Job hunting
polycounter lvl 9
If youre fresh out of 3d school (game related education) what is way to go about getting a job. Just apply for positions directly even if you dont qualify or just the junior entry level positions? Or will that hurt my future chances?
Replies
The only people landing junior and entry level positions are people with rocking portfolios that look like they're seniors but happen not to have any experience yet. You also have to compete with all the people who have been in the industry for a while and been laid off.
Since it sounds like you're not really sure your portfolio will land you a job, then you might not want to send it around yet. The reason for this is if you send it around now and they decide no, even with a few better pieces in it next time you'll have to fight that negative reaction. "Hey I've seen this before, we said no... humm I'm not sure some of this looks new but still my gut says no"
Keep in mind I haven't checked out your stuff so you could be ready to start shopping around for a job.
There are so many students out there that have such awesome artwork, you have to be on par with them. (you and me both).
yeah i gues so! just keep on keepin on then.
Yeah i have, and it dosent look good
If you're 'worried' about your portfolio however. Stay in your shed and get your skills up. Nobody will hire anybody out of pity. You have to prove yourself. SO like others have said above; compare yourself to the champs and emulate the awesome.
Let the industry be your measuring stick and also consider that what you see now, was worked on a few years ago. What they will hire you to work on will blow the doors off of what they've previously done, they don't want to hire someone who has trouble hitting a bar they set 3-4 years ago, they want someone who can hit a bar they themselves haven't reached yet.
Either way keep pushing forward and never get too comfortable.
https://disney.recruitmax.com//main/careerportal/Job_List.cfm?szSearchType=Advanced
all kinds of openings.
I think you nailed it right on the money Mark.
Apply to anything you feel you could reasonably do. Pretty much anything that isn't asking for senior/art director is fair game.
The worst that can happen is they delete your e-mail, it's not like applying to a job and not getting it puts you on a blacklist or anything.
I think I've applied to some studios multiple times.With a few years in between. If you ain't the right person now you might be next year.
I'm with Wahlgren on this one, just keep applying, be persistent and keep learning new things and updating portfolio in the meantime. :thumbup:
:thumbup:
looking for jobs in the games industry can be quite frustrating, even for "pros". Some employers give you the feeling you ain't worth anything and you have no XP at all in the initial phone interviews and at the same time others will think you're the best thing since sliced bread. It's an odd world out there...
Him and I actually worked together at Disney. An internship was hands down the best thing I could have done. I learned infinitely more than i did at school haha. It gets something on your resume that tells people you know how to work in a studio environment professionally. Not only that, it goes back to what someone else said about not comparing yourself to other students and only comparing yourself to professionals - when you're completely surrounded by professionals and working 30-40 hours a week, your work will improve exponentially.
So, if you can't find an entry level job, I'd highly recommend applying for internships. Also, many times internships lead to jobs because of the relationships you build and you have an opportunity to prove yourself.
note: i'm really new to all this myself so i don't know how good this advice is, but i know it's been helpful for myself.
Apart from the graduation ceremony I've finished this university course and am now considering what to do with the pressures of getting a job immediately. As Mark said, applying with subpar work would mean it could affect the outcome next time you apply with better work, although a few of you say you should keep applying. I'm just wondering which path to take on this one.
Should I apply for places now then work on my portfolio as I wait and see what comes of it before applying again, or put a hold on applying and work on a portfolio?
Personally, I applied to everywhere and anywhere that I could find that I felt I could turn out the work they wanted. Eventually I got a call from a few places and one stuck. Keep checking their websites and seeing what opens up, all the while improving your work as you go. Also go to any GDC or industry events in your area. They are worth the $ several times over.
After my studies, I made a map here on polycount, and after that I did not even have to apply anywhere, I landed a job two months later.
So if you want me, there's no real rule, one day you cant find, another you do.
Best idea is still to scrap what you did at school and make a new ambitious project to get highlights.
If you really feel like you want to nail a piece as a character artist, is it better to just go for the low-poly + textures with maybe a pose. or would it benefit a perspective employer to see it rigged, and put into a game-engine as a fully fleshed out character?
I'm thinking about doing this, but I'm pretty sure if I took the time it would take to do all that stuff I could have made another full character by then.
Bscly is a bird in the hand worth two in the bush?
I think marmoset toolbag or even viewport screenshots are fine. Pre-rendered images should be too.
Game Industry Advice4students
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http://wiki.polycount.com/CategoryGameIndustry
Rigged and posed is always nice, but not essential. I do think seeing it in some kind of real time environment is nice, but keeping it in viewport with a nice shader should be fine too. Really, you just want your stuff to show well however you can. First impressions are huge when people are slogging through tons of applicants.
If time is an issue and your model shows off your skills well enough in the default pose then go with it and move on. :thumbup: Save the extra rig/pose work for your portfolio's centerpiece model.