Many 2D animators have excellent drawing skills, but may not have the abilities and experience that combine to make a jobseeker the candidate that hiring managers or recruiters are looking for to fill a position. An outstanding resume can set you apart from the competition for a position in animation. Looking over a sample resume can help you make sure your resume covers the necessary bases.
A resume is one instance in which words can say more than pictures with regard to your accomplishments and experience. Our 2D animator resume sample includes examples of all of the major resume sections. You might want to start and finish your writing process by referencing this sample in order to make sure you have included all of the most relevant information. Consider using our resume builder if you get stuck and need guidance.
Shanice Hamler
123 Fake Street | City, State, Zip Code
Cell: 000-000-0000
email@email.com
Professional Summary
Innovative 2D Animator with the creative and technological skills to uniquely and effectively complete the 2D animation process. Skilled at completing storyboards and conceptual work, designing 2D models, props and backgrounds, and utilizing animation software to convert frames into animation. Specializes at creating action graphics and creative title cards.
Core Qualifications
Experience
2D Animator, January 2009 to PresentCompany Name, City, State
- Designed and created animation frames, prepared frames for animation using software
- Created special effects and action graphics for animated projects
- Created animation environment using drawings and sketches, models and dioramas
Company Name – City, State
- Designed and created 2D animation models, backgrounds and characters, assisted in plot development
- Created storyboards and conceptual framing as according to script
- Assisted in the creation of soundtracks and audio for final animated product
2D Animator, March 2000 to January 2004
Company Name – City, State
- Designed and development conceptual animation work including frame by frame storyboards and plotting
- Completed conceptual drawings, produced 2D frames and prepared for animation
- Utilized animation software including 3D Studio Max and Lightware to convert frames into animation
Education
2006 Bachelor of the Arts, Graphic DesignUniversity of North Carolina – City, State
Why Is This a Good 2D Animator Resume Sample?
Each section of this sample resume demonstrates key points about the jobseeker’s experience and skills. The candidate provides a brief summary of her most important abilities and areas of specialization at the top of her resume. Potential employers can immediately see that she has experience in many stages of animation and creative development and is skilled at using animation software. It is also immediately apparent that this animator is process-oriented.
The qualifications section of the 2D animator resume sample is short and easy to skim but still manages to sum up all of the resume writer’s major skills. The jobseeker points out the distinct areas in which she excels at animation and creative production in such a way that this section bridges the summary statement and experience section. She also points out a prevailing personality trait, creativity, which is supported by the entirety of her resume.
The experience section is the longest part of the sample resume and includes several important components. The jobseeker lists current and past positions and provides job titles, dates of employment including months and years, the names of her employers, and the primary location of each position. She follows the details of each position with brief bulleted lists in which she describes her duties and accomplishments. She also identifies the sources of the skills and experience summed up in the preceding sections. A potential employer can see that this candidate has recent experience creating animation frames and environments and has consistently used industry-standard software.
The final section of this 2D animator resume sample briefly sets forth the jobseeker’s educational background. The candidate includes her year of graduation and the degree she obtained as well as the name and location of her school. She does not include her GPA or details about high school because the college degree and major are more applicable to her career.
Why You Need a Strong 2D Animator Resume
The job market for animators is expected to increase at the same pace as the national occupational average — approximately six percent — according to the job analysis outlook by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even with this continued growth, you may still face stiff competition in your area of specialization. 2D animation is a smaller subfield of animation, and your colleagues and competitors may have similar technical competencies and skill sets or may even have worked for the same businesses or on the same projects.
You might be more likely to get an interview or a job if you go beyond the industry-standard skills to describe areas of specialization relevant to the job description, or soft skills that indicate what you would be like to work with on an animation or design team. Our 2D animator resume sample suggests a variety of ways to make your resume well-rounded.
Costly 2D Animator Resume Mistakes To Avoid
One major mistake that an applicant for 2D animator positions could make would be to rely too much on his or her portfolio. While your animation work is certainly an important part of your overall application, you should also tell your larger story more specifically in a concise and informative resume that can help to put all of your animations in the proper context.
Another costly mistake that a jobseeker in this field might make would be to focus exclusively on one dimension of his or her qualifications. An entire resume that drives home a jobseeker’s animation software skills might undersell his or her creativity or even omit vital communication and collaboration skills. Balancing hard or technical skills with soft or personal skills can give employers a better sense of how you could fit into an open position. The format shown in our 2D animator resume sample is very flexible and can allow you to give potential employers a sense of your personality and unique talents.
2D Animator Resume Questions
What’s an example of a great 2D animator resume?
Our 2D animator resume sample is a great example to follow when writing your own application. There is a label with every section, and it has a clean design. Even if you apply for a creative position, such as an animator, you want to focus more on content than aesthetic. Avoid using all-caps, bold, or italic lettering. It is also good to include a mix of bullet pointed lists and paragraphs to keep the design interesting.
How do you make a 2D animator resume?
Most hiring managers spend six seconds on a resume before deciding whether to throw it away. Therefore, your first 15 to 20 words are crucial. Your summary statement should immediately introduce who you are and what makes you qualified for the animator position.
To put together the rest of the document, you can utilize our resume builder to effortlessly create each section. With a solid professional summary and strong skills, work experience, and education sections like our 2D animator resume sample, a hiring manager will be more likely to read through the whole thing.What’s the best way to show you work well in a team on a 2D animator resume?
Teamwork is critical for any position. However, you do not want to put it on your resume in a boring way. Phrases like “team player,” “hard worker,” and “ability to learn quickly” should never appear on a professional application. Instead, you want to include details of your teamwork experience in the work history section. Go into details of what your team accomplished and what your role was in the group. Did you lead the team, or were you proficient at following orders? This makes for a more interesting resume. After all, the work history section should be the longest portion of your application, which is the case for our 2D animator resume sample.
What do you put on a 2D animator resume for your first job?
When you have minimal work experience, you need to place more emphasis on your skill set and education. Another consideration for animators to make is to have a strong portfolio that targets your audience and showcases the kind of designs you specialize in.
While education normally goes at the bottom, you can move work history to last if your job experiences are not necessarily related to the animation field. A degree in graphic design or a related subject should receive greater importance and move up the page, which would be the case if our 2D animator resume sample did not have as much relevant work experience.What should you do to make sure your 2D animator resume makes it past an ATS?
Hiring managers often look for specific words and phrases when reading resumes. To help them with this endeavor, many businesses utilize an Applicant Tracking System to scan all documents first before a human reads them to save time and weed out irrelevant applications. You can determine what keywords are most important to the employer by reviewing the job listing and adding them throughout your document. You will find an array of strong action verbs and skills on our 2D animator resume sample.
Conclusion
A solid resume can provide a more detailed picture of your qualifications than your animation portfolio. Our 2D animator resume sample demonstrates how you might present your skills and past achievements and prove your ability to assume a new position. Each section, from the summary statement to your skills, experience, and education, should show what you have learned and how you might hone your craft in your next animation position.