Animation and Games Design

If you enjoy working collaboratively, using artistic skill and technical knowledge, you might be interested in a career in animation and games design.

Games professionals develop characters, environments, and storylines for various media, including video games, animated films, TV shows, and mobile apps. Work often involves using specialised software to create 2D or 3D visuals, rig characters, and animate movements. Game designers may also be responsible for designing gameplay mechanics, levels, and interactive elements that enhance the user experience. For those interested in becoming animators, there are many fields of animation to work in, including 2D, stop-motion, 3D, hand-drawn and computer-generated.

The games industry is fast-paced and constantly evolving with new technologies like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI), requiring professionals to stay current with trends and tools.

A career in animation and games design offers the chance to bring imaginative worlds to life, making it both challenging and highly rewarding for those passionate about visual storytelling and interactive media.

If you are interested in animation and games design, you might also be curious to read about:

Skills employers look for

Every employer is different so there are no definitive lists here. These are meant as a guide and should be considered in addition to fully exploring role requirements outlined in person specification, job description and advert for each role you consider applying for.

Teamworking skills, as you may need to collaborate with other professionals such as designers, writers, programmers and sound engineers.
Technical skills and an understanding of programming languages and software packages, such as C#, C++ and Python.
Project management skills to ensure projects are delivered efficiently and on time.
Communication skills for presenting your ideas and pitching for funding persuasively.
Creativity and storytelling skills to develop engaging products.

For more information on the skills required in games and animation visit the following job profiles:

In order to develop these skills, remember Career Zone also offers a range of Personal and Professional Development sessions which are available to book on Handshake and run at least once per term. Please also read through the sections about Gaining Experience and Further Study and Professional Development to discover how you can develop your skills through experience and by gaining further knowledge or qualifications.

Gaining Experience

Gaining relevant work experience and creating a portfolio of your work is crucial for impressing potential employers and clients. Your portfolio should highlight your creativity, technical abilities and focus on quality over quantity. For advice on creating a portfolio, read this Prospects article: Putting together a creative portfolio.

All experiences, ranging from volunteering and active involvement in clubs/societies to work experience can help you to develop relevant and transferable skills. You may wish to consider involvement in:

Volunteering

Mor Media Charity brings people together through community programmes and runs media training & education in Cornwall. They deliver an annual animation festival called, ANIMATE Helston in partnership with organisations including the Museum of Cornish Life.
Exeter Phoenix recruits volunteers for a range of roles, from cinema stewards to gallery invigilators. They also advertise creative opportunities, and often accept short film submissions.
The Poly in Falmouth recruits volunteers to be Front of House Box Office Assistants and Fire Wardens. 
Search for volunteering opportunities with Raspberry Pi Foundation’s Code Club, to help young people get creative with digital technologies.
Research local community spaces and libraries who might need volunteers to support animation or games design initiatives.
Participating in game jams allows you to build evidence for your portfolio, demonstrate your skills and network within the field. Game jams involve groups collaborating and designing a game, usually over a few days. Indie Games Jams and itch.io list game jams.
Look for open-source games on GitHub that need contributors in design or animation.
Volunteering at animation festivals and submitting your work to festivals can be a great way to develop professionally and strengthen your CV.

University of Exeter Employability Schemes

Connect with industry professionals through Ask and Alum and the Career Mentor Scheme.
Career Zone Internship schemes: Internships can be extremely useful, so try and get relevant vacation work or placements.
Pathways to Arts, Culture and Heritage could be particularly relevant.
Exeter Award: The Exeter Award will help you stand out from the crowd and give you the confidence to shout about the experiences you've had at university. Professional development workshops such as ‘Communication and Collaboration Skills’ and ‘Virtual Escape Room’ may be of particular interest.
The Global Leaders Experience is a unique opportunity to develop your intercultural skills as part of a short, outbound mobility experience. Intercultural skills can strengthen your teamworking abilities- critical for work in animation and games design.

Speculative applications and where to find opportunities

Undertaking relevant work experience will also allow you to develop new skills and gain a valuable insight into the sector. As jobs and opportunities are not always advertised, it can be useful to develop your networking skills and apply speculatively. Before visiting the sites below you may find it useful to read our Researching employers page.

Player Ready Virtual Reality are located in Exeter and Truro, blending education, creativity and connection. They welcome speculative applications and recruit for a range of roles such as Mentors, VR & Gaming Hosts and Admin and Support Staff.
Ukie’s UK Games Map is a great way to find local games organisations.
Cornwall Games is a community of Cornwall & Isles of Scilly-based game developers and businesses. You may wish to use their Business Directory to find local businesses of interest to apply to speculatively.

Finding part time work

Consult websites which advertise creative freelance opportunities. Read more from the Career Zone about freelance work and examine the ScreenSkills Freelance Toolkit.
LinkedIn and Indeed list part-time roles.
You could also have a look at Handshake, our vacancy database with employers who are targeting University of Exeter students.
If you’re struggling to find part-time work in animation/games design specifically, consider looking for roles which will give you relevant transferrable skills, such as technical or creative jobs.

Finding advertised graduate roles, placements and internships

Competition can be strong, especially for entry-level positions. Use the following resources to find advertised vacancies and research employers.

Industry Jobs Boards:

Employer Jobs Boards:

Specialist Recruitment Companies:

For general information about finding graduate opportunities, please visit our Graduate Jobs page. 

Graduate schemes and internships

Ubisoft host internships internationally. They are currently reimagining their graduate programme and recommend that those interested check for updates about their new programme here.
Activision offer paid summer internships.
View internships on Handshake here.
NaturalMotion has developed a Graduate Programme involving two 6-month rotations over the first year, across different disciplines.

Placements

If you are interested in finding out more about work placements, you can also access the Work Placements SharePoint via Single Sign-On. This resource covers all aspects of credit-bearing work experiences as part of your degree, including what a placement is, how to apply for them, and bespoke information for international students or those interested in working abroad. 

NaturalMotion runs an annual internship program which is open to university students who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree and are returning to full-time education after completion of their internship.

Further sources of support

If you are an international student, visit our international webpages for help finding opportunities both in the UK and globally.

To find opportunities outside the UK use GoinGlobal.

Further study and professional development

Some individuals decide to undertake further study to develop their skills and knowledge of the sector and related occupations. Not all roles or employers will require this, so it is important to research entry requirements and employer preferences before committing to additional training or qualifications. Use the sites below to research your further study options.

Further Study

The National Film and Television School offer Master’s courses in games design and animation.
Sumo Digital Academy in Sheffield offers a game programming apprenticeship, welcoming applicants from any background or discipline.
Use the Prospects website to search for postgraduate courses in fields such as interactive storytelling and digital animation.
FindAMasters.com and mastersavenue.com offer comprehensive databases of postgraduate Master’s courses, featuring a wide range of Master’s degree programmes from universities in the UK and across the globe.
For more information on continuing onto further study (taught programmes and research degrees) visit the Prospects website, or the Target Postgraduate site.

Professional Development

ScreenSkills deliver training, events and other opportunities. Many of their training workshops are free to attend. 
NextGen Skills Academy offer free virtual work experience. They also deliver courses and apprenticeships in visual effects and animation.
The National Film and Television School offer workshops and short courses to support professional development. 
Access:VFX is a non-profit pursuing inclusion, diversity, awareness and opportunity in the VFX and Animation industries. They offer mentoring opportunities, publish podcasts about working in the industry and coordinate networking events.
Animated Women UK offer networking and mentoring opportunities alongside further support for women in VFX and animation.
Submitting your work to animation festivals can be a great way to develop professionally and strengthen your CV.

Information and links from professional bodies

If you have studied a related degree, check if your course is accredited by one of the professional bodies. Being a member of a professional body is voluntary; however, it can be valuable for developing networks, continuing your professional development, and generally keeping up to date with what's happening in the sector. 

BAFTA is an independent arts charity. They offer a range of programmes to support the next generation of games, film and TV talent. 
TIGA (The Independent Games Association) is a not-for profit trade association representing the UK video games industry. They publish industry news and jobs in the sector.
IGDA (The International Game Developers Association) has a Career Centre and an IGDA Discord which is free to join.
Ukie (The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment) champions the interests of game developers, publishers, service providers, and emerging talent. They host a range of events and publish industry news.
Animation UK publishes industry news and insights.
The Association of Illustrators runs events and publishes industry news. They offer discounted membership for students.

Advice

If you would like to pursue postgraduate study before entering your chosen sector, please visit our Postgraduate Study page for more information about choosing further study. If you are unsure whether further study is for you, you may wish to attend our ‘Postgraduate study: is it right for me?’ session which runs termly. Find these advertised on Handshake.