I was hired because I had all my personal work on social media. And that's something I learned, is a part of the philosophy at ILM – they care more about your personal projects because they demonstrate your true passion for VFX. If you're paid to do work, you'll do it. And usually, work in films and CG, it is not only your work, it's 1020 artists working in one shot.
Practicing effective self-learning will give you a huge advantage, especially when you're a student, as you will grasp concepts before everyone else. By the end of college, you'll have years of difference from people who just waited to have the lighting or modeling class. And you'll have even more valuable skills when you're working on the field.
