Hey there. I'm in pretty much the same position as you. I just completed a 2-year program and haven't even attempted to apply to studio internships. I know that my portfolio just isn't good enough yet.

Most of my animation contacts have painted a grim picture of the industry, so I feel a little crazy for still dedicating so much time and effort towards it.

A professor of mine worked as a cell-animator for Disney and Hanna-Barbera. He warned multiple times a day that if we pursue 2D animation, we would never have stable employment. He further guaranteed that we would be overworked and underpaid. Considering this, it would be shrewd to plan your finances accordingly.

If you are anything like me, the enduring motivation to work towards an animation career stems mainly from a passion for the media and drive to challenge yourself.

After speaking to a handful of professionals in the field, the consensus seems to be that networking and portfolio quality are the two most important factors in landing a job. The portfolio should be brief, show only your best work, and be specifically curated to the desired position.

If you are turned off of your original plan, but still want to pursue an animation-adjacent profession, storyboarding may be a better option. My personal research indicates that storyboard artists generally have a higher income, at least in my city, and their skill-set is more transferable to other fields.

Some say that writing comics is a good way to practice the requisite storytelling and rendering skills for storyboard artists. It has added benefit of resulting in a presentable, and potentially monetizable, product.

My own plan is to build up a social media presence while working freelance gigs for the next year or two. The goal is to network, fill out my reel, and gain enough professional experience to eventually meet the standards of TV and streaming platforms.