You’ve been dreaming about becoming an animator since you were a kid. You watched cartoons, loved them, and then decided to become an animator yourself. You knew it would be challenging, but nothing you couldn’t handle.
So why aren’t you out there doing it? There are so many reasons why people don’t go after their dreams from fear of failure to being too busy with other things but the truth is that most people don’t even try because they don’t know how to get started.
Well guess what? I’m here to tell you that it’s never too late or early to start looking for your dream job! Here’s how:
Just Start. Now Is The Best Time
There is no better time than now to start. Never in history has it been easier to learn animation, and never before has the demand for animators been higher.
There are many ways you can get started on your journey, but each one is dependent on how much time you have to devote and what resources you have access to.
If you’re looking for a structured program that will give you all the tools needed to become an animator from scratch, check out [Animation Mentor](http://animationmentor.com/index).
This online course is designed by professional animators who understand what it takes to succeed as one and they’ll teach it directly through their platform.
If an online course isn’t right for your busy schedule or learning style (and if so, why not?), there are plenty of other options available:
Start With Your Own Business
Take some time and think about what you want to do in the future. Do you want to go back to school and study animation?
Do you want to start your own company or freelance work? Are there any classes or workshops that would be helpful for your career? If so, check out our guide on how to get started as an animator!
Don’t try to do everything yourself. A lot of people think that if they work hard enough, they can make their dream job happen without any help from other people.
In the real world, this isn’t true you need a team around you who will support you when times get tough and help with things that are outside of your comfort zone (like marketing).
Know Yourself And What You Want
It is important to know yourself and what you want. If you do not know this, how can you achieve it?
Let’s start by knowing what job type best fits your personality. Do you like working in a team or alone? Do you like being creative or technical?
Is the idea of moving around a lot appealing or do you prefer staying in one place for a while? Are there certain tasks that make your palms sweat just thinking about them and if so which ones?
For example, I love being creative but hate traveling and I don’t mind working alone as long as there’s an Internet connection nearby (I’m joking). Now that we’ve got some answers out of the way let’s move onto knowing what we really are good at!
Find People To Tell You Are A Dreamer, And Then Prove Them Wrong
When it comes to finding your dream job, you need to be sure-footed and confident. Don’t worry about what the naysayers have to say (or how they try and put down your dreams).
Your family members, friends and peers may not understand what it means to be an animator or how you can make a living at it. And that’s okay! Just remember: if you believe in yourself, then everything else will fall into place.
If someone ever tells you that being an animator isn’t possible for them because of their skill level or lack thereof, tell them that there’s no such thing as too good for this field it might sound cliché but it works!
Believe in yourself more than anyone else does; if someone tells you otherwise then let them know where they can stick their negativity because there are so many opportunities out there for people who are willing to work hard enough.
See The Bigger Picture And Set Goals
See the bigger picture. When you’re a student, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks of schoolwork and extracurriculars. But it’s important to see yourself as an animator in the future and plan accordingly.
You should be thinking about what kind of job you want, what skills you need, who will hire you, etc., all while keeping your eye on the long term goal of becoming an animator.
Set goals for each stage of your career path: short term, long term and medium term. Short-term goals include things like getting into your first animation job or improving certain skills like drawing and design;
Long-term goals are usually more career-oriented; and the medium term refers to those things that are more immediate than one year out but less than 10 years out (e.g., getting married within five years).
Make No Excuses
You can’t make excuses for not doing the work. You have to be proactive and make things happen. If something isn’t going your way, don’t blame other people or circumstances for standing in your way.
Just keep moving forward. Don’t wait for someone else to do it for you: take action! If something is holding you back from getting what you want, then overcome that obstacle by picking up another job or taking on more responsibilities at work.
So that you have time during the day between those tasks to animate during your lunch break or before work starts in the morning (or after work ends).
Never give up the more effort and determination you put into chasing down this dream job as animator, the better it will be when it finally comes true!
Don’t Let Failure Stop You
Failure is a part of life, and it’s important to learn from each failure. Don’t let a bad outcome keep you down; instead, use your failures as opportunities to try again and do better next time.
For example: Let’s say you’re struggling with an animation assignment because there are too many things going on in one shot (or “frame”).
The solution might be simpler than you think maybe just add more frames or move some characters around so they aren’t so jammed up together!
Build Your Portfolio (The Right Way)
Building a portfolio is essential to landing a job as an animator. It’s the only way you can demonstrate your skills and show that you have what it takes to be hired by companies and employers.
When creating your portfolio, it’s important to think about what kind of job you want. If you want a career in animation, then every piece should showcase your ability as an animator.
If you want to work on film sets or as an independent contractor, include examples of both traditional animation and motion graphics work in your portfolio.
If this is the first time building a professional-looking portfolio, try looking at other artists’ portfolios for inspiration but don’t copy them! In fact, we suggest making sure that every single piece in your own portfolio has been made just for this purpose (and nothing else).
Build Your Brand So Others Can Find You
Define your brand. The first step to getting your dream job is to define who you are and what you do.
Branding can be a murky topic, but the basics are simple: you want to make sure people know who you are, what services you offer and how they can contact you if they want that service from you.
Create a website/portfolio/blog. A website is an excellent way to showcase your digital portfolio or blog about topics related to animation.
It’s also an easy way for potential employers (or clients) to find out more about your work without having to sift through social media channels where there could be hundreds of other animators posting their work too!
Build relationships with other artists by helping them out with advice or feedback on their own portfolios or websites in exchange for them helping out with yours!
You may not get paid for this but it will help build up word-of-mouth recommendations which can lead directly toward landing jobs.
Especially when paired with building up an impressive resume filled out with professional experience in various aspects of animation like editing, character design etcetera…
Treat Everyone You Know As A Potential Client (Or Somebody Who Knows One)
Treat everyone you know as a potential client (or somebody who knows one). If you’re just starting out and need to build your client base, this is the most effective way to do so.
Here’s how:
If someone mentions they want to work with an animator, offer yourself up immediately. “Hey [name], I saw that you wanted an animator for your new project. I could help out! Let me know if interested!”
Share links and resources with people who might be interested in hiring an animator (i.e., people in similar fields). For example: “Hey [name], check out this website where tons of studios are listed by location.”
Or share a link where they can find more information about what it’s like working as an animator such as this article from Animation World Network about the industry today: https://www/awn/article/animation-today
Tell Stories That Will Make Heads Turn
Tell your story in a way that is interesting.
You need to tell the story of your work, not the story of yourself. You want people to know about your talents and abilities, but you don’t need to be too self-conscious about it.
When you are pitching an animation project or advertising campaign, don’t start by describing yourself or going into detail about who you are or where you come from (unless these things are directly relevant). Instead focus on what makes this project special what’s unique about it?
What will make heads turn? Remember: if someone is interested in hiring you because they want something specific out of their next project, even if it’s just because they’ve never seen something like that before then that could be enough reason for them to hire someone like
Be Proud Of Your Work And Promote It Constantly
When you start to feel discouraged, remember that the people who are most successful at anything are the ones who believe in their abilities and promote them constantly. When you’re proud of your work and excited about it, it’s easy to show that passion to others.
Once you’ve been working in animation for a while and have made some connections with other animators, ask friends and family members if they’d be willing to share your work with their personal networks.
This way, even though you aren’t getting paid for freelance or contract work yet (which we’ll talk about next), at least there will be more eyes on what you create!
Be Open To New Opportunities And Places Where You Can Get Them
As an animator, you can find your dream job in any number of ways. The key is to be open to new opportunities and places where you can get them.
You may not think that talking to people at a grocery store or being a volunteer at your favorite city park will lead to a career change, but it could!
Don’t limit yourself by thinking there aren’t any jobs out there for people like you who are looking for a career change or just starting out in the animation industry. If you want something, don’t wait around for someone else to give it to you go out and make it happen for yourself!
It Is Never Too Late Or Early To Start Looking For Your Dream Job!
Even if you are not a seasoned animator, it is never too early or too late to start looking for your dream job. It is always good to get started on your career path as soon as possible. If you wait until all the things are perfect (money, skills), then there will never be a good time to start!
You also should not be afraid of trying new things in order to get closer to your dream career. Try different kinds of jobs and see what each one has that keeps drawing you back.
Maybe there’s something about teaching or writing that you find appealing even though animation isn’t exactly what comes naturally for you?
Conclusion
If you are interested in becoming an animator, there are many ways to get started. You can start by learning the basics of animation on your own and then build from there.
You can also take classes at local schools where they teach this type of work or even online courses that will give you some skills before coming into a studio. In many cases, these types of classes can help you land jobs at studios without ever having worked for them before!
