How to land a job in the video game industry
Mary-Margaret Network recruiters reveal their secrets
Recent travels found me presenting marketing best practices to conference attendees at the inaugural Triangle Game Developers Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. I had a lot of fun participating at this conference and it was also exciting to be able to support an industry event on the east coast; based on the great turnout we can look forward to Triangle 2010!
Folks from the North Carolina development community came out in full force including employees from Insomniac, Epic and Atomic Games as well as Red Storm, Vicious Cycle, IBM and The Escapist with session topics across multiple disciplines including Game Technology and Programming, Game Design and Production, Games and Media, Serious Games and the Business of Gaming.
Conference attendees also included a number of students and others looking to land their first job in the video game industry. In particular, I was struck by the sheer number of talent attending the “Breaking In” session. With so many individuals competing for jobs, often hundreds of applicants applying for a single opening, I thought, how can you make yourself stand out among the competition?
To that end, I turned to the expert recruiters at Mary-Margaret Network for the advice they would recommend job seekers implement to increase their chances to be considered for a job in the industry.
Mary-Margaret, CEO Mary-Margaret Network:
• Leverage social networking tools by creating a professional profile on LinkedIn and Facebook, joining groups and forums related to the games industry.
• If possible, attend at least one industry conference, including the annual Game Developers Conference in California. If budget is an issue you can submit an application to volunteer at the event. Otherwise, local events like the Triangle conference are helpful and you can contact the conference administrators regarding special deals for students or volunteer opportunities in exchange for a pass.
• Network, Network, Network. Ask everyone you meet if they think you should meet someone in their network
Norma Crippen, VP of Executive Recruiting and Client Services:
• Be persistent, but not a pest.
• Be willing to take an entry level position such as game tester, game master, or customer support. These positions will get your foot in the door. Once you're in, network internally. If you're an artist, meet the Art Director and express your long term goal to be a part of the art team. Ask him/her what the internal process is. Volunteer to help out with certain art projects on your own time, ask if you can sit with the art team during your lunch hour, find an internal mentor and work your way up.
• Join your local IGDA chapter and meet local industry people and network.
• Find an internship, or a mentorship program. If you don't find any in your local area, ask someone if they will be your mentor.
• Follow game industry blogs and post to relevant blogs or forums. The more your name is out there, the more people will wonder who you are.
• Network! And don't give up!
Alison Rogers, Client Manager and Executive Recruiter:
• Network! Become involved in the gaming community.
• Have a great resume/portfolio and understand what the employer wants to see and what key characteristics define a standout applicant, making sure you have that experience under your belt.
• Always continue to build experience during the job search. In between submitting applications, continue to perfect your craft independently.
• Research the companies you’d ideally want a position with and play their games, become familiar with the company, their history, art styles, gameplay, etc. It's also great to incorporate their art style, for example, into your portfolio without solely focusing on that ONE style and limiting your range.
My two cents, I’ve always found professional recruiters to be excellent advocates and career coaches, helping you land the next position. Good recruiters should have extensive knowledge of the industry and can provide you with “insider” information based on their years of experience, helping navigate important areas such as salary negotiations. Additionally, recruiters can also coach you by evaluating your resume, portfolio and interview skills, enabling you to put your best foot forward to potential employers.
If you’re looking for expert help in landing your first job in the video game industry, talk to the folks at Mary-Margaret Network today.
Tina Tyndal is a brand strategist with more than 10 years of experience in marketing and advertising, diagnosing brand challenges and delivering innovative marketing strategies to drive growth of Fortune 100 technology brands. An avid gamer in her spare time, Tyndal plans to merge her passion and professional work in 2009. Currently, she consults with video game companies to create marketing and PR campaigns and is the IGDA Women in Games Newsletter Editor.
