TLDR: What’s was the first step into the adventure you are now having.
I often hear that we are growing as an industry and there aren’t many of us. As a recent graduate from school, I’ve found my self in the proclaim limbo of “How to get that first job” It’s probably because I’m not sure how to present my self to most companies. I figured it’s the whole 1 chance to impress people, or is it? I haven’t applied to many studios. And being interested in both Animation and Visual Effects can be troublesome it seems. It’s that feeling of is my work good enough? Are they actually looking for that 5+ years of experience? Should i update my DemoReel before applying? Is being a Generalist actually wanted?
So i come to ask, If you was ever was in that limbo stage, how did you get out of it? What Social Media tools did you use to get recognized? Should I keep updated with Twitter,LinkedIN,FaceBook,Artstation,Instagram?..the list goes on. This is probably one of the most asked question from those who seeks answers.
I never ended up in that limbo so i can’t really help you there. However, maybe I can help answer some of the other questions. Where are you finding yourself stuck? Have you applied to a million companies, and nobody got back to you? Or is this more of a hypothetical question that you want answered before applying? For my first job, I moved to a different country. I think a lot of people are afraid to go where the jobs are and that could cause limboproblems.
Anyway, if a jobpost says they are looking for someone with 5+ years experience it usually means they want someone who can hit the ground running. It’s someone that you don’t have to explain the virtues of showing up on time to. Someone who, if told to handle an area, will talk to the right people and get the info needed without being spoonfed. It’s someone who likely has shipped a couple of games and knows all of the stages of the development process. If you were to hand this person a junior or an intern to tutor, it shouldn’t be a problem.
I’d say this is a hard position for someone fresh out of school to take on. But then again, it’s not supercommon for companies to be so specific. On the job board here there are currently five posts with no year requirement at all.
Your demoreel should be the best of your work. Is it? That answer should tell you if you should update it or not.
Generalist, as in 3d generalist? At smaller studios I guess that could be needed, but not if you are applying for a VFX position. A VFX artist is a specialist by nature. Obviously, a knowledge of animation and modeling and so on is required to do it well, but not to an extent where I’d say a generalist generally is
LinkedIn is a good one to update. It’s lousy with recruiters that can help you get your name to studios who are not openly looking for applicants. It’s also a good place for a summary of your experience. When reading about a potential hire, the LinkedIn is the page I’d check out along with a personal website.
