thescratchpost.com

Pamela Kleibrink Thompson is an recruiter/hiring strategist and career coach specializing as an animation recruiter and visual effects recruiter. She speaks regularly at schools and industry meetings. If you are interested in her professional services as a career coach, speaker or recruiter, contact her at PamRecruit (at) q.com.

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SPRING INTO ACTION!

It’s spring–nature’s time for birth, growth and renewal. Here are six tips to help you spring into action and strut your stuff.

Skills update

Sign up for classes, seminars, a conference or attend a user group meeting. Find internet discussion groups where you can post your work for feedback. Anyone working in the visual effects, computer graphics and animation industry knows that learning is an ongoing process. You can’t grow in your career unless you learn, so do your homework!

Purge

Remove old or outdated material from your portfolio or demo reel. Update your breakdown sheet which details what you did on each shot. Check to be sure that your name and contact information, including your email address, is on every piece that you would send to a possible employer. Freshen up your resume and have a friend proofread it. Highlight your accomplishments and list your skills. Be specific. Don’t say you know a variety of software. List the software you use whether it’s Maya, Lightwave, Photoshop, or Flame.

Reconnect

Renew your acquaintances and old friendships and update your address book. If you haven’t talked in a while, e-mail or send a note.

Innovate

Don’t be afraid to try something new. A class in acting, dance or sculpture might give you a fresh perspective. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright dropped out of engineering school after one year and was down to his last twenty cents when family connections helped get him a job as a tracer with an architectural firm in Illinois. Be open to suggestions and new paths to success may be just the corner.

Network

Don’t be shy about asking for help, but share information in return. Others might appreciate a tip about a great web site or a job opportunity or perhaps the name of a great chiropractor, masseuse or babysitter. Your colleagues and friends will do the same for you. Introduce yourself to new people at work, in a class, or in your neighborhood.

Get organized

Finding work takes effort, energy and organization. Keep track of your submissions and results. List where you have submitted, when, who the contact was and what the status of your submission is. When you follow up, make notes about your conversations or email correspondence.

Spring is a time for growth. Do something to grow your career every day.

YEAR LONG TIPS!

Maintain a sunny outlook

When you work on any project you will be on a team with others. Maintain a professional positive attitude. Success comes to those who love what they do. If there are problems at work or on the project, figure out ways to solve them rather than complain about the situation.

Don’t burn your bridges

It’s a small industry. Make sure that you follow through on promises. Don’t quit before your part in the project is complete. Deliver on time. Be early and be ready. Be reliable and professional. Don’t argue and belabor a point or opinion with a supervisor if the decision has been made.

Avoid burn out

Reconnect with the reasons and the feelings you love animation. Take a course, teach a class, mentor a newcomer or make your own film (it’s easier than ever with Flash and computers). Get in touch with those feelings and keep that love of animation alive. Pursuing a career in animation demands patience, persistence, determination and time. There are many easier ways to make a living, but if animation is your passion then pursue it every day. Maybe it’s time to learn a few new tricks. Improve your skills, master new software. The more versatile you are, the more employable you are. Keep up to date on the latest trends and new companies by reading the trades, taking classes, and networking. Keep skills up to date. Bring your sketch book to the ball game or the beach. There are many opportunities for figure drawing whether you go to the pool or the mall.

Generate heat

Make sure potential employers are aware of you. If you make a short film, enter it in festivals and competitions. Find opportunities for screenings and make sure potential employers get an invitation to view it. If you are a computer animator, make sure to enter your project in the Electronic Theatre at SIGGRAPH. (for more info see www.siggraph.org)

Create sizzling marketing materials

Customize your reel to the job and company you are applying to, if possible. Know what clients are looking for and customize your reel to what they want. Keep your portfolio up to date, and ready to show at any time. Update your demo reel (VHS cassette) and resume every six months and submit it to the employers you are interested in. If you are looking for work, be sure others know it.

Put top priorities on the front burner

Don’t put off your dreams. If you really want to work in animation, do it. Make a short film. Now it’s possible to post a film on the internet and have a world wide audience. Work on your dream every day and make it a priority.

Keep contacts warm

Networking is more than making connections. Networking is helping others to make connections too. Go to industry related events and speak to the speakers and to fellow audience members. You never know who might be sitting next to you. Get out and explore other interests as well to expand your knowledge as well as your contacts.

Work like the blazes

While you work on your job, work on your career as well. When thinking about what job to take, consider what you can learn as well as what you might earn. Recognize that you never stop learning and try to find jobs where you can grow as an animator.

Stay fired up

Reignite your passion. Share your love of animation with someone who can really appreciate it–a child. Speak about animation at local libraries, summer camps and schools. Talk to children about how to make cartoons. Summer is a great time to go the movies and the theatre has air conditioning. Treat a child to some animation this summer and support the industry at the same time.