As the video game industry’s popularity continues to grow by leaps and bounds, new employment opportunities often exceed the supply of qualified game development talent. However, breaking into the video game market without some industry experience can be difficult for job seekers. Challenges will vary considerably depending on the chosen path, and each discipline will require a different approach and specialized skill set. The good news is there are several avenues that will allow you to gain the needed expertise and industry knowledge to get you started in an exciting and lucrative career. Here are some key things to focus on to get hired by a video game company in 2022:

Discussion Forums

Joining online video game discussion boards allows you to share ideas, advice, and tips on a wide array of topics in the video game industry. These can include how to break into the gaming field, what it is like to work in the industry, and help you discover where your interests lie. Some sites also allow members to publish their own video games to get valuable feedback from other members. 

Formal Education

Courses that teach basic and advanced game design and engineering skills are available online or locally through colleges, universities, and trade schools. The foundation that all game employers target are sound fundamentals in computer science, fine arts or game design.  Certifications and degrees will vary between institutions so be sure to pick a program that matches your interests. While some institutions may not offer degree programs specifically in video game development, many schools will have computer science programs that offer classes in coding, scripting, modeling, animation, and the use of common software applications. A bachelor’s degree in computer science with coursework in video game development, game art, or design will improve your chances at getting your foot in the door with hiring managers and video game recruiters. 

Gaming Blogs

If you like writing about gaming and want to show off your gaming knowledge to potential employers, one of the best ways to get the word out is to start your own blog. One idea is to create a blog for the entire gaming community to feature stories about your gaming experiences, reviews, and tips on specific games.

 

Create a Portfolio

As an artist or game designer, it is critically important to showcase your skills to the world by building an online portfolio. Include your best work and make the portfolio easy to navigate! Hiring managers and video game recruiters will not rummage through a website looking for gold. 

Entry-Level Positions

Many entry-level positions, such as a game tester, may not require formal education or gaming experience. The job of video game tester allows aspiring game talent to learn the workings of building a game and how to work in a team environment. These types of positions often offer room for advancement into all of the development disciplines depending on your specific talents.  This is a positive start to a career. Any amount of professional experience helps. An internship in game development is a great way to establish industry connections, and many companies will offer their interns full-time positions if the intern shows solid skill and initiative. 

 Web 3.0

Also referred to as Web3, the next incarnation of the world wide web is opening up new opportunities in blockchain and non-fungible tokens with play-to-earn games. New metaverse positions will involve designing games with avatars, virtual environments, and monetary rewards in the new digital landscape.

Recruiters

Video game recruiters provide candidates access to exclusive job listings that are not made available to the general public. This means job candidates will not have to compete with throngs of applicants, which is typical when responding to open job listings. Recruiters  provide valuable advice and prep during the interview and offer negotiation processes and will provide candidates with a competitive advantage against others vying for the same job. Video game recruitment firms have established relationships with talent and studios to fill positions quickly and effectively. As the studio pays the fee, there is never a charge to the job candidate for the recruiter’s assistance. 

DAM is a video game recruiting company that works with over 100 video game studios throughout the U.S. and maintains a database of job seekers to deliver the studios with only the highest quality candidates. DAM strongly encourages all job seekers to submit a resume, even if no job descriptions match their desired position. The demand for all positions is anticipated to increase as Web 3.0 platforms continue to propagate across the web.