Calling all Professionals - How did YOU get into the industry?
polycounter lvl 8
Hi PolyCounters,
Not sure whether this is the right place to post this or not (sorry if it isn't the right one).
As a "soon to be graduate" young person , I will be leaving the comfort of my student life and entering the big and scary place known as the real world! As well as that(!), I'll also have to look for a real job and wasn't too sure whats the best way to go about it, and what sort of entry level jobs are realistic in the game industry.
So wanted to ask any and all professionals who have in the past or are working in the game industry at the moment:
What was your first job?
How did you get that job?
And lastly, what advice would you give someone in my position?
I think it would be interesting to hear other peoples stories and their experiences. Obviously you don't have to go too personal if you don't want to
Sorry if this has already been asked a load of times
Not sure whether this is the right place to post this or not (sorry if it isn't the right one).
As a "soon to be graduate" young person , I will be leaving the comfort of my student life and entering the big and scary place known as the real world! As well as that(!), I'll also have to look for a real job and wasn't too sure whats the best way to go about it, and what sort of entry level jobs are realistic in the game industry.
So wanted to ask any and all professionals who have in the past or are working in the game industry at the moment:
What was your first job?
How did you get that job?
And lastly, what advice would you give someone in my position?
I think it would be interesting to hear other peoples stories and their experiences. Obviously you don't have to go too personal if you don't want to
Sorry if this has already been asked a load of times
Replies
Here it is : http://polycount.com/discussion/89972/getting-into-the-game-industry-inspiration-of-a-different-kind/p1
http://polycount.com/discussion/89972/getting-into-the-game-industry-inspiration-of-a-different-kind/p1
The thing to take out of it and to answer your question, is that everyone's path to the industry is different.
Ideally, it would just be applying for a position that a studio posts up on their website. Then get an interview or art test. Then get hired. And for some, that's how they got in. For others, it could be using LinkedIn to talk to recruiters, or knowing someone who forwards your folio. Some people even start out as QA then transition to their intended position. Heck, I think there was one guy I read about who loved a particular studio so much, he cosplayed one of the characters and went to the studio to drop off his resume. But don't do this, this is a very rare exception
What I'm getting at is that if the traditional way of applying hasn't given results, there are other ways to try.
My advice for someone like you or for any other recent graduate, is to get your porfolio reviewed here on polycount. You can post up on the showcase & crtitique section. So you know where you stand as far as art is concerned, and where you need to be. From there, you can gauge how much more work you need to do to bring your work up to a work ready level, which is what studios look for. Good luck!
Ahh thank you guys! i thought there may be a popular topic, just wasnt sure, thank you for the links
Thank you alex that's some sound advice, i hadn't thought of the cosplay interview technique, ill take it into consideration
Im currently getting my portfolio together at the moment so will definttly throwing that up soon, thank you again
you may not be a character artist but its a fun listen.