How to get a job in the Game IndustryDecember 11, 2012 by

Probably one of the most questions asked about the game industry in general is 'how do I get a job.' Hopefully, this should shed some light on one of the ways to get into the game industry and how to improve your chances of doing so.

Bare in mind, I'm no expert, I've only been working in the industry for 6 months, which is while I feel it's a good idea to share this information while it's still current and still fresh in my mind. The game industry is ever changing and what can be correct one week can be old news the next; so take this with a pinch of salt and make sure you do your research. So here are some tips from me that will hopefully help you into your journey into the game industry.

Pick a discipline.

One of the good things you can do to help you is to pick a discipline. This doesn't mean narrowing your view, this means try and find a niche that your skillset fits and that you enjoy. This can take people years, and also how specialist you need to be deeply depends on the company you decide to work for. Indie studios often appreciate people who can do a lot of everything, however ideally you don't need to be a jack of all trades but instead very good at one thing with knowledge of everything else too. Generally speaking, game development includes artists, programmers, production, design and quality control as well as other cells. Each of these can branch of into deeper specialisms, for example art may be divided into animation, concept art, and so on. This will help you develop a focused portfolio that is full of great work and not a mediocre view of everything.

Don't be an 'ideas' guy.

People who have ideas are great, but don't ONLY be that person. Good, solid, hard work is what is necessary to make it in ANY career path. You can't just sit on your ass and tell people what to do. Game designers often have strong knowledge of scripting or other disciplines, they don't just think of ideas. If you are sitting there thinking 'I'm an ideas girl/guy' then make sure you have some sort of technical skill to back that up. There are so many great tools out there so if you aren't deeply artistic or technical you can still make functional designs; for example Sketch-up and Unity are great for knocking ideas together. Being an actual game 'designer' takes time and effort and very rarely will you ever walk into a 'designer' job. More often than not, they work their way up from other disciplines to the designer role.

Get work experience.

It doesn't matter what you do, but gathering work experience looks like you give at least half a shit about the real working world. Getting industry experience can almost be as hard as getting a job, but doing things like beta or playtesting can be easier to come by than you think. If you are still struggling to get legit work experience, start your own project, preferably with a client. Maybe find a small business or a local school and offer your design services free of charge, this will show you are capable of dealing with people and being commercial.


Talk to everyone you possibly can and go to every event you ever see that even vaguely relates to the game industry. I went to Eurogamer and BAF Game multiple times as well as smaller events and this gave me a chance to talk to real people working in the industry. This can give you a proper idea of what the game industry is like and you can get answers to any questions you might have. This was vital to me because I had a realistic view of the industry which did prepare me well for my first interview. Now, I'm on the other side attending these events as an industry professional because I know how helpful it was to meet people who took time out of their day to help me and talk to me about what they do. We love our industry and we want to share our passion for it with everyone, so devs will always be happy to help you out.

Don't be a bedroom dweller.

The game industry is a highly social environment which is heavily based on teamworking. If you are the best programmer in the world, but have no social skills and don't interview well it's highly unlikely you'll get the job. The game industry loves geekery, but the need to be articulate and to be able to manage social situations is really important to enable the project to keep moving. One of the great things about the industry is being able to be comfortable with yourself around others and talk about things that other people may deem too nerdy, but you need to get along with the outside world too.

Have a formal education.

This can often trip people up and also it's not 100% true a lot of the time. The game industry relies more heavily on a portfolio and experience over a degree, but it can give you the leverage and knowledge you need to get there, as well as the opportunity to network. If you have the chance to do it, make sure you pick a University in which the lecturers are ex-professionals from the game industry as they will have the vital contacts you need to get your foot in the door.

Work your way up.

I'm a development tester, and while this isn't usually what people aim for when entering the industry it's an excellent entry level job. You get to work with people from all areas of the game and have a clear and global view of the entire game throughout the course of it's development. It gives you a perspective on the game industry without a massive unmanageable lump of responsibility and more often than not, you will get into other roles from testing. There are a bunch of horror stories about testing but really, a lot of it is myth. Make sure you talk to other employees about a job before hand, and do your research there. Don't expect to stroll into your dream role, people work really hard to get where they are and you can't take what you have for granted.

Don't expect to work on games you want to.

People can be really picky about what they work on, but you can't afford to be picky about it. I've been really lucky, but you might not be. It's very rare that you will work on a triple A title straight away, or that you'll work on one of your favourite games (and remember, that might even take the magic out of it anyway!) Try and stay motivated even if it isn't your type of game.

Love your industry.

Simple. Make sure you love it enough to make it your entire life, otherwise you won't hack it at all.

So, there we have it. My top tips! I'm sure another of these blogs will follow because I had a billion ideas in my head about what I should write here, so not doubt if I've missed something it'll be here later.

Feel free to ask questions or talk about your game industry experience too!


EDIT: Holy fuck has this had a huge response. I'll make every effort to reply to comments. :) Thank you for your kind comments and support!

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