Do Online Job Portals Actually Work?

Michael Morgan teaching at Escape Studios

Veteran animator and Escape Studios tutor Michael Morgan posted recently at LinkedIn about the trouble with Online Job Portals.  Do they actually work?  Or is face-to-face networking still the key path to employment, even in this digital age?

As part of our regular series on finding work in the animation industry, see Michael Morgan's guest blog below.

The Curious Case of The Online Job Portal

But are they really?

"Years ago, I would apply to companies through their online job portals, and yet I would never hear back from them.  Maybe my applications got lost in another dimension, sucked into a black hole, or,
who knows what happens once you press "submit".

Alongside applying online, I would go to Animation job fairs, and meet people in person. Several weeks, months and years later after speaking face to face with people I would get hired by the same companies that never responded to my earlier online applications.

This made me feel that when people get to know you beyond a blank application you greatly increase your chances of being hired.  The "in-person" interaction helped my application win the position.

From that moment onwards I would become reluctant to apply via the online portal route, as it has never been a success to me.

So my question is this "Do online job portals actually work?"

--- Michael Morgan

Finding Work in the Animation Industry

Here at Escape Studios we take a holistic approach to finding work in the animation industry.  Successful graduates need to make sure they have a good well-cut demo reel, which is short, easy to find (not password protected) and embedded (and easy to find) at their Linkedin profile. The latter should be attractive and well-curated - it is your "shop window" to the industry.  

Applying for jobs online can bring success - but students also need to network, by attending industry events (often by volunteering), posting their work at Linkedin, and building a network of industry professionals who can help them on the crucial first run of the ladder.  For more on how to find work in the industry, see the resources below.

Jobs, Careers, Interview and Demo Reel Resources at Escape Studios
To see more resources on animation jobs and careers generally, see the the links below:

• Animation Recruiters (and how to handle them) - with Kevin Richards
• How to do well at your first job interviewAnimation - with Kevin Richards 
• Demo Reel Tips from Kevin Richards
• 
  How to create a great animation demo reel
• Escape Studios Showreel Guide
• Nine Ways to Blow a Job Interview
• The Number One Reason Why Animation Graduates Don't Get Hired
• Why Animators Need to Be on Linkedin
• Should Graduates Accept a Job as a Runner?
• Finding Work at Animationjobs.com 
• Finding Work in The Animation Industry Post-Covid

The Escape Studios Animation Blog offers a personal view on the art of animation and visual effects. To find out more about our new BA/MArt, now recruiting for September 2023, follow this link.   To apply, visit the official page here.