Whether you are a veteran of the industry or a student just starting out on your career, you will have to do some homework to find your next job. Homework involves knowing what you want and where you can get it.

The first thing you need to do is know yourself. What do you like to do? What kind of work are you good at? Are you a generalist--a jack of all trades--or a specialist? If you are a generalist, you may be interested in working for a smaller company that can utilize all those skills. If you are a specialist, seek work at a larger company where the work is segmented among many different departments.

Know what part of the animation industry interests you. Do you love games? Do you live and breathe special effects for motion pictures? Have you always wanted to work on the Internet? Do you get excited about the latest commercial?

If there is a segment of the industry that thrills you, go to the library or log on and research companies that deal with that segment. Many companies have web sites that detail the kind of work they are doing. Some have advice for applicants about how to apply. Many have job boards on their web sites. If the company is public, stockholder reports offer company information. There are also many web sites that follow specific segments of the industry such as visualfx.com or gamejobs.com.

Find out what productions your target company is involved with. Become familiar with its work before you send in any of your own. Are the company's products something you can be proud of? That you want to be part of creating? Are there people you can learn from? Can you grow there?

Gather information about companies when you attend industry meetings, trade shows or when you read trade publications like Animation World Network and Animation Magazine. Ask the company for a press package. Review its publicity materials. Find out what its long-range goals are. What is its mission statement? What is its target market? Are sales climbing? Is the company growing or struggling to survive? Is it new and cutting edge? What is its reputation?

If you know the company's products you can customize your marketing materials (cover letter, resume, portfolio and demo reel). Know what they want to see and how they want to see it (VHS tape, CD-Rom, web site, etc) . Many companies post portfolio requirements on their web site or will send information to applicants on request.

Decide what work environment you want. What is important to you? Do you want a life outside of work? The best way to determine if this company is for you is to talk to employees. Ask them: What are the working conditions like? What kind of hours do they expect from their employees? Many entertainment companies have long working hours during crunch times, but is this the normal mode of operation? What is management like? What are most of the employees like? Are they entrepreneurial? What is the company founder like? What is important to him or her?