Your first copy editing job

Joe Grimm, recruiter at the Detroit Free Press, offers advice to a student on how to get a copy-editing internship:

Copy editors are in high demand at newspapers, but newspapers typically value experience above all other qualifications. We even want intern applicants to have some experience. The hands-on experience you crave will be critical to seeing whether you really like the work and to ultimately getting a job. As you are still in school, I suggest you start with a campus publication.

Once you have enough experience to decide that you love the work, many newspapers will rely on that and a copy editing test to see whether you're employable.

What will be on that copy-editing test? You'll have to edit stories -- answer questions on AP style, fix errors with spelling, grammar and punctuation, and write headlines and cutlines. You may also be quizzed on current events.

Here's a good place to get started.