I want to get into the games industry, I want to get into advertising, how do I get onto a movie set, how do I get into [Insert creative field]? Ok, so this time its video games and the plus here is that employers don’t care about your background you could have been driving a tractor on a farm, drilling on an oil rig, or out fishing in the ocean a month ago If you have a good portfolio, love for making games and a growth mindset you’ll most likely get the job.
At the time of writing this, the game industry in India is at a nascent stage. We’re working every day to make our dreams a reality. Studios are always looking for talented folks to join them on their journey. Most people just don’t have 10 years of work experience which is a good thing, more fresh creative minds to fuel big ideas. So from someone who has managed to get a job jumping industries (by the way I still love advertising), here are some of the things that helped me land a games job.
Build a 5-level Game
This game does not have to be complex, it does not have to be your masterpiece, and It does not have to look AAA. It should just demonstrate that you understand game development, you can design 5 levels out of the game mechanic that you chose and you took it to a level of polish you find to be presentable as a demo game (don’t overthink
the last part)
Enter a Game Jam
This is going to tell you where you stand in your level of skill compared to other game developers around the world. It's also the entire development cycle in a short amount of time. You might even get some experience working with people you don’t know, although that’s a bit tricky. The Jam demonstrates that you can work in a high-pressure environment, and employers like to know that you’d be capable when the need arises.
Add some Color to your CV
You are working in one of the most creative industries, and a CV that looks like the one you submitted for the oil rig job is not going to stand out. This is your first demonstration of communication skills if you are not an artist go to Pinterest and search for ‘CV templates’ copy one from there, use Canva, or find a template on Figma. No artistic skills, no problem, still being able to present a good-looking CV demonstrates that you are resourceful.
Where is your Portfolio located?
Publish your games on itch.io. You can embed a hyperlink to your itch.io account in your CV. Make a website using a web builder like WIX or square space. I think making WebGL games for your portfolio works really well as an employer would not have to download and install it and can easily share it with other people concerned. Having your games on the Play store and App store is also great as it demonstrates that you have experience with other platforms.
Post on social media
I’m half speaking to myself here. I don’t do this enough, but when done right it will open up a lot of opportunities, also I think it’s essential to show off your work, just because you’ve worked so hard on it. Its regular advertisements to potential employers and demonstrating your work and process will be part of your job. Here's the itch.io game jams page.