1 Drawing Skills. People can tell when someone has spent time training himself or herself to sketch. As Jim Threlkeid writes, "When someone has drawn a lot, there's an ease and naturalness to their work. Anyone who wants to get into animation should keep a sketchbook and should practice at least an hour a day." Other animation luminaries agree. A common complaint heard out in the industry is that too many students come out of school able to work a program, but they do not know the basics of creating a character.

2 Attention To Detail. When there are so many candidates for so few jobs, the small details become big deals. Animators not only have to make the work look good; they have to make it look realistic. Senior animators pour over an animation so that if they are creating a trailer hitch it looks connected.

3 Know Thy History. Too many animators come out with the same style as everyone else. Producers and animators know what is out there. They have studied Disney, Hanna-Barbera, UPA, and Tex Avery. They have memorized their techniques, not to copy them, but to advance them. Know what has come before so you can do something totally new.

4 All-around Design. Animation is not just about drawing a bear that moves. It is about design structure, how the eye moves on the screen, color theory, foreground, and background. An animator needs to be a designer.

5 Specialize. As Jason F. Maurer of Fathom Studio says, "A lot of what I see from graduating students is a general knowledge of everything and a specialization of nothing. There are many stages to animation: modeling, texturing, rigging, lighting, character animation, etc. It's rare to find a young talent who is knowledgeable in one area. I certainly encourage an understanding of other stages of production and it's great to have flexibility and interest in many areas. However, studios often have specific needs, someone who truly understands the emotion of character animation, or someone who knows the complexities of lighting."

6 Professionalism. The number one complaint about new animators is that they see themselves as artists and forget that they are in a business. They have to dress appropriately for client meetings. They have to show up on time, treat each other with respect, fill out time sheets and even compromise their work for clients' needs. It is the nature of the beast.

So, get your portfolio together, create a great reel and hit the road. Final advice comes from Ed Harris' book How to Get A Job In Computer Animation, "Take your time to do it right. So many people grab an animation program, do a tutorial or two and jump right in. While I encourage new animators to explore the software, I don't think that they should neglect the basics. Don't skip the core essentials when learning 3-D. You'll just fall on your face when trying to do anything advanced that relies on that foundation." Good luck.