Your Invisible Resume

I came across this article on awn.com and it was a good reminder how our invisible resume is just as, if not, more important as our paper resume. But what is our 'invisible resume'?

(From the article)Your invisible resume is compiled by those who have worked with you whether on a paying job or on a volunteer project. You built it with every interaction you had with co-workers, colleagues and peers, whether in school or on a job. Your invisible resume is more powerful than the paper kind. It's the most powerful marketing tool you have. Your invisible resume -- your reputation -- can work for you or against you.

This is HUGE! Such an important thing to realize! We hear it over and over, but its stressed for a reason. This is an industry where we work very closely with our team members. And I want to stress 'team' here. Making a movie, game, commercial, whatever is a team effort! So you have to be easy to work with, bring something to the table and most importantly - people have to like working with you.

One of the situations the writer brings up in the article is a perfect example of this. She tells about how this one animator looked perfect on paper, his demo reel was impressive and the price was right. So she passed on the applicants info to the Anim Supe. Turns out he worked with the applicant on a past project and it wasn't a pleasant experience. So he didn't get the job.

Another example of what-not-to-do was about an animator that never showed up on his first day of work. Turns out he accepted another job he wanted more and never let the first company know.

Things like these will definitely get you on a 'no hire' list. It's mostly about being considerate. The qualities that make you good to work with are all controllable. Don't force yourself to be someone you are not. For example, don't be overly happy and excited all the time if that is just not who you are. Just be yourself, whoever that is.

(From the article) Every job counts: even your first job. Don't be a know it all. Don't complain. Don't be hard to get along with or have to get special treatment. Don't have a bad attitude or be a prima donna. Do every job as if it were your dream job from day one. Because people will remember.