Applying for a job in the game development industry

Contributed by Torus Games

When someone is applying for work in the games industry, most companies look more at the work they have created in their spare time or at university over their academic results; and whether that person is motivated, able to learn for themselves and ultimately able find workable solutions to problems and understand what is involved in making quality, fun games. Applicants should have knowledge of industry trends and always keep learning – any technological industry is constantly changing, and this is especially true for games.

Torus recruits on an ‘as needed’ basis. We usually advertise on tsumea.com and seek.com. We also have an extensive folio of applicants whose work we have put aside as a possible candidate for future positions. We always appreciate updated information. We employ staff in pretty much all aspects of game development – design, level design, production, art, animation, audio, quality assurance and programming.

It’s worth mentioning that game development is a team effort. Any employee needs to be able to work well with others, take direction, provide creative input, accept constructive criticism, work to deadlines and be able to multitask and prioritise.

We can offer the following tips and advice:

A good understanding of the games industry is essential. Increasing the breadth of your knowledge by playing different genres of games across various consoles (including bad games!) and keeping up to date with industry knowledge. If you have the skills, work on creating your own game, game prototype, or mod of an existing game. It’s a great way to show potential employers how dedicated you are. Learn about design tools and how they are used (UnrealEditor, UnrealScript, Lua, Maya/3DSMax etc). Subscribe to gaming newsletters and attend industry events.

Tenacity is appreciated. However, don’t apply for multiple positions with the same CV. Always tailor your application to the position at hand. If you are rejected for a position, work on your folio before resubmitting. Applications are usually accepted even if there is no position immediately available – if your work is good, you might be placed on hold for future review.

QA is a great way to get into the industry. However, these are highly sought-after positions and recruitment is often stringent. Testing requires precision, a cool head, strict attention to detail and dedication to the position at hand. If you apply for a testing position and aspire to move into other areas of game development, then by all means mention this at interview; just remember that it won’t happen overnight. Don’t despair, though – we have several members of staff who started their career in QA.

Public beta tests of games look great on your CV.

This may sound cliché, but check your spelling and grammar. Avoid SMS-style writing and learn where to place apostrophes!

Posting samples of your work on online forums is a great way to get feedback and to measure how your skills compare to others in the field.

Although not all companies provide feedback on rejected applications (usually due to the volume received), feel free to ask for it. You might get some really good advice on how to improve your folio.

For more information, visit the Torus Games website.