Breaking Into the
Game Industry
By Ernest Adams
Packaging Yourself as a
Professional
What you will need:
 Your Resume and Cover Letter
 Your Portfolio or Demo
 A Business Card
 A Professional Website
Networking: It’s not what you know
Researching a Company
 – The place to start is the company’s
website for the most direct look at the
company’s products. Visit the “Jobs” or
“career” page – most companies have one.
Go to the “Contact Us” to find out where
the company is located. Also check out the
company’s magazine advertisements.
About Recruiters
Recruiters are a great resource for
information about the industry, particularly
current information like salary ranges and
job markets in different parts of the
country. Because their whole job is
schmoozing they are usually chatty, well
informed people, who are happy to give
you a little of their time and advice for
nothing.
How to Schmooze
 To schmooze you have to attend the industry
events where developers congregate, particularly
the Game Developers’ Conference. (March 5-9 in
Moscone Center, SF)
 If a company is throwing a party at a conference
or trade show, that’s the place to start, because
that’s where the largest concentration of its
employees will be.
 What you are looking for at a party is a company
employee who doesn’t seem to have anyone to
talk to at the moment: like someone getting food.
Be Real
 There is an old saying that “sincerity is the key to
success.” If you can fake that you’ve got it made.
 Because of its large technical component, game
development is about performance not
personalities. For the most part, game developers,
especially those in the trenches building the
content, are honest, sincere, direct people who
tell the truth and expect the same of others.
Your Resume and Cover Letter
Great resumes are not lists of facts; rather
they are a collection of powerful assertions
that convince the employer that you have
what it takes to be successful. Prepare your
resume as professionally as you can Be
truthful.
From Mary-Margaret.com Resume site
Resumes (Continued)
 Don’t get cute – The bottom line is that there is
no substitute for real content, saying clearly and
cleanly what you can bring to the job, Spend your
time polishing your portfolio or demo, not ways
to make your resume look cool.
 Never Lie, but Always Spin – Never, ever tell a
lie on a resume Don’t make up jobs you never
had: don’t make up degrees you don’t hold. You
don’t lie, but you spin: choose to emphasize the
things that show you in the best light, and
eliminate anything that doesn’t.
More Suggestions about Resumes
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Include the tools you know as a separate item.
Revise it as appropriate to match the job.
Highlight key points with boldface or underlining.
Don’t worry about keeping it to one page - This is
nonsense. If you have relevant experience include it.
 Don’t include irrelevant material
Crafting the Cover Letter
 Rewrite it for each company you send it to.
 Don’t be arrogant
 The reader is a stranger, and formal politeness is
called for.
 Use real English words. No shortcuts like “u” for
“you” No “d00d-speak.” They probably won’t
get it and you want the reader to take you
seriously and give you an interview.
 Keep it short – Half to three-quarters of a page
 Spell- and grammar check everything.
Building your Portfolio or Demo
In the game industry they look at your
demo or portfolio. I can’t emphasize this
enough. You must create a demo or
portfolio to break into the industry in a
skill-based position. At the MIT Media
Lab, Nicholas Negroponte says ‘It’s Demo
or Die.”
More about Demos
 A self-running demo should show your best work
in the first three to five minutes, and have the
best material first.
 A demo that you present in person shouldn’t be
longer than ten minutes, or so.
 Be sure it illustrates and supports your message
 Like your resume, tune your demo for your
audience.
How Do You Find Jobs
 Network, network, network
 Read the industry news
 Check company websites, frequently.
 Read job ads in developer magazines and
websites.
 Read job ads at job websites.
 Read job ad in newspapers and general
media.
Handling the Interview
 Show up on time
 Bring three or four copies of your resume
 Smile. Be positive. Sit up straight. Shake
hands and look ‘em straight in the eye. You
want to seem cheerful but not flippant,
sober but not dull, well-informed but not a
know-it-all, confident but not arrogant.
Who will Interview You?
 Your prospective boss
 Someone from Human Resources
Don’t be fooled – They get a vote!
Relate story from Alex St. John (Wild
Tangent)
 Your prospective bosses boss
 One or more prospective coworkers
Showing Your Demo or Portfolio
 Rehearse and practice
 Anticipate questions
 Bring your own computer if at all possible.
 Be sure of your gear – test it thoroughly!!
 A Rule of Demos is “The more important
the demo is, the more likely it will crash!”