Quick tips to prep you for GDC
Part III of IV: Go Green at GDC!
Effectively presenting yourself at a game conference is of the utmost importance to obtain the job of your dreams. To put your best foot forward, you will need business cards, a resume, and a portfolio. Everyone knows that the information contained on these materials is very important. But, have you ever thought about the materials themselves? These days, the manner in which you present your information says a lot about you too.
Protecting our environment has become a priority for everyone. Paper, ink, CDs, discs and portfolios are all items that the typical job seeker uses daily in his/her job hunt. Using these items freely and abundantly, however, increases our carbon footprint, sends material to landfills and hurts our environment. Governments, large corporations and businesses of all sizes are stepping up to do their part to protect and save our climate and environment. Are you doing everything that you can?
Below are some tips to go green this year at GDC and save your mother Earth!
Business cards: Cards are a great way to make an impact with people you meet at conferences. Show your commitment to protecting your environment with a recycled paper option. Even the ink can be environmentally friendly! Think soy!
For more great suggestions on effective business card presentations, revisit Part I of this series: The Business Card.
Resume: Candidates normally print out a large quantity of resumes to take to conferences. Try reducing your resume to a one-page Power Resume. Decreasing the number of pages in your resume reduces the amount of paper you will need!
Eliminating the use of resumes altogether further reduces the amount of paper products you are printing and taking to GDC. Make your business card speak for you by including all of your contact information and a link to your URL.
For more information on the content of the Power Resume, refer to Part II of this series: The Power Resume -- Take aim and hit your job target.
Portfolio/Demo reel: Artists and designers need to provide potential employers with a sample of their work. Traditionally, this was accomplished through the use of VHS tapes and a printed portfolio of artwork known as a "leave behind." Today, portfolios are professionally presented using CDs, DVDs and/or flash drives which are a great start toward preserving the environment!
More recently, however, companies are offering a new optical disc manufacturing process that uses half of the plastics and chemicals typically used when producing the standard media storage options! What's more, these devices are flexible, unbreakable discs that can also be reused by the recipient, eliminating waste from landfills.
Whatever "green" methods you choose, be sure your presentation remains true to yourself, your style and your motivations. The above tips will hopefully guide you as you make a statement about yourself, your job skills and talents and your concern for our environment!
GO GREEN!
Don't miss next week's pre-GDC tip segment about focusing on your audience when selecting a professional email and website address.
Ali Rogers is client manager, executive recruiter for Mary-Margaret Network. In addition to placing candidates, she reviews and critiques artists' work and offers valuable suggestions on presenting the best possible portfolio to potential employers. She has a degree in computer animation and spent seven years working as an environmental artist in the game industry. She may be contacted at ali@mary-margaret.com.
I came across this last week. Digital business cards.
http://contxts.com/