Writing Games Part 3: Getting a Job
Probably the single most asked question in the game industry is "how do I get in?" People feel that getting into the industry is a tough, arduous process, that only the best of the best are accepted, and everyone else is weeded out early on.
If only that were true.
In a nutshell, there is no fast and simple rule for getting into the industry. Some places require a degree, others don't. Some places require experience, others don't. Some places give you programming tests, others want portfolios of existing titles, others stress a formal interview.
What's the pay like? Anywhere from complete crap (small startups with no hit titles, strugglingt to survive) to insanely stupid (big, successful companies that feel the need to expand at any cost while they're flush with other people's money).
It's completely hit or miss, and whether you can get it or not really just depends on whom you talk to, how you approach them, and what your skill set both is and looks like.
So here's the beef: unless you have an "in", i.e. a friend on a development team, people are going to look at your resume and/or portfolio and base a potential interview on that, and that alone. This is incredibly unfortunate, because talented, smart people get passed over routinely, and many times grizzled, mediocre industry veterans will get first shot at a new position. Sadly enough, making 7 crappy games goes a lot farther than making a couple cool freeware mods.
Resumes matter. As much as I hate to admit it, resumes matter a lot, because that's the first pass vetting process. If I was hiring today, I'd be looking at resumes as a first pass culling procedure, because the only other option is to sit down and have an interview with EVERY candidate, and that's just not feasible.
So, how to fix things so you have a shot?
Well, for starters, if you don't have direct game industry experience but lots of other, potentially relevant, experience, show it. And definitely show how it might apply to game development. There are many areas of game development that really don't require deep experience in the game field. Sound code is pretty much the same whether you're writing a 3D sound engine or a plug-in for Sound Forge. Tools like compilers, build tools, map editors, etc. can leverage experience that has nothing to do with games. If you have had relevant hobbies, list them -- if you made mods, or you're a MUD admin, whatever, go with it.
Look at your strengths, and figure out how you're going to apply them to creating games. If you're applying for a position where you can demonstrate some of your skills using existing tools, then do so. Common examples are "skin" artists; texture artists; modelers; and level designers. There are tons of free tools and tutorials on how to make these, and there's no excuse not to demonstrate it.
If you're 21 years old, you're a good artist, but you're current job is as an assistant lab technician at a community college art class, then show that that experience is something you've built on. List it on your resume, and include it as an "opportunity to learn existing game technology tools such as 3DSMax, Maya, Photoshop and 3D Painter". Then show them that killer level, monster, animation or skin you've made in the portfolio. Work on freeware mods -- freeware mods is how many people got into this industry. A former id mapper worked on a free mod that got him a job, now he's a co-founder of his own company, Nerve, and they did the multiplayer portion of RTcW. Most of the people at ION Storm were apparently picked up off the mod scene. The Team Fortress guys were hired en masse by Valve.
If you have the passion, you will find a way to hone it and demonstrate it to the people that do hiring. Never, EVER say you haven't had the time to learn techniques and tools, because that will just send a wrong signal. If you don't have industry experience and you want to get in, you HAVE TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE AND LEARN NEW THINGS! You have to be willing to prove that you're "worthy", because just SAYING you're good isn't good enough.
If you're a programmer without industry experience, consider working on some mods. They don't take much time, and working on a popular mod is often a ticket to getting a good job with a game company.
If you're a programmer with lots of experience outside the industry, show how you can apply that to existing stuff. Know 3D from a vis sim job? Know DSP from an embedded job? Know how to optimize code because you're target processor is a DragonBall 20MHz jobbie? Then talk about it -- show that you have experience that CAN be leveraged into valuable contributions on a game.
In other words, you have to sell yourself. Pitch that you're a bad ass, you just haven't been a bad ass in the game industry yet. Don't come off as arrogant or smug, but definitely illustrate how your skill set applies to the company and its current and future products. And, of course, it's always good to have something to show: portfolios and demos matter more than a resume.
And don't bother saying how your creativity and imagination will be an asset. At worst, it sounds insulting, as if the team/company aren't creative and imaginative. At best, it's stating an assumption -- game companies like to assume that anyone they hire, at the very least, isn't dull and vacuous. =)
If you're passionate and into games, mention it, but don't dwell on it. In many cases, it's assumed, but if you're TOO passionate you may get written off as an overzealous fan boy instead of a potential asset to the team.
Don't write a four page resume full of fluff. Don't list being "experienced" at something if you've only installed it once and run a tutorial, because there's a good chance you'll get busted on it.
TAILOR YOUR RESUME TO THE JOB DESCRIPTION! If you know you're interviewing for a tool programming position, focus on that! Mention how you enjoy writing tools because they enable the rest of the team to make a great product, etc. Do your research, download existing tools and see what makes them tick. If the interviewer suddenly busts up with a "What are the three things you would do to improve QuakeEd", you should have an answer. BE PREPARED. In this day and age of free knowledge via the Web, there's no excuse not to be educated on the topic you're trying to sell yourself on!
For tools that have a direct applicability games, list specific skill subsets if you think they're relevant. If you can write Photoshop scripts in JavaScript, AppleScript or VB, do NOT just say "Photoshop experience"! If you know MEL in addition to Maya, list it! If you know MFC in addition to just C++ programming, list it! This helps narrow down the perception of your specific skill set, and lets employers see that you have things directly applicable to their projects even if you don't have game industry experience.
Don't come off religious about your preference for operating system or tools, since that has a higher risk of alienating someone than attracting them. If a company is using 3DSMax and your resume hints that you think anything but Maya is crap, then they may consider you a risk. If you prefer Macs, don't let that become a liability -- many places don't have Macs. If you're a Linux nut, don't come off like a Linux nut!
So that's the advice I can think of off the top of my head if you're trying to get into the industry but you don't have industry experience. Probably one of the best things you can do is to hang out where game developers hang out -- flipcode, gamedev.net, gamasutra message boards, the various mailing lists that are out there (gamedevlists-design, gd-algorithms, gamdevlists-general, etc.). Network, get to know others, let people get comfortable with you, and then when someone is looking to hire, hope they remember you.
I got my first job at 3Dfx DIRECTLY because I was a regular on rec.games.programmer and comp.graphics.algorithms. I put myself up, front and center, so that anyone that was even remotely interested in graphics or games and that was hiring would stumble across my name at some point. My first job offer was from a friend that I met on a mailing list.
Do what you can to push yourself; get to know relevant people; and have the skills and experience to backup your (hopefully positive) self-image.
When opportunity knocks, be standing ready to open the door. Don't be in the living room with the TV turned up too loud to hear it. Or, even worse, don't go to the intercom and tell them you don't want any.
Whew, I'm being talkative lately. Shipping a game lets me relax for a day or two =)
Writing Games Part 4: Making 'Em
