turns information into motion. Clear, branded, and memorable visuals that carry context without extra words.

How to Improve After Effects Skills

Build practical newsroom-ready AE skills:

1. Keyframes first: Easing, motion paths, and timing are your foundation. Smooth beats flashy.

2. Expressions-lite: Learn simple expressions to automate repetitive moves (wiggle, time, value links).

3. Precomps for sanity: Group complex layers. Name clearly. Keep projects tidy.

4. 2.5D/3D essentials: Use cameras, lights, and parallax sparingly to add depth without slowing renders.

5. Templates: Build reusable lower thirds, supers, and explainer packs aligned with your outlet’s style.

6. Practice sprints: Recreate a graphic you admire each week. Speed comes from repetition.

Strong motion design doesn’t scream—it guides the eye.

How to Display After Effects Skills on Your Resume

4. DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve is an all-in-one suite for editing, color, audio (Fairlight), and VFX (Fusion), ideal for end-to-end workflows without app switching.

Why It's Important

It delivers elite color tools, solid editing, and broadcast-ready audio in a single timeline—cost-effective and efficient.

How to Improve DaVinci Resolve Skills

Make Resolve sing with a few targeted moves:

1. Tune performance: Set GPU, cache, and playback quality for your hardware. Use render cache and proxies when footage gets heavy.

2. Optimized media: Generate optimized or proxy media for buttery playback on tight laptops or travel rigs.

3. Shortcut fluency: Map edits, trims, node ops, and Fairlight actions to keys you’ll actually use.

4. Color workflow: Go primary corrections first, then secondaries. Use nodes methodically—label them.

5. Fusion basics: Titles, simple comps, and track-overs benefit from Fusion’s node logic. Keep graphs clean.

6. Fairlight polish: Dialogue cleanup, EQ, compression, and loudness targets—build a quick audio chain you trust.

7. Smart deliveries: Save export presets for YouTube, broadcast, and social cuts to avoid guessing under deadline.

8. Update and learn: Install new versions when stable for your setup; review new features and fold in what helps your workflow.

One timeline, fewer roadblocks, better consistency.

How to Display DaVinci Resolve Skills on Your Resume

5. Avid Media Composer

Avid Media Composer is a pro-grade editor trusted in newsrooms and post houses, built for media management, reliability, and collaborative workflows.

Why It's Important

When projects get big and deadlines get brutal, Avid’s organization and stability keep you moving.

How to Improve Avid Media Composer Skills

Get faster, steadier, and more organized:

1. Shortcuts and settings: Customize keyboards, bins, and timeline views. Small setup, big payoff.

2. Reusable templates: Project, bin, and sequence templates for recurring segments save minutes every time.

3. Media hygiene: Master ingest, relink, transcode, and backup routines. Label everything. Avoid red offline surprises.

4. Stay current: Update when your facility approves or when solo, after testing on a copy of a project.

5. Community learning: Tap user groups, forums, and official tutorials for multicam, audio mixing, and color basics.

6. System checks: Match hardware to Avid’s specs and keep drivers/OS versions compatible.

Good habits with bins and media are half the battle.

How to Display Avid Media Composer Skills on Your Resume

6. Lightroom

Lightroom (Classic and cloud) is built for organizing and enhancing stills—portraits, cutaways, and thumbnails that support your video stories.

Why It's Important

Clean, consistent stills elevate packages, social promos, and thumbnails, improving click-through and clarity.

How to Improve Lightroom Skills

Keep it simple and consistent:

1. Library discipline: Use folders, collections, and smart collections. Consistent naming. Flags and stars for selects.

2. Presets and profiles: Create house looks for quick, consistent grades across shoots.

3. Targeted adjustments: Brush, gradient, and color range tools for fast, precise fixes.

4. Batch efficiency: Sync settings across similar shots; tweak only what changes.

5. Performance tweaks: Build previews, use GPU, and cull on smaller previews for speed.

6. Round-trips: Send finished stills to Premiere/Resolve; maintain a clear export preset for thumbnails.

A tidy catalog plus repeatable looks equals speed.

How to Display Lightroom Skills on Your Resume

7. Photoshop

Photoshop handles detailed image work: composites, retouching, graphic elements, and platform-specific thumbnails.

Why It's Important

It sharpens the visuals that carry a story’s first impression and keeps branding consistent across platforms.

How to Improve Photoshop Skills

Focus on newsroom-relevant techniques:

1. Layer discipline: Name layers, group them, use adjustment layers and masks for non-destructive edits.

2. Color and tone: Curves, levels, selective color, and gradient maps for quick, controllable results.

3. Cutouts fast: Master Select Subject, Refine Edge, and pen tool for clean composites.

4. Smart objects: Keep elements editable when resizing or reusing across graphics.

5. Keyboard speed: Shortcuts for brushes, selections, zoom/pan, and transforms save real time.

6. Templates: Build thumbnail and lower-third templates sized for every platform you publish on.

Less time hunting tools, more time shaping the image.

How to Display Photoshop Skills on Your Resume

8. Audacity

Audacity is a free, open-source audio editor for recording, cleaning, and exporting narration, nat sound, and interviews.

Why It's Important

Clear sound sells the story. Audacity offers capable tools without a price tag—perfect for quick fixes and field machines.

How to Improve Audacity Skills

Polish your dialog and stay fast:

1. Shortcuts: Map keys for cut, silence, amplify, and export. Speed matters.

2. Noise reduction: Sample room tone, then apply reduction conservatively to avoid artifacts.

3. Compression and EQ: Even out dynamics, add presence, tame mud. Build a repeatable chain.

4. Click/pop cleanup: Use repair and de-click tools lightly for natural results.

5. Plug-ins: Add vetted plug-ins for de-noise, de-ess, and leveling when needed.

6. Consistent levels: Target platform loudness standards so your mix sits right next to others.

Audio that’s clean, steady, and unobtrusive lets the story breathe.

How to Display Audacity Skills on Your Resume

9. Pro Tools

Pro Tools is a flagship digital audio workstation for precise editing, mixing, and post—built for reliability and detailed control.

Why It's Important

When your piece hinges on layered sound—VO, interviews, nat sound, music—Pro Tools gives you surgical accuracy and smooth sync.

How to Improve Pro Tools Skills

Get broadcast-ready results faster:

1. Voice chain: Create a reusable track preset (high-pass, EQ, compression, de-ess, limiter) tailored to your mic and talent.

2. Session templates: Preload busses, markers, and routing for interviews, features, and quick-turn packages.

3. Avid Video Engine: Cut against reference video inside Pro Tools for seamless sync checks.

4. Clip gain and fades: Tame levels before plugins; keep edits invisible with micro-fades.

5. Collaboration: Use cloud collaboration or clear handoff protocols for teams working across time zones.

6. Training rhythm: Regularly study new features and mixing techniques through reputable training libraries and communities.

Tight sessions, tidy routing, and a dependable chain—professional sound, every time.

How to Display Pro Tools Skills on Your Resume

10. DSLR Mastery

DSLR Mastery for a video journalist means full command of camera operation—exposure, focus, frame rates, lenses, audio capture, and on-the-fly problem solving. Mirrorless bodies fit here too; the principles match.

Why It's Important

Manual control wins in unpredictable conditions: low light, fast movement, tight spaces. Better images, clearer stories.

How to Improve DSLR Mastery Skills

Sharpen technique and instincts:

1. Know your kit: Muscle-memory for ISO, shutter, aperture, WB, zebras, histograms, peaking, and audio levels.

2. Composition and intent: Rule of thirds, leading lines, headroom, background awareness—compose for edits you know you’ll make.

3. Manual focus practice: Rack focus cleanly, pre-mark distances, and plan focus pulls in interviews.

4. Audio discipline: External mics, clean gain staging, monitoring on headphones, backup recorders when possible.

5. Light wrangling: Work with natural light first; carry small LEDs, diffusion, and bounce for fast fixes.

6. Post pipeline: Shoot consistent profiles (log/flat when appropriate), then grade with a simple, repeatable LUT/workflow.

7. Reps and reviews: Film short scenarios weekly. Analyze mistakes. Iterate fast.

Consistency under pressure—that’s mastery.

How to Display DSLR Mastery Skills on Your Resume

11. Drone Operation

Drone operation means piloting UAVs safely and legally to capture aerials that add scale, context, and impact to stories.

Why It's Important

It opens vantage points you can’t reach on foot and turns simple scenes into sweeping narratives.

How to Improve Drone Operation Skills

Fly smarter and film cleaner:

1. Certification and rules: Get certified where required (e.g., FAA Part 107 in the U.S.) and know airspace limits and local restrictions.

2. Pre-flight planning: Check weather, NOTAMs, and airspace in trusted apps (B4UFLY, Aloft, OpenSky, UAV Forecast). Create shot lists.

3. Practice patterns: Hone smooth orbits, reveals, push-ins, and parallax moves. Fly into the wind for steadier shots.

4. Camera control: Lock shutter/ISO, set appropriate frame rates, and use ND filters for proper motion blur.

5. Safety and etiquette: Maintain VLOS, respect privacy, and carry spare batteries, props, and a landing pad.

Responsible flights produce footage editors love and authorities accept.

How to Display Drone Operation Skills on Your Resume

12. Social Media Analytics

Social Media Analytics means reading platform data to understand what content resonates, when audiences watch, and how they engage—then adapting quickly.

Why It's Important

It turns gut instinct into informed strategy. Better timing, sharper thumbnails, tighter cuts, stronger retention.

How to Improve Social Media Analytics Skills

Make your data work for you:

1. Set concrete goals: Decide on targets—retention, shares, watch time, follows—and track against them.

2. Use native dashboards: Study YouTube Analytics, Instagram Insights, Facebook/Meta Insights, TikTok Analytics, and X Analytics for platform-specific signals.

3. Audience intel: Identify peak times, top geos, and viewer behavior. Publish to meet your audience where they are.

4. Test systematically: A/B thumbnails, hooks, captions, and lengths. Keep a simple log of what wins.

5. Content mix: Track performance by type (explainer, interview, quick update, live). Double down on formats with strong retention.

6. Iterate often: Algorithms shift. Review weekly, adjust monthly, and refresh quarterly benchmarks.

Small data-driven tweaks compound into big audience gains.

How to Display Social Media Analytics Skills on Your Resume