Crafting a compelling CV can be particularly challenging for an animator, as it must encapsulate both your technical prowess and creative flair. Our guide provides targeted advice on how to weave your artistic achievements into a narrative that stands out to potential employers, ensuring your CV strikes the perfect balance between skill demonstration and storytelling.
- Applying the simplest CV design, so that recruiters can easily understand your expertise, skills, and professional background;
- Ensuring you stand out with your header, summary or objective statement, and a designated skills section;
- Creating your CV experience section - no matter how much expertise you have;
- Using real life professional CV examples to enhance the structure and outline of your profile.
If you still have no muse to write your professional CV, find some more industry-leading examples.
How complex should the format of your animator CV be?
Perhaps, you decided to use a fancy font and plenty of colours to ensure your animator CV stands out amongst the pile of other candidate profiles. Alas - this may confuse recruiters. By keeping your format simple and organising your information coherently, you'll ultimately make a better impression. What matters most is your experience, while your CV format should act as complementary thing by:- Presenting the information in a reverse chronological order with the most recent of your jobs first. This is done so that your career history stays organised and is aligned to the role;
- Making it easy for recruiters to get in touch with you by including your contact details in the CV header. Regarding the design of your CV header, include plenty of white space and icons to draw attention to your information. If you're applying for roles in the UK, don't include a photo, as this is considered a bad practice;
- Organising your most important CV sections with consistent colours, plenty of white space, and appropriate margins (2.54 cm). Remember that your CV design should always aim at legibility and to spotlight your key information;
- Writing no more than two pages of your relevant experience. For candidates who are just starting out in the field, we recommend to have an one-page CV.
One more thing about your CV format - you may be worried if your double column CV is Applicant Tracker System (ATS) complaint. In our recent study, we discovered that both single and double-column CVs are ATS-friendly . Most ATSes out there can also read all serif and sans serif fonts. We suggest you go with modern, yet simple, fonts (e.g. Rubik, Lato, Raleway) instead of the classic Times New Roman. You'll want your application to stand out, and many candidates still go for the classics. Finally, you'll have to export your CV. If you're wondering if you should select Doc or PDF, we always advise going with PDF. Your CV in PDF will stay intact and opens easily on every OS, including Mac OS.
PRO TIP
Use bold or italics sparingly to draw attention to key points, such as job titles, company names, or significant achievements. Overusing these formatting options can dilute their impact.
The top sections on a animator CV
- Showcase of animation portfolio to demonstrate creative ability and style.
- Detailed work experience section highlighting animation projects and roles.
- Education and training in animation to establish technical qualifications.
- Skills section that specifies software proficiency and artistic competencies.
- List of industry awards and recognition for peer validation of work quality.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Include a concise personal statement that highlights your animation style and experience, ensuring it aligns with the studio or project you are applying to.
- Demonstrate your proficiency in industry-standard software such as Maya, After Effects, or Cinema 4D, alongside any specialized tools or plugins you are adept in using.
- Embed links to your online portfolio or reel that showcase a variety of work, such as character animation, motion graphics, or visual effects, tailored to the role's requirements.
- List relevant projects and describe your specific role in each, focusing on successful outcomes like awards won or how your work improved the final product.
- Include any collaboration or team leadership experience, highlighting your ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team and your understanding of the production pipeline.
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Our checklist for the must-have information in your animator CV header
Right at the very top of your animator CV is where you'd find the header section or the space for your contact details, headline, and professional photo. Wondering how to present your the name of the city you live in and the country abbreviation as your address;
- are tailored to the role you're applying for by integrating key job skills and requirements;
- showcase what your unique value is, most often in the form of your most noteworthy accomplishment;
- select your relevant qualifications, skills, or current role to pass the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment. Still not sure how to write your CV headline? Our examples below showcase best practices on creating effective headlines:
Examples of good CV headlines for animator:
- Senior Animator | Feature Film & VFX Specialist | B.A. in Animation | 10+ Years' Experience
- Lead Character Animator | 3D Modelling & Rigging Expert | Certified Advanced Animator | 8 Years' Experience
- Junior Animator | Explainer Videos & Motion Graphics Enthusiast | Adobe Creative Suite Pro | 2 Years' Experience
- Animation Supervisor | Storyboarding & Concept Artistry | MA Animation | 7 Years Industry Leadership
- Mid-Level 3D Animator | Real-Time Rendering & AR/VR | Autodesk Certified | 5-Year Professional Portfolio
- Creative Animator | 2D Traditional & Digital Media | BSc in Computer Animation | 3+ Years' Craft Expertise
Your animator CV introduction: selecting between a summary and an objective
animator candidates often wonder how to start writing their resumes. More specifically, how exactly can they use their opening statements to build a connection with recruiters, showcase their relevant skills, and spotlight job alignment. A tricky situation, we know. When crafting you animator CV select between:
- A summary - to show an overview of your career so far, including your most significant achievements.
- An objective - to show a conscise overview of your career dreams and aspirations.
Find out more examples and ultimately, decide which type of opening statement will fit your profile in the next section of our guide:
CV summaries for a animator job:
- Seasoned Animator with over a decade of experience in creating captivating 3D characters for major animated features. Proficient in Maya, ZBrush, and Adobe Creative Suite, with a portfolio highlighted by work on Oscar-nominated films. Seeking to leverage skills and creative flair in a challenging environment to bring beloved characters to life.
- Dynamic 3D Animator with 8 years' experience, specialising in character modelling and rigging. Skilled in Motion Builder and After Effects, with a strong track record of contributing to high-grossing video games. Notable achievement includes winning the 'Best Visual Effects' award at a renowned international game developers' conference.
- Experienced Graphic Designer with 5 years in the advertising sector now transitioning to animation. Bringing comprehensive knowledge of Photoshop and Illustrator, along with a fresh perspective to traditional animation techniques. Eager to apply transferable design skills to create impactful and memorable animated narratives.
- Former Architect with an eye for precision and aesthetics, making the transition to the animation industry. Offers a unique approach to 3D animation, leveraging advanced knowledge of AutoCAD and a keen understanding of spatial dimensions, with a passion for storytelling and visual innovation.
- Eager to embark on an Animation career, bringing forth a vibrant imagination and a Certificate in Animation from XYZ University. Commited to learning rapidly, utilising a foundation in Adobe Creative Cloud tools, and contributing to creative projects that resonate with audiences.
- A recent graduate with a Bachelor’s in Multimedia Arts, I am passionate about starting an animation journey. Dedicated to mastering industry-standard software and techniques, aiming to contribute fresh ideas and energy to a team that values growth and creativity.
How to meet job requirements with your animator CV experience
We've now reached the essence of your actual CV - your experience section. This is the space where you can list your career roles and on-the-job successes. Many candidates tend to underestimate just how much time and effort they should put into writing this CV section. Your experience shouldn't be a random list of your responsibilities, but instead:
- Match the job description with your skills, values, and accomplishments;
- Start each bullet with a strong action verb, followed up with one key skill and your outcome of applying this skill;
- Spotlight parts of your career history that are relevant to the job you're applying for.
Before we move on, make sure to check out some professional CV experience sections.
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Developed and executed original character animations for a variety of platforms including television, video games, and virtual reality applications, enhancing the storytelling and user experience across multiple projects.
- Collaborated closely with art directors and game designers to create compelling animation according to narrative requirements, ensuring consistency in style and quality throughout the production pipeline.
- Utilised a wide range of animation software and techniques, including Maya, Blender, and Adobe After Effects, to produce high-quality 3D and 2D animations, adapting seamlessly to the demands of each project.
- Managed time effectively to meet tight production deadlines, consistently delivering animation sequences on schedule while maintaining a high standard of quality and attention to detail.
- Incorporated feedback from team leads and stakeholders into animation iterations, demonstrating a high level of receptiveness and the ability to refine work based on constructive criticism.
- Produced dynamic character rigs that allowed for a broad array of movements and expressions, facilitating the creation of versatile and emotionally resonant animations.
- Participated in reviews and critiques, providing insightful feedback on peers' work which contributed to the overall improvement of the animation team's output.
- Stayed abreast of the latest industry trends and technological advancements in animation, implementing innovative techniques that enhanced efficiency and visual impact.
- Mentored junior animators, sharing expertise and guidance on best practices, workflow optimisation, and artistic techniques to foster a collaborative and skilled animation team.
- Spearheaded the character animation pipeline for the company’s flagship mobile game, leading to a 50% reduction in turnaround time.
- Collaborated with a team of 10 artists to deliver over 300 unique character animations, improving player retention by 25%.
- Implemented rigorous testing protocols for animation consistency, which decreased bug reports by 40% and enhanced overall game performance.
- Authored a comprehensive 100-page guide on rigging best practices which became an internal studio resource, elevating the team's efficiency by 15%.
- Designed and animated unique creatures for a BAFTA-nominated fantasy series, resulting in an increase in critical acclaim and viewership.
- Pioneered the adoption of motion capture technology in the studio, contributing to a 20% cost reduction in the animation department.
- Orchestrated the delivery of 500+ animation assets for a top-rated console game, achieving a Metacritic score of 90+.
- Managed cross-department collaborations that enhanced narrative cohesion and interactive gameplay, spiking game sales by 30% in the first quarter.
- Fostered a creative environment leading to the team winning an industry award for best character animation at the TIGA Games Industry Awards.
- Directed a team of animators in creating a viral marketing campaign for an AAA title, amassing over 2 million views within the first week of release.
- Implemented a new skeletal animation system that increased realism in humanoid characters and boosted the title's review scores by 10 points.
- Mentored junior animators through a bespoke training program that increased department productivity by 20% within six months.
- Created over 200 assets for an educational game which saw a 75% engagement increase in participating schools.
- Pioneered a rapid prototyping method for animation artefacts that accelerated early stage development by 30%.
- Cultivated a partnership with the design team to enhance user experience metrics, influencing a 60% uplift in positive user reviews.
- Developing emotional and engaging storyboards for a new animated series, projected to hit 1 million viewers in its pilot season.
- Restructured the workflow using Adobe Animate CC, which reduced the overall production timeline by three weeks.
- Actively contributing to the studio’s diversity initiative, which has led to a 40% increase in culturally inclusive content.
- Pioneered a hybrid animation technique combining 2D and 3D elements, distinguishing our studio's aesthetic and winning two industry innovation awards.
- Led a 20-person team in the globally successful release of an animated feature film, securing a $200 million box office revenue.
- Optimized the production pipeline using Autodesk Maya scripts, saving over 800 man-hours per project cycle.
- Championed the creature animation in a critically acclaimed science fiction series, contributing to a triple increase in streaming service subscriptions.
- Facilitated weekly training workshops to constantly elevate the team’s skill set in advanced rigging and animation principles.
- Engaged in audience feedback analysis, enabling the team to refine animation sequences for better viewer reception and satisfaction.
Writing your CV without professional experience for your first job or when switching industries
There comes a day, when applying for a job, you happen to have no relevant experience, whatsoever. Yet, you're keen on putting your name in the hat. What should you do? Candidates who part-time experience , internships, and volunteer work.
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PRO TIP
If you have experience in diverse fields, highlight how this has broadened your perspective and skill set, making you a more versatile candidate.
Hard skills and soft skills to showcase your unique skill set on your animator CV
Did you know that your CV will mostly likely be assessed by recruiters based on skill alignment? And that means that the way you feature your key skills across different CV sections will play a crucial role in landing you that first interview. We recommend you add your:
- technical capabilities or hard skills in your CV experience, certificates, projects, etc. Use your past accomplishments to prove your technical capabilities. List up to a dozen different software or hardware in your dedicated skills section to match the job keywords;
- personal and communication skills or soft skills in your CV strengths, achievements, summary/ objective, etc. Soft skills are a bit more difficult to prove. How do you define your aptitude in active listening? So, instead of just listing the skill name, include a tangible metric to show your success.
On a final note, when you're in a hurry to create your profile, you may misspell a particular technology or soft skill. That's why we suggest you copy and paste the particular skill name (or keyword), directly from the job advert. This would also help you to pass any initial Applicant Tracker System (ATS) tests.
Top skills for your animator CV:
2D Animation
3D Modelling
Character Animation
Storyboarding
Texturing
Rigging
Motion Graphics
Visual Effects (VFX)
Graphic Design
Digital Painting
Creativity
Attention to Detail
Time Management
Adaptability
Communication
Teamwork
Problem-Solving
Critical Thinking
Patience
Continuous Learning
PRO TIP
If you have received professional endorsements or recommendations for certain skills, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, mention these to add credibility.
Listing your university education and certificates on your animator CV
The best proof of your technical capabilities would be your education and certifications sections. Your education should list all of your relevant university degrees, followed up by their start and completion dates. Make sure to also include the name of the university/-ies you graduated from. If you happen to have less professional experience (or you deem it would be impressive and relevant to your application), spotlight in the education section:
- that you were awarded a "First" degree;
- industry-specific coursework and projects;
- extracurricular clubs, societies, and activities.
When selecting your certificates, first ask yourself how applicable they'd be to the role. Ater your initial assessment, write the certificate and institution name. Don't miss out on including the completion date. In the below panel, we've curated relevant examples of industry-leading certificates.
PRO TIP
Order your skills based on the relevance to the role you're applying for, ensuring the most pertinent skills catch the employer's attention first.
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Key takeaways
Your successful job application depends on how you well you have aligned your animator CV to the job description and portrayed your best skills and traits. Make sure to:
- Select your CV format, so that it ensures your experience is easy to read and understand;
- Include your professional contact details and a link to your portfolio, so that recruiters can easily get in touch with you and preview your work;
- Write a CV summary if you happen to have more relevant professional experience. Meanwhile, use the objective to showcase your career dreams and ambitions;
- In your CV experience section bullets, back up your individual skills and responsibilities with tangible achievements;
- Have a healthy balance between hard and soft skills to answer the job requirements and hint at your unique professional value.
