Why professionalism is important within the creative industries

Within the creative industries and animation world being professional is as necessary as it is within many other workplaces, but what is considered professional within the creative industry?

What does it mean to be professional within the animation industry?

I believe professionalism refers to how knowledgeable one is within the field of work they are involved with, having gained experience and skills through many projects whether they be personal, university assessments, commissioned from an individual, for a company or work experience.

With the vast knowledge and skills under their belt, professionals are often the ones with more resilience who can take on bigger projects or difficult tasks compared to individuals newer to the animation industry. However, I also believe that even with all the skills they’ve acquired it doesn't stop them from continuing to learn so that they improve and keep up with the growing industry just as everyone else working within the field does.

Professionalism doesn’t only refer to how educated someone is within their field, it can also refer to how one behaves within the workplace and builds connections with other people working within the industry as building relationships with colleagues, future clients and companies is important within the industry where there can also be competition for work.

Other aspects of professionalism:

Being professional within the animation industry can also include other aspects besides how many years you’ve worked within the creative industries. Regardless of if you’re still learning animation or have graduated and are looking for work it is always necessary that you remain professional within the workplace or when speaking to your colleagues and clients.

Keeping up to date with knowledge about your industry counts as being professional, when you’re looking for work it is always best to do research on the company you’re applying for before you apply for a job role at said company. Even doing simple google searches about the company you’re applying for before you enter an interview can help you gain knowledge required to answer important questions from the people interviewing you.

 

 

The role of professionalism when applying for jobs and interviews:

Following companies on LinkedIn and researching what your desired job role entails will also prepare you for how you answer questions that your interviewers ask of you such as, how much you know about the company, what skills and experience you have that fit the requirements of your role, and how dedicated to getting the job role are you? Doing the proper research and practicing for your interview with a relative or friend will always help you be prepared and lessen any possible anxiety you may feel for the interview.

Doing other interviews, even for different jobs unrelated to the animation and creative industries can help you a long way, the experience of remaining composed and professional while being interviewed is an important skill that you can then carry over when applying for a job role you want within the industry.

 

Presenting your portfolio in a professional manner:

Working on your portfolio and updating it with your best work is another point of being professional including the presentation of your work. Depending on the role of the job you’re looking for, the pieces of work you present on your portfolio and applications may differ in some cases. For example, when applying for the role of character designer you would present a portfolio that contains your best character design work, and perhaps explanations (only if it is required) behind how and why you designed the character the way you did to relate to the story, setting or personality.

The employers at companies looking for people to interview and hire don’t have time to go through entire portfolios and will skim through many. Which is why it’s best to limit the amount of work you display in your portfolios to your best or the ones you’re most confident about, rather than expanding your portfolio with lots of pieces that you are not proud of or do not relate to the job requirements.

Making sure that your portfolio is easy to access online and read through also counts as being professional, if you’re displaying your work online as well you can receive feedback from a myriad of different people, professionals, critics, and even other people interested or within the animation industry.

 

 

Feedback and criticism:

Learning how to receive critical feedback that helps you improve your work is also another aspect of being professional. Even individuals who have had years of experience within the industry may sometimes make small mistakes or discover new skills that will help them improve their work and keep up with the industry. Regardless of how much experience you’ve had so far there is always potential to learn more about your current career or even another job role you’re interested in working for. So, taking feedback from people online or in person and learning which piece of advice you want to integrate into your work will not only help you improve, but responding positively to feedback and giving feedback to others in return can potentially lead to creating a network with people in the industry.

 

 

Overall, I believe being professional is integral to the animation industry just as much as it is within any other industry. Being professional isn’t just about the number of years you’ve worked within a profession but many other things as well, being up to date with your career of choice, learning social etiquette, taking feedback and critique positively as well as learning how to prepare yourself for interviews and work with other people in the future.