I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately from students trying to get into the games industry. This bears repeating, but take the time to hone your craft. It’s okay to not jump into this industry first thing post graduation. You are not behind your peers. https://twitter.com/RiotNyanbun/status/1207800366214995968

It may seem like the game industry is this super insular cool kids club where only the people who already have a job in the industry can get one (or can shell out thousands for GDC yearly???). I thought the same as a student. To some extent it’s true.

But it’s really true of almost every industry. Your first break in will be the most difficult, and once you’re in you can rely more on a passive network. That was true for me in tech, where the big FANG players were all the rage.

There’s no shame in taking your first non games industry job to pay the rent and work on games as a hobby, or work really hard to distinguish yourself at your craft until you get noticed by a gaming company.

When you are ready, have a solid portfolio to back up your claims of your craft. Do research to understand the demand and the specific skills for your craft and tailor your application to that game studio to the best of your ability.

If you’re not sure what those craft skills are, do informationals with folks who are practicing your craft in games already. Start with your own network before going to strangers. Plenty of folks on Twitter who advertise mentoring.

Most people, if you tailor questions and show you’ve done some research are happy to take 30 min out of their day to answer questions. Don’t push though. You won’t get far violating professional boundaries.