Animator Resume Example
Pursuing a career as an animator provides opportunities for career progression and responsibilities involving utilizing 3D software and creating detailed animations. To succeed in your applications for animator roles, you'll need a resume that reflects your relevant skills and experience. In this article, we'll discuss how to create an animator resume that catches the eye of employers, with tips and examples to help you write your own.
After reading this guide, you'll know what it takes to create a resume that really stands out from other animator applicants. You'll learn how to show employers you've got the relevant qualities, skills and experience for the job, all presented in a format that employers prefer to see. The article also includes tips for formatting your resume according to your experience and strengths. Read on to discover tips for a creative resume, as recommended by Jobseeker's careers experts.
Main sections of an animator resume
The key sections to include in an animator resume are similar to those for any role or profession.
If you're applying for an entry-level animator role and have limited relevant experience, consider using a skills-based, or functional resume format. The layout emphasizes your skills and education above your work experience. Furthermore, a junior resume is more likely to focus on soft and transferable skills, as well as relevant training, internships and volunteer roles.
If you're already working as an animator, concentrate on proving your credentials with your work achievements. Use a reverse-chronological resume format to place work experience prominently in your resume. By using this resume format you can focus on showing how your experience has helped you develop the required skills for the job. Review the job description to understand which key skills and experience to focus on.
Senior job applications require a slightly different approach to mid-level or junior animator roles. Use a reverse-chronological format focusing on your work experience, with a particular emphasis on the impact you've made. It's likely that your senior resume will be longer than a standard resume of one-to-two pages. This is because you'll be listing additional achievements beyond your work experience, such as awards, publications and professional memberships.
The order you present these sections can vary according to your career stage, but it's still essential to include each of the following:
Resume Header
Your animator resume header should contain your name and contact details. These include your email address and phone number. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can also add that, to give employers the chance to learn more about your skills and experience. It's not necessary to include a photo or any other personal information. Keep your header clear and concise, with only the most necessary information included. Opt for a stylish, professional design that creates a strong first impression.
Make sure your email address appears as professional as possible, and doesn't include anything like nicknames, inappropriate language or personal information. If it does, set up a new email account with an address based on your name or initials, and use that for your job applications. Always double-check your contact details are up-to-date before sending your resume.
Kyle Rogers
kyle.rogers@example.com
(111) 222 33 444 55
221B Baker Street, New York, NY
linkedin․com/in/kyle–rogers123
Resume Summary
Your resume personal profile is a short, concise paragraph to highlight two or three key skills and achievements in animator roles. You may also see this section named as 'resume summary' or 'resume objective'. Resume summaries tend to focus on your career experience, while resume objectives cover your ambitions and plans for the future. Always make sure your summary reflects the job description and highlights some of the key skills required for animator roles.
Alternatively, write a paragraph that concentrates on your career objectives and how this role fits with your wider ambitions and progression.
A great resume summary should highlight why you're an ideal candidate for animator roles by showing key skills and qualities that reflect the job description and provide evidence to support them. It should also introduce your personality and unique qualities to the reader, to help them start to form an opinion about you as a candidate. See below for some great examples of how to approach your animator resume.
Experienced Character Animator with a strong background in creating lifelike and expressive animations for film, television, and video games. Proficient in industry-standard software including Maya, Blender, and Adobe Creative Suite. Demonstrated ability to bring characters to life through detailed movement, timing, and storytelling. Proven track record of collaboration with directors, designers, and other team members to deliver high-quality animated sequences on time and within budget. Passionate about animation and continually seeking to improve skills and stay updated with the latest industry trends
Animator with experience in making animations for various media. Familiar with using popular software tools. Able to create character movements and work with others to finish projects. Interested in animation and learning about new trends
Alternatively, a poor resume summary would include bland, generic information that does little to prove your suitability for the role, while failing to provide any useful insights on you as a person or as a candidate. In the graphic above you can find some negative examples of how to write a resume summary.
Work Experience
Your resume work experience section is the chance to show your relevant previous jobs and career achievements as an animator. Include any relevant jobs you've held in reverse-chronological order. Start with your current or most recent roles and work back through previous roles. For each job, list your title, the name of the company, its location and the dates you worked there.
For each job listed in this section, add some bullet points so the employer can understand the skills you developed, and your achievements. Focus on showcasing the impact you made on the organization, and show evidence of how you made a difference.
The best resume work experience sections focus only on the most relevant previous jobs, and link each bullet point back to a skill or experience listed in the job description. It's also critical to provide evidence that shows the value you added to each role in a quantifiable way, such as project outcomes, key performance indicators or feedback from customers, colleagues or managers. See the examples below for some ideas of what a great resume work experience looks like.
Character Animator, January 2022 - Present
PixelPulse Studios, Toledo
- Successfully animated lead characters for an award-winning animated feature film, enhancing emotional depth and audience engagement
- Developed a proprietary animation rigging system that increased production efficiency by 30%, adopted studio-wide
- Mentored a team of junior animators, resulting in a 25% improvement in overall animation quality and project delivery time
Character Animator, January 2022 - Present
PixelPulse Studios, Toledo
- Worked on various animation projects, contributing to team efforts and enhancing overall project outcomes
- Assisted in developing animation tools and techniques to improve workflow and project efficiency
- Collaborated with team members to improve animation quality and meet project deadlines
In the graphic above you can see a great example of what to avoid when writing your resume work experience section. Ineffective work experience sections tend to focus too much on everyday responsibilities over skills and achievements. If you use vague descriptions of activities and fail to back up your achievements with evidence, you're likely to fail to make an impact on the reader.
Portfolio and Work Samples
Samples of your previous work as an animator can help to prove your track record to employers. If you have a personal website or portfolio, or other examples of your previous work online, add a link to it in this section.
Including a portfolio with evidence of your previous work is most effective for creative roles. You could add a link to a standalone website or portfolio in your resume header, or create a separate section with links to published work. Conversely, for non-creative careers, it's still worth adding examples of your best work to this section, if you have them available online.
Education
In your education section, include details of your most relevant animator qualifications and educational achievements.
An animator role tends to require candidates to have a university or college degree, so make sure you list yours in your resume. A Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation degree or similar is the most suitable for this job, but you could also include any other relevant qualifications that show your motion capture technology or rigging and skinning.
List your relevant qualifications in reverse-chronological order. Add the name and level of the award, the institution, its location (if this isn't obvious from the name) and your dates of study. You can also add some bullet points outlining any high grades, awards you won or specialist subjects you studied. Adding this information will show the employer your dedication to learning and your areas of specialist knowledge.
If you took part in any volunteering or you were a leader or member of any university societies, you could also mention these in your education section.
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation, 2017 - 2020
Duke University, Durham, NC
Skills
Adding a list of your key skills provides a quick reference for the reader of what you can bring to an animator role. Skills such as 3D modeling software or attention to detail are particularly useful for animator jobs. Once more, review the job description and pick out any key animator skills listed that match yours. Focus on these skills and any other key transferable skills that make you a strong candidate for the job.
How to list hard skills on your animator resume
Under hard skills, add any specialist skills you possess that are specifically required for animator jobs. These tend to be technical skills and industry knowledge essential to the position. Furthermore, these skills are essential for an animator resume as they showcase your expertise in the field. Aim to include four or five key hard skills. If you have space, explain how and where you've used that skill to create successful outcomes in your career. These skills will demonstrate your credentials and show how you meet the job description.
You'll make more impact with your resume hard skills list if you focus on technical skills that reflect your unique expertise and specialism, and that match the key requirements in the job description. See the graphic below for some tips on hard skills for an animator resume.
- 3D modeling software
- 2D animation software
- Motion capture technology
Listing soft skills on your animator resume
In your soft skills list, include any personal characteristics that make you a good fit for an animator job. Soft skills tend to be more universal than hard skills, but they're no less important. Indeed, transferable skills are growing in importance in the modern world of work, so make sure you include several of these in your resume. It's best to aim for four or five soft skills that match the job description and reflect your strongest personal qualities.
A good soft skills section would include skills that match the job description, and also reflect your key strengths and qualities. See the graphic below for an indication of what to include in a strong soft skills section for an animator resume.
- Attention to detail
- Problem-solving skills
- Time management skills
Jobseeker Tip:
Use your creative resume to tell a compelling story of your artistic journey, showcasing key milestones like exclusive commissions or award-winning exhibitions. (1) Enhance this narrative by linking to a portfolio that visually captures your growth and style. (2)
Certifications
Your certifications section is the place to mention any relevant professional animator certifications, licenses or qualifications. Add any official certifications or accreditations that increase your level of qualification and suitability for working as an animator. Therefore, make sure you list the dates of your certifications and licenses so employers can see they're up-to-date and valid.
Below you can find several examples of certifications for an animator resume:
- Adobe Certified Professional, 2022
- Autodesk Certified User, 2022
- Toon Boom Certification, 2022
Optional Sections
In addition to the core sections of an animator resume, there are several optional sections you could include to enhance your chances. Choose optional sections from the list below, if they help to showcase your relevant skills and experience.
Personal Hobbies and Interests
Including your hobbies and interests can be a valuable way of showing your key skills and qualities. Your hobbies and interests are useful for an animator resume if you want to show a different side to your personality, or to stand out among other candidates. They can also be valuable if you're a junior candidate without much relevant work experience. Think about adding hobbies and interests to your resume if they add some insight into your personality that you can't express elsewhere in your application.
Volunteering
Adding voluntary roles can be a useful way of showing relevant experience and skills for animator roles beyond your main employment history. List your volunteer job title, the organization you volunteered for, its location and the dates of your involvement, alongside a brief explanation of your responsibilities in the role.
References
Standard animator resumes don't tend to include references, but you might find them requested occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Add two or three professional references, and be sure to approach each referee before you include them.
References can be provided upon request.
Best words to use in an animator resume
Using strong action words to make your resume resonate with the employer. The suggested action verbs below will help the reader to understand your key qualities and the impact you made on the organization.
- Designed
- Created
- Illustrated
- Animated
- Developed
- Storyboarded
- Rendered
- Visualized
- Produced
- Collaborated
Jobseeker's clean, attractive resume formats can help your applications make a strong impression on employers. Check them out for help designing a winning resume, and see our cover letter templates to help win over recruiters and hiring managers.
Example of an animator resume
The animator resume example below incorporates all the information from above into a full-designed resume template, so you can see how a final resume will look:
221B Baker Street, New York, NY
•
kyle.rogers@example.com
•
(111) 222 33 444 55
•
linkedin․com/in/kyle–rogers123
Creative and detail-oriented 2D/3D Animator with extensive experience in developing high-quality animated content for various platforms. Proficient in industry-standard software such as Adobe Creative Suite, Autodesk Maya, and Blender. Demonstrated ability to translate complex concepts into engaging visuals, collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, and adhere to project timelines. Adept at storyboarding, character design, rigging, and rendering, with a strong portfolio showcasing versatility and innovation in animation. Passionate about bringing stories to life through dynamic and captivating animation.
2D/3D Animator
2020
-2022
PixelPioneers Studios (Kansas City)
- Developed and animated award-winning short film that garnered over 2 million views on YouTube and Vimeo
- Led animation team on AAA video game project, resulting in a 20% increase in customer engagement
- Created 3D character models and animations for a top-grossing mobile app, achieving 5-star user ratings consistently
3D modeling software
2D animation software
Motion capture technology
Attention to detail
Problem-solving skills
Time management skills
Adobe Certified Professional
Autodesk Certified User
English - Fluent
Spanish - B2
Tips for animator resumes
- Add your relevant education details, including any high grades such as your GPA or degree result.
- Use a clear resume format with professional elements, including suitable headings, line spacing, fonts and margins, to make your resume as readable as possible for hiring managers.
- Quantify your career achievements by including evidence of your impact throughout your resume.
- Mention key skills that show you're suited to the job throughout your resume, as well as in the dedicated skills section.
- Use strong action words to demonstrate the impact you've made in each animator role (e.g. 'animated', 'developed', 'storyboarded').
- Don't fill your resume with unnecessary details. Focus everything on showing you're right for the job.
- Don't use jargon or acronyms when you can use simple, straightforward language to say the same thing.
- Don't use complex formatting that makes your animator resume harder to read or less scannable by software such as applicant tracking systems (ATS).
- Don't include irrelevant work experience in your resume because it takes up valuable space and is unlikely to improve your chances of success.
- Don't use out-of-date contact information. Always make sure your email address and phone number are correct before sending your resume.
Tips on creating an ATS-optimized resume
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) help recruiters and employers to manage their hiring process. They can handle some of the more time-consuming and resource-intensive jobs, such as initial screening of resumes. Employers often receive hundreds of applications per vacancy, and ATS software can quickly and accurately scan and rank resumes based on their likely suitability for any role. If you follow a few simple tips when writing your animator resume, you'll give yourself a better chance of ranking highly in the ATS screening and progressing to the next stage.
Here are a few quick tips for creating an ATS-friendly resume:
- Adopt a traditional structure for your resume, such as a reverse-chronological format or a functional format. These are likely to be the easiest layouts for ATS software to scan.
- Add keywords that match the job description throughout your resume, as ATS applications scan for these and well-placed, considered use can help your resume rank more highly.
- Use clear headings that break your resume up into readable, scannable sections that match the standard content employers expect from a resume.
- Utilize a clean, clear resume design that helps make your content more readable. Use simple fonts and subtle color accents and design elements that don't detract from the written content.
- Adopt simple, professional language to keep your resume as concise as possible. This tends to make your document more readable, and easier for ATS software to scan.
For tips and ideas to help you draft a professional resume to get noticed by employers, read our expert career articles and check out our detailed resume examples.
Frequently Asked Questions for an animator resume
In most cases, adding a personal photo to your resume is not recommended, Resume photos can help to create a visually appealing document, but they can also introduce selection biases, whether intentional or not.
If you're applying for a creative role that requires you to make public appearances or be captured on camera, these are situations where a personal photo can benefit your resume. Roles that include acting, modelling, presenting, meeting clients or public speaking may all require a personal photo.
Now that you know how to write a professional animator resume, you might also want to learn how to write an accompanying cover letter that makes a similar impact.
Before you write your cover letter, think about whether you need a formal, professional letter or if a brief, less formal email might be more suitable.
If you choose to write a full cover letter, follow traditional letter-writing conventions surrounding greetings, sign-offs and use of professional language. The body of the cover letter tends to be three paragraphs. The first introduces yourself and the role you're applying for, giving reasons for your application. The second briefly covers your key skills and achievements that are most relevant to animator roles. Finally, the third paragraph re-emphasizes your interest in the role and leaves a call to action, encouraging the employer to reach out to you.
If you want to impress employers with a professional cover letter, use Jobseeker's simple and beautiful cover letter templates.
Even if you have little or no relevant work experience, it's still possible to write an animator resume that makes a strong impression on employers. Choose a resume structure that best showcases your key skills for the role, such as a functional format. This places your skills and education above your work experience. Optional sections at the end of your resume can play a stronger role if you're lacking relevant work experience. Use certifications and training, hobbies and interests, volunteer roles and internships to show you've got the necessary skills for the job.
Selecting a font for your resume helps to set the tone for your document, and is one of the most important design decisions you'll have to make. Go for a font that gives your resume a professional, readable look and feel, including serif or sans serif font groups. Select a font size that makes your resume easy-to-read (typically size 10 to 12). For creative roles, sans serif fonts can help your resume feel more modern and dynamic. Consider using a sans serif font for your animator resume.
The resume format that gives you the best chances of success depends on your experience levels, as well as the type of job you're applying for and its seniority level. For roles where you're lacking experience, such as graduate jobs or career changes, you could use a functional or skills-based resume format. This places your skills and education above your work experience. For more senior roles where you have plenty of relevant experience, use a reverse chronological format. This resume structure places work experience at the heart of the document, using it as a showcase for your skills and achievements.
Key takeaways for your animator resume
Writing a strong, impactful resume is about using your experience to demonstrate your relevant skills and achievements. You can do this through your work history or other resume sections. Choose the most suitable resume format for your experience levels, and focus on tailoring your resume based on the requirements listed in the job description.
Use Jobseeker's resume templates, other tools and resources to create an application that impresses employers. Sign up today to access a wealth of valuable resume and cover letter resources. To make the best possible impression with your applications, write a cover letter with the help of Jobseeker. You can also find plenty of expert-designed cover letter examples for inspiration.
Sources:
(1) Careers for creative people, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/creative-careers.htm
(2) Occupational Outlook Handbook, Craft and Fine Arts, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/craft-and-fine-artists.htm
