Artist Resume Examples and Templates
Animator Resume Examples and Templates for 2025
Last Updated:
January 3, 2025
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Animator Resume Templates and Examples (Download in App)
- Animator
- Animator Intern
- 3D Animator
Creative Animator Resume Example
Character Animator Resume Example
Computer Animator Resume Example
2D Animator Resume Example
As an animator, hiring managers and production companies are far more likely to interview based on the strength of your professional portfolio. That said, building an accomplishment-driven resume still plays a significant role in the job search, as it allows you to provide additional context for your most impressive and notable achievements in animation. Throughout this guide, we’ll provide expert tips and insights to help you translate your animator career into a powerful marketing document that stands out in today’s job market.
Key takeaways:
- Highlight your specializations: Emphasize your areas of expertise as an animator, such as 3D animation, character animation, and game development.
- Quantify your achievements: Showcase the success of your animation projects, films, and gaming titles by emphasizing sales numbers and industry awards.
- Incorporate relevant keywords: Display specific technical skills, animation software, and techniques to optimize your document for applicant tracking systems (ATS).
How To Write an Animator Resume Example
Finding the right template for your animator resume is the first step toward landing your dream role. Use a clean, structured format to showcase your animation skills, software expertise, and notable storytelling or visual creativity achievements. Your animator resume should always include these sections:
- Contact information
- Profile
- Key skills
- Professional experience
- Education and certifications
1. Share your contact information
Provide accurate and up-to-date contact details so employers can easily reach you for follow-up questions and interview scheduling.
2. Write a compelling profile summarizing your animator qualifications
To make a strong first impression on the hiring manager, lead with an engaging opening summary that succinctly captures the broad strokes of your animation career and artistic talents. Start with a sentence that details your title, years of experience, and three to four specializations that match the job posting. Highlight your most noteworthy animation projects and feature the names of prominent studios you’ve worked for in the past to demonstrate your credibility as an industry expert immediately.
Senior animator profile example
A senior 3D animator with over 12 years of experience within the entertainment industry, specializing in character animation, team leadership, and story development. A proven track record of producing visually stunning and emotionally compelling animations for major studios such as Pixar and Laika.
Entry-level animator profile example
An animator intern with a comprehensive background in game development, specializing in Maya, motion capture, and 3D modeling. Adept at coordinating with cross-functional teams and senior animators to develop innovative and immersive character animations for gaming titles.
3. Add an accomplishment-driven professional experience section
Continue to explore your animation projects and achievements in the professional experience section of your resume. Feature eye-catching descriptions of your past projects, emphasizing the techniques you used to create immersive and dynamic character animations. Demonstrate your ability to collaborate cross-functionally with animators, creative teams, and directors to bring characters, films, and games to life.
Senior animator professional experience example
Senior 3D Animator, Pixar, New York, NY | November 2016 to present
- Oversee all aspects of character animation for critically acclaimed animated features grossing up to $496 million in revenue, including “Raya the Last Dragon,”“Lightyear,” and “Elemental”
- Manage, develop, and build a team of 25 animators to create engaging and innovative animation sequences and character expressions
- Developed dynamic 3D models to enhance realism and immersion across complex scenes to achieve director’s vision and define cohesive aesthetics
Entry-level animator professional experience example
Animator Intern,Aurora Interactive, San Francisco, CA | May 2023 to November 2024
- Collaborated with the creative team to design and develop engaging 3D character animations for an upcoming sci-fi adventure game, “The Darker Road”
- Identify opportunities to enhance realism in gameplay mechanics and cinematics by refining motion capture and animation storyboards
- Conducted comprehensive quality assurance testing for cutscenes, analyze user feedback, and identify and resolve bugs to deliver a polished final product
Resume writer’s tip: Quantify your experience
Displaying hard numbers can sometimes make all the difference during the job search. Quantifying your achievements allows the hiring manager to see the overall success of your projects, which helps speak to your talent as an animator. For example, if you created character animation for a major gaming title, feature a revenue figure or the number of units sold.
Do
- "Created 3D animations that boosted video engagement by 50%"
Don't
- "Created animations for videos"
What if you don’t have experience?
During the early phases of your animation career, you can’t rely on a robust work history to generate job interviews. Instead, focus on featuring academic projects, technical skills, and internships to position yourself for entry-level roles. You can also build a portfolio using freelance or independent projects to showcase your capabilities as an animator.
4. Include relevant education and certifications
Although your portfolio and work experience will always take center stage on your resume, it’s still important to highlight your education and industry certifications. Most companies list a bachelor’s degree in animation as a minimum requirement for job openings. In addition, obtaining certifications in Adobe After Effects and Maya helps to illustrate your technical knowledge as an animator.
Education
Template:
[Degree Name], [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]
[Relevant coursework or honors]
Example:
Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) Animation | 2020
California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA
Certifications
Template:
[Certification Name] | [Awarding Organization] | [Completion Date]
Examples:
- Certified Professional Maya Animator | 2021
- Advanced Adobe After Effects Certification | 2020
5. List pertinent key skills
Building a dedicated skills section to showcase your technical skills, software proficiencies, and animation techniques is important. This allows you to easily incorporate specific keywords from the job description, fully optimizing your document for the ATS. Below, you’ll find an array of potential key skills you may encounter while applying for animator jobs:
| Key skills | |
|---|---|
| 2D animation | 3D animation |
| Adobe After Effects | Adobe Animator |
| Animation | Art design |
| Character animation | Cinematography |
| Computer animation | Final Cut Pro X |
| Game development | Handkey animation |
| Human character animation | Keyframing |
| Maya | Motion capture |
| Motion graphics | Rendering techniques |
| Rigging | Storyboarding |
Resume writer’s tip: Use common action verbs
Incorporating action verbs is a great way to add a unique and engaging element to your writing. Leading each bullet point with a powerful verb helps the hiring manager visualize your contributions and professional achievements fully. That said, it’s important to diversify your word choice to give each bullet a distinct feel. Below, you’ll find a list of action verbs to build the professional experience section for your animator resume:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Analyzed | Collaborated |
| Conducted | Coordinated |
| Created | Delivered |
| Designed | Developed |
| Diagnosed | Enhanced |
| Evaluated | Executed |
| Identified | Implemented |
| Led | Managed |
| Oversaw | Performed |
| Planned | Provided |
| Supported | |
How To Pick the Best Animator Resume Template
For animation roles, prioritize readability and structure over elaborate designs. Opt for a template that shows your technical skills, artistic achievements, and work experience. Clean lines and well-defined sections ensure your content shines.
Animator Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
Frequently Asked Questions: Animator Resume Examples and Advice
How do you align your resume with an animator job description?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 4% increase in growth for animator jobs between 2023 and 2033. Despite these positive indicators, this only amounts to 6,700 new openings each year, which is incredibly low compared to other industries. To truly separate yourself from the competition, you need a fully customized resume for each position and company you apply for.
For example, if a film studio is looking for an animator who excels in 3D character animation, feature engaging examples of how you created emotional and immersive facial expressions and body language. If a game developer is looking for a candidate with a strong background working on gaming titles, make these projects the focal point of your professional experience section.
What is the best animator resume format?
The best format for an animator resume is reverse chronological. This approach places your most recent and relevant professional experience towards the top of your document, allowing employers to view your most impressive accomplishments immediately. A combination format is better suited for entry-level candidates who need to prioritize academic and independent animation projects over work history.
Expert advice:
Include a cover letter with your resume
A tailored cover letter adds depth to your application, showcasing your passion and fit for the company. Note specific details about the studio’s culture, films, gaming products, or reputation and why this draws you to apply for the opportunity.
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Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach
Andrew Stoner is an executive career coach and resume writer with 17 years of experience as a hiring manager and operations leader at two Fortune 500 Financial Services companies, and as the career services director at two major university business schools.
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