Re: How did you start out your editing career?

Roy mentions what may be the most important thing to help someone who is starting out....NETWORK!
Meet as many people in the industry as you can.
I went to a technical college (Art Institute) and the most important thing that happened, was that I met the person who eventually recommended me for my first job.

I started as a grip for a large corporate production house. After 7 years, I had experience in almost all aspects of video production. I knew that I didn't want to grip/gaff for my career (although many people make a great living doing that), so I looked around and decided that my best path to "the big bucks" was via editing. I made it known to the bosses that whenever a tape operator position came open, that I was very interested. I finally got promoted and started to learn about beta, D2 and 1" tape decks, switchers and many other pieces of equipment in the linear editing suites.
I spent a couple years doing that, then I made it known to the news department that whenever their editor went on vacation, I could fill in. He did, I did. They were happy, so was I, but I went back to my normal job. Then I did the same thing to the production manager, and finally the offline (IPS) editor went on vacation and I had my next important break. I tried to go above and beyond and must've done so, cause when this guy got promoted, so did I into his job.
Then I got lucky and the company fired 40 people (to save money), so I was promoted to nighttime editor in one of the big suites (linear editing).
After a few more years, I got a job at a post production house, where I learned the AVID. After 2 years there, I got a job in the promotions department at the ABC affiliate in Dallas. Where I got TONS of experience in film, marketing and promotion. Then 5 years later I took a risk and went to work for a startup that basically did infomercials, but they sent me to Final Cut Pro classes, and I haven't looked back since.
After another job at a smaller internet television network, I was a victim of numbers crunching and was let go along with 40% of the staff. I took another chance and started my own company with my wife (also in the industry, and we met at the first job I mentioned above). We now operate a production company, Digitized Media, Inc., from a converted room in our house, and we have been pretty successful. Last year our company invoiced almost $200K.

The moral of this tale is that it takes connections, perseverance, determination, A LOT of late nights, holidays & weekends lost, pride, skill, luck and a bit of craziness to have a long career in this business.
I've talked with several younger people wanting to get into it, and they seem to think it is easy and lucrative. It is quite the contrary. I could bore you with several horror stories of things I have had to endure over the past 20 years in this business.
Expect long hours, low-to-medium pay scale, lots of work, unrealistic deadlines, little credit, frustration, eye strain, carpal tunnel and encounters with some very nutty, crazy people.

Having said all that, there is nothing cooler than seeing your work broadcast on television, or some other delivery medium like dvd or satellite. I still get a kick seeing my name in the credits.