“Playing games is the best education, if you’re thinking critically as you play.”
Meet Mandi Grant, Level Designer
Mandi has been in the game industry for a long time, and has played many roles in the design as well as the art departments. Today we’re talking with her about her job as a video game level designer.
Pay special attention to her advice on how artistic talent plays a critical role in the level design process. Read more »
With dozens of game careers to choose from, which job is right for you?
There are dozens of careers to choose from in the video game industry. But which one is right for you? Which job is the best fit your own unique interests and personality?
To find out if you’d make a good game artist, designer, programmer, or tester, there’s no better way than to find someone who’s already doing the job, and ask them to tell you all about it. Unfortunately, if you’re like most people, you probably don’t know any professional game developers who you could ask.
That’s why I did it for you! I interviewed over 30 professional game developers to find out all about their daily jobs. I asked them what they do, how they got started, and what they like (and don’t like) about their jobs making games. And, most importantly, I asked for their very best advice on how a new person (someone like YOU) can get started in the career.
So read these interviews with professional game developers to find out what each job is, what it takes to succeed, and how you can start preparing for your own game career today.Read more »
If you love video games, it’s natural to be interested in video game careers. But if you’ve done even a little bit of research, you’ve probably noticed there are dozens of different job types in the video game industry. That can make your career research a bit overwhelming.
I have good news for you: Even though there are dozens of different game jobs, most of them fall into just six high-level job “families.” Simplify your research by reading about the job families below, then follow the links to dive deeper into the areas that seem to catch your interest. Learn about the top video game careers, explore what they do, and discover which ones you should consider for your future career. Read more »
If you want a job or career making video games, you’ve got to understand how “deep” to go with your studies vs. how “broad.” Specialist or Generalist? It’s not that simple. The real answer might surprise you.
The Internet is full of info about the game industry. But only a handful of resources cut through the noise to offer current, practical information to help you get a job and grow your career in games. And they’ll save you a lot of time and effort along the way.
The resources below are the cream of the crop, and come recommended by top game schools and industry professionals. And – bonus! – most of them are absolutely free. Enjoy!
“I’m so passionate about making games my career, but where do I begin? I really want this but have no clue where to start.”
“I hate my current job, but could a career in games really support my family? Or have I missed the bus?”
“I sent my resume to 10 different game studios, but none have responded. Is this hopeless? What am I doing wrong?”
If so, you’ve come to the right place.
When you’re thinking about a career in games, there’s so much to learn. It can get overwhelming. You need to find a career that fits your personality, learn the job skills, write a convincing resume, build an epic online portfolio, ace the phone screen… and that’s all before you even get an interview. It’s enough to leave you buried under a mountain of fear, uncertainty, and doubt.
That’s where I can help. Think of Game Industry Career Guide as your magical cheat sheet for learning about the game industry, landing your first job, and starting a fulfilling (and profitable!) career making video games.
After spending more than 15 years in the video game industry, I’ve learned exactly what game studios look for in job applications and interviews. And I’m sharing this insider information from my own career, along with dozens of my game industry friends, so you can follow your passion and start your dream job: making video games.
Are you ready to light the fuse and rocket into your new career?
And if there’s anything else you want to know as you kickstart your career in games, just ask me — I personally answer every email.
I’ve been a sci-fi geek since the 1970s. In this Star Wars Creature Cantina, Han always shot first!
About Jason W. Bay
I’m Jason, your career mentor here at Game Industry Career Guide. I’ve spent over 15 years in the game industry, doing lots of different jobs: QA Tester, 3D Modeler, Game Designer, Lead Programmer, Studio Technical Director, Director of Studio Operations, and General Purpose Entrepreneur. (Whew!)
I’ve got years of experience hiring and managing game-makers from many backgrounds. I’ve also written for game industry magazines, spoken at international game industry events, and worked with top game dev educators like DigiPen Institute of Technology, the University of Washington and Bradley University.
Now I’m pouring all my experience into this Career Guide, to help you start and build your own career making video games. You’re going to love it!
Favorite game: Mirror’s Edge (see previous bullet point)
Favorite animal: Slime mold*
Favorite joke: Two atoms walk out of a bar. On the cab ride home, one says “oh no, I forgot my electrons!” The second asks, “Are you sure?” The first replies, “Oh yes – I’m positive.”
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
Your free information is on its way to your email inbox! I’m truly honored that you’ve given me a chance to help you with your video game career. I promise I’ll do my very best to get you all the information you need to get and grow your job in games.
Next: Get a job testing games
The most complete guide to learning how to test games and get a job as a Game Tester is my book, Land a Job as a Video Game Tester. It will teach you the basics of game testing, and walk you through the process of applying/interviewing/accepting game tester jobs. It has everything you need to know to get a job testing games. read it
When you apply for a job, it’s common for the company to ask, “What are your salary requirements?” If this throws you for a loop, you’re not alone. It’s a hard question to answer. You don’t want to give a too-high number and scare them off, but you also don’t want to sell yourself short.
