How to get a job as an animator

So with that in mind, start building up a regular set of websites and social media destinations that you can check to find animation positions.

There are now a wide variety of social media that host jobs that might be of interest. On Facebook, for example, there's a group called 'animation studio jobs and freelance works.' Though many of these jobs seem to have unusually low pay recently, it is still worth keeping an eye on.

If you're applying for an animation role, or perhaps speculatively reaching out to a studio. Ensure you have a smart-looking showreel and portfolio of your best work. A showreel should only be between 45 and 85 seconds.

Any longer, and you can guarantee the viewer is likely to skip through, potentially missing your best work. Get someone to critique your showreel (i.e., post it on Reddit) and be willing to cut it down till it shows the level of your skills to the highest degree.

Gaining freelance experience is a great way to build your work portfolio and learn new skills. Consider pitching for low-paid freelance work on one of the many freelancer websites such as PeoplePerHour.

It can be cheap labor; however, with a few animated ident projects or something a little larger under your belt, you're already building up that valuable experience, and it's a great introduction to the world of paid animation work.

Once you have enough work experience, you can begin studio outreach via email, phone, or mail. Start approaching the companies you'd like to work for or who may at least be able to provide some of that much-needed industry experience.

Make a list of each animation studio, ad agency, video production company, graphic design house, or PR department you think might be able to offer you a brief or long-term junior animation or design role.

Next, send out a polite and concise email requesting a possible chance for a meeting to discuss any junior animation roles. Include a link to your animation website, showreel, or Behance page, and attach your perfect concise CV as a PDF file.

The biggest tip here is to be patient. You may need to email a thousand studios, speak to 100 animators and spend over two years improving your portfolio, showreel, and CV before you even start to get interviews for junior animation positions.