Thoughts on job recruiters and job search techniques?
polycounter lvl 14
What thoughts are their on job recruiters and methods of job searching for game artists? There are a few LinkedIn groups, There's a "Jobs in Games" (http://www.jobsingames.net), websites such as Gamasutra's job postings, etc. What ways do any of you use to search for work in the industry? Of course there are many places you know of already and can simply visit their website, you can do a search and even use lists on wikipedia and such to find companies to apply. I'm sure doing so will still leave you with many opportunities undiscovered. Have you successfully used any recruiters to get into a position? Are they trustworthy or worth the time? I sometimes wonder what is in it for them if the service is free? Any thoughts on dividing your spare time between portfolio pieces and job searching? Thanks
Replies
And then there's the rest. I came across many who didn't even seem to read my resume. People who collect in my linkedin like dust (recently removed a lot of them), who will never ever contact you. In that regard linkedin is useless. However following big companies on linkedin is useful. many post jobs there, so it works a bit like an aggregator.
http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Game_Industry#Job_Searching
I've gotten all my jobs by directly contacting the companies. It has worked the best when I've known someone already working at the company.
I've talked with and worked with recruiters, but their competence varies wildly, and they can actually screw you if you're not careful (mass-emailing your resume, contacting companies you don't want to work with, blacklisting you, trying to get you into jobs that have no relation to your skillset, etc.). I've heard many many horror stories from other game developers. It CAN work, as evidenced here, but that's rare based on what I've heard.
Much good advice in the links on the wiki there, fwiw.
What really annoys them if they collide with another recruiter forwarding your resume to the same studio. So you need to tell them where you're applying directly and where any other recruiters are applying for you.
Treat it like a relationship and not as a service. Your recruiter works with you and you need to work with them. If you think your recruiter sucks at communication, drop them immediately. So in practice I found it most convenient to work with 2, max 3 at the same time.
So, just don't be a dick and be honest with them in your communication and there's no problem.
some pleasant some not , so it all depends case by case
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=107305
Think about what a recruiter does for you. They contact the HR and Art Director for you, acting as your middle man, promoting you to them over other candidates, helping you negotiate salaries, etc.
They are mostly paid on commission though, they only get paid if they get someone hired. There's a lot of pressure on them to finish the deal, which leads many to try to shortcut the process.
If you end up with a bad relationship with a recruiter somehow, they may badmouth you. I've heard stories from other developers of this kind of crap happening. Not my direct experience though, so take it as you will. Also complainers tend to post more than satisfied customers. But apparently this kind of crap does happen.
Another way to get blacklisted is to consistently be an asshat here on Polycount, or other art forums. No one wants to work with that person. I can think of a couple right now, as can many other veterans here, and teams often have a direct influence on the hiring process.
You should have no worries about inadvertently getting blacklisted. Like Kwramm says, just don't be a dick, that's all there is to it.
Some recruiters are quite unethical, so IMHO that's where you have to step carefully. Do your due diligence on them.
Thanks again.
I ended up googling his name and... sure enough his name bounced back with a "recruiter hall of shame' website. Any advice i can give would be to do a bit of homework on the person you're talking to before entering any agreements or pursuing interests any further.
Also, be wary of boilerplate emails. Those guys will typically waste your time.
In-house recruiters should be the only worthwhile contacts to be made.