As China enters the spring recruitment season for recent graduates, I have taken proactive measures to prepare myself thoroughly. To ensure a solid foundation, I have gathered information on job openings from animation-related companies in cities such as Shenzhen, Beijing, and Hangzhou. My primary targets are film and gaming companies. During this period, I conducted research on companies such as Enlight Media, FunPlus, Papergames, and Yotta Games. With this knowledge in hand, I began the process of targeted portfolio integration.
However, I encountered a challenge during this journey. I realized that my portfolio mainly consisted of student works, lacking commercial projects that would align with the requirements of prospective employers. Consequently, I focused on showcasing my strengths in drawing, color composition, and character development. I found myself at a crossroads, searching for effective ways to promote my abilities to potential employers. Through analyzing the positions available, I came to the realization that I needed to tailor my portfolio more precisely to increase my chances of securing a position in a suitable company.
In light of the predominant emphasis on graphic design in my previous portfolio, I decided to explore opportunities in prominent full-animation companies. To accomplish this, I recognized the need to streamline my portfolio by focusing solely on animation design. This involved making strategic decisions to remove non-animated works and highlight the projects that best showcased my animation skills.
Due to the emphasis on commercial aspects in character design and related recruitment requirements of Chinese animation companies, I decided to prioritize my portfolio by including works from my first year of graduate studies. This allowed me to align my portfolio with the demands of the spring recruitment season in China and gain insights into the local animation market. However, my intention was not solely to secure a job at this stage.
I recognized that my current portfolio might not fully reflect my current animate skill level. Instead, my primary focus was to concentrate on completing my graduation animation project and subsequently incorporate it into my portfolio. By doing so, I believed that I could present a more comprehensive demonstration of my abilities and increase the chances of finding a more suitable job opportunity. This approach enabled me to explore the Chinese animation market while simultaneously fine-tuning my portfolio to showcase my evolving capabilities. I understood the importance of presenting a well-rounded representation of my skills and believed that dedicating time to perfecting my graduation animation would be instrumental in achieving my career objectives.