Pamela Kleibrink Thompson

Works Well With Others
Nearly all projects require you to work as a member of a team. How you interact with others can have a significant and lasting impact on your career. Since most jobs are found through networking, make sure you are someone that people will want to work with again.

During life drawing sessions after work, one of the artists in my department appointed himself critic and dispensed unsolicited advice and critiques to the other artists in the room. The arrogance of the critical artist was not appreciated and the other artists did not want to work with him. Don't be a prima donna.

Don't expect to get special treatment and don't be someone who needs special treatment. If you become known as a person who is high maintenance, you will find it increasingly difficult to get hired. A person with a good reputation but little experience, talent or skills may be preferred over a person who is talented but difficult to deal with.

Listens Attentively
Be a good listener. Understand what is required and if you need clarification don't be afraid to ask questions. If you are unclear about your assignment, ask the person who assigned it to you.

It's important to follow directions and do the work that is required. If your job is to animate a model, do not redesign the model. Do not try to argue or belabor a point that has already been discussed and decided on.

Communicates Well
You must be able to express your ideas clearly and succinctly both to the artist at the desk next to yours as well as to supervisors.

Works Cooperatively in Groups
At a video game company where I worked, the artists were expected to do all aspects of the animation process from designing characters through animating and rendering those characters. One artist was adamant that he should be exempt from designing characters, that it didn't fall into his job description as animator. He was used to a studio that segmented all the jobs into well-defined roles. He stubbornly refused to design characters and was soon ousted from his team. No other teams wanted to bring him on (remember how important it is to work well with others?) and he soon found himself out of a job.

Demonstrates Problem Solving Ability
What you demonstrate in your portfolio and demo reel is how you think. It illustrates not only your artistic ability but how you solve problems. Problem solving is a key skill that all employers want.