Why Animators Need Rhinoceros Hide

Animators need rhino hide

Why should animators be like a rhinoceros? Because rhinos have thick hides, and animators need thick hides too.

Applying for work in the animation industry requires persistence and the ability to shrug off the inevitable early failures that newly graduating animators will most likely experience.

The state of the industry
The animation industry is booming, and there are many opportunities, but searching for work can still be a dispiriting process, because the field is a very competitive one. Once upon a time you'd get a rejection letter; nowadays the most common outcome is silence - just being (and feeling) ignored.

Why don't animation graduates get jobs?
It remains true that the single most common reason why animation graduates don't get jobs is a very simple one:  They don't apply for them.

Apply early and often

Durer's Rhino

Applying for jobs is a numbers game. You need to apply for lots of jobs and keep applying for them, even if you get rejected.  Don't take it personally, and remember you can always ask the company for feedback - why didn't you get the job? Most likely it's because your demo reel wasn't quite what they are looking for. So, ask them what they are looking for, and then start working on that to update your reel.

Don't be put off by rejection
If you get rejected, you shouldn't feel bad. Most likely there was a candidate out there more suited than you, but that doesn't mean that you and your body of work wasn't good. Persistence will pay off in the end, especially if you keep working on your reel and build up a solid body of skilled work. Sooner or later, an employer will give you your first break.

Ask for feedback
If you don't get a job, don't forget you can always ask for feedback. What didn't they like? Was your demo reel not up to scratch?

To see more about finding work in the animation industry, read this post.

For more on the experience of studying at Bucks New University, come and visit us at one of our Open Days, take a virtual tour of one of our animation studios, check out what our students think of our course, and see why we're ranked in the top 12 creative universities in the UK.