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By Posted in Applying, Interviewing No Comments

A few weeks ago, I spoke with a group of students at the Academy of Interactive Entertainment, a game and film school here in Seattle. They were kind enough to make a video and share it with the world, I thought you might like it.

It was super fun, because I did an open Q&A with the students. They’re graduating soon, so they asked about everything: interviewing, resumes, portfolios, and whether good digital hygiene means you should “scrub” your social media before employers find those pics of that thing you kinda wish you hadn’t done last summer. Here’s the video. Read more »

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By Posted in Applying, Podcast 2 Comments

In this episode of Game Industry Career Guide Podcast, I answer a question from Bryan, who asks “Where can I find reviews for this business site and is this a legit website that I will not be scammed by?”

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why there are so many scammer websites for video game testing jobs
  • 5 simple techniques you can use to identify, and avoid, scammers
  • Use those techniques to see which Google search results are actually scams!

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By Posted in Applying, Podcast, Resume No Comments

In this episode of Game Industry Career Guide Podcast, I answer a question from Max, who asks “Hello, I don’t miss an episode of your podcast ever since the first one. I have a question: What are some specific examples of demos you could prepare for different game programming positions? Could you provide some specific examples that a hiring manager would like to see for positions such as Gameplay Programmer, Graphics Programmer, or Tools Programmer, to name a few? Thanks a lot and keep up the excellent work.”

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Some actionable ideas for demos to put in your programming portfolio
  • Where to find inspiration for even more ideas to code
  • The most impactful and rewarding portfolio project you can do over a summer

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By Posted in Applying, Podcast, Resume No Comments

In this episode of Game Industry Career Guide Podcast, I answer a question from Travis, who asks “I am a recent computer science graduate. I applied for a tester job at Ubisoft and, following your advice, I submitted everything as a PDF file. But I recently listened to another podcast that said big companies, like Ubisoft, don’t actually read resumes, computers do, and that we should use a plain resume with specific fonts and save it as a Microsoft word or a TXT file so the computer can parse the information. Is this true? Is my application going to be overlooked because I submitted PDF files?”

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why big game companies use machine learning software to filter resumes
  • Whether certain file formats and fonts might cause problems for your application
  • A clever trick you can use to find out what’s allowed by any company’s resume-reading software

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By Posted in Applying, Podcast 4 Comments

In this episode of Game Industry Career Guide Podcast, I answer a question from Taylor, who asks “I am incredibly committed to my craft and improving at it, yet I am under the impression that when I apply for jobs, along with my application there may be 30+ talented artists who have been in the industry before. Do hiring managers occasionally consider candidates that have potential, despite not having the experience? Or do they only seriously consider ones that have industry experience?”

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How your entry-level salary fits into the game team’s hiring strategy
  • Why your passion and enthusiasm could be worth years of experience
  • The top 4 ways that a newbie can be even more valuable than a seasoned veteran

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By Posted in Applying, Podcast 8 Comments

In this episode of Game Industry Career Guide Podcast, I answer a question from Kit, who asks “I live in a state where there is no real game development work around, which puts me in a pickle because when I graduate I will have a degree but nowhere to use it. I already know that my best bet is to move to another state like Washington, but how does someone like me who will be new to the industry land that first job when migration cost has to be a factor? I’ve heard that some companies will help with this if they really want you to work with them, but I will not have a reputation at this point so I don’t see that happening. Do you have any suggestions?”

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why you shouldn’t move until you’ve signed an offer
  • Why game studios might pay you big bucks to relocate, even without experience
  • The 2 most effective ways to ask – and get – free money to pay for relocation

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By Posted in Applying, Podcast 2 Comments

In this episode of Game Industry Career Guide Podcast, I answer a question from Mihai, who asks “I have a question regarding game art colleges. I’ve watched Marc Brunet and other artist’s videos and they strongly advised us not to attend any colleges as long as our portfolio is as strong as the Industry demands. Would you recommend attending a game art college if I already have a game studio quality portfolio?”

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Whether you can get a job as a game artist without a degree
  • Why an art degree doesn’t guarantee you’ll get a job… or that you’ll be a good artist
  • How to get real, candid feedback on your art skills

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By Posted in Applying, Schools 4 Comments
How can a game internship solve the dreaded "chicken and egg" problem for students?

At this very moment, many students are knee-deep in their search for their first job at a video game studio. But if you’re one of those job-seekers, you’ve likely smashed head-first into a very tricky problem: How can you get a job that requires “prior experience,” and how can you get experience if nobody will hire you? That’s where video game internships come to the rescue.

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By Posted in Applying, Networking 53 Comments
How can you get your foot in the door, if the door won't open?

Does the video game industry seem like a black box, with no way to break inside? All you need is a foot in the door, but how do you get it to open in the first place?

You can get into game development. All you need is a solid strategy.

But it’s time to stop searching for “the right way,” because there’s no one “right way.” Instead, there are many ways to get your first job at a game studio. To discover the best strategies, it takes an understanding of how the current batch of professional game developers started out.

Here are 10 strategies you can use to break into your first job at a video game studio, along with examples of pro developers that have done it. It worked for them, and it can work for you. Read more »

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By Posted in Applying, Careers, Interviewing, Networking 3 Comments

video-game-job-search

Contents

So you’ve worked hard for months – maybe years – learning how to make games. You’ve got serious game dev skills under your belt, and whether you went to school or you’re self-taught, it’s finally time to start looking for a full-time job making games.

Congratulations, because all that hard work is about to pay off. You’re soooo close to becoming a professional game developer. (That’s got a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? “Professional game developer.”)

The only thing standing between you and a job making games, is writing a good resume. And building a portfolio. And applying for jobs… and doing all those interviews… Well, okay, I guess you’ve still got some work to do.

But you’re in luck, because what you see before you is the Internet’s most comprehensive guide to mastering your video game industry job search. The opportunities are out there, and I’m here to help you find them and make them yours.

You can thank me later, once you’ve been hired and your dream has become a reality at long last. Until then, check out the articles below to help you on your way.

Note: Also be sure to bookmark the Game Development Terms Glossary.
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