How to Find a Job
Three Action Items to Finding Your Dream Job
So. You're looking for a job. Maybe you're unemployed, underemployed, or otherwise feeling restless. Here are some ways to help you refine your search and hopefully increase your chances of success.
First, you have to decide what you want to do. This can present its own issues - perhaps you're a multifaceted person with a passion to do EVERYTHING! You'll likely need to do a little research. Choose your dream job, and take a look at the LinkedIn profile of someone who has it. You can reverse engineer that individual's journey and use the titles, company names, and experiences listed to help build your own path.
Once you've decided what you want to do, you have to look at your current skill set and determine what you can do to achieve that role. A simple way to do this is to perform a google search for job descriptions with the title you seek and take an honest look at your own experience and capabilities. Don't forget that titles can be interpreted in many different ways - for instance, a 3d generalist may also be called a 3d artist, or a cg generalist.
Thirdly, think about what you're willing to do to get your dream job. If you fall short of some key skills, are you willing to go back to school to remedy that shortfall? Are you willing to relocate if the perfect job is in another city? Are you willing to take a cut in salary if you're afforded the opportunity to learn on the job?
Once you've figured out what you're looking for, more research is in order - take a look at companies that do the kind of work you want to do and see what you can learn about their culture. Glassdoor has a place for reviews (but keep in mind happy campers rarely leave reviews) or hit up your peers for their insights into the company.
Where are the jobs listed? Well, there's no centralized place, but you can visit job sites like Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, software forums, and the "careers" section on studio websites can help you narrow your search for the industry's needs.
As you are searching, don't forget to leverage your network! Hit up old friends and ask their opinions about where they think the work is, what they think the next 5 years look like for the industry, or just ask how they're doing. People appreciate the check-in and will remember you when there's an opportunity to share. While we're talking about networking, make sure to make new friends - use LinkedIn and other social media platforms to leave positive notes on work you think is significant, and reach out to connect when and if you want to learn more about an individual or project. Keep in mind that this process is a lot like gardening. Each conversation and outreach plants a seed, it's important to give them time to manifest, and be prepared for misses as well as hits.
It's important to treat looking for a job as a project. Set a deadline (3 months? 6 months) and milestones (apply for 3 jobs/month, make 4 new friends, set up at least a phone call a week?) and keep yourself organized with a notebook or spreadsheet so you can remember whom you contacted when, and what was said, and be sure to follow up on any next steps.
I once read a great article that stated lucky people are simply more humble, curious, and optimistic. To that end, think about approaching your job search from a different angle. Maybe instead of looking at production, take a look at production support, teaching, medical and architectural visualization, working with the government or military - you may be pleasantly surprised to find a whole different world using the same tools you use for your current work. Don't immediately shoot down an opportunity that may be a little out of your comfort zone - take this time to be thoughtful and strategic about the next steps of your career.
We'd love to hear how you're doing - drop us a line!