Catherine S.

One of the new techs I've been focusing on in game development has been to try and answer the question: what part of development is tedious and could be a good place to embrace some new technology and find new solutions to keep design fun, in the control of developers, without automating too much of the process. It's important to stay on top of what is going on in tech in other fields and ask how it could be a positive, or negative, to the future of our industry. As game devs, we're no stranger to constantly learning new tools, but we need to speak up about how new tech is used and when and where. Advocate to execs about new tech and why/how it could benefit or hurt.

A lot of the social media standards of where to share are changing, but some good ones I'm seeing right now are still Art Station as the top place to share your work and get seen by the game development community, but Cara is also a wonderful option as well, particularly if you want to work in concept art or level design. It's an active platform with a web and mobile component and works a lot like Art Station and Instagram combined. If I were just getting into the industry, I would have a professional website with my portfolio pieces, and be active on Art Station and Cara. Discord is also one of the best places to share your work in progress, build community, share portfolio links, and find job listings.

I got my first game development job by networking. Discord communities are great spaces to meet new, fellow developers, but always be genuine in your connections without always looking for what the other person can give you. People can tell when you are only in the relationship for what you can get out of it. Instead, work on sharing your joy and it will attract the right people to you. That said, it's okay to let people know your career goals. Be honest about what you want to do and where you want to go in game development. As long as you don't go in with expectations that every interaction leads to a job, you'll find people are more than willing to help with guidance, advice, and general career information.

Showing your portfolio is extremely important, and your knowledge of current tools and skills, but you will also want to showcase how to tell a story from concept art whether you are looking to work in level building, user interface/UX, character design, weapons, coding, or world building. You need to show you can think like a game developer whether it's open world, a platformer, roguelike, or other types. What kind of games are you passionate about creating? It's not enough to know the tools. Let your passion come through in your pieces. Show that you can think like the developer and the player, as well as method on how you would playtest your creations.

Networking is crucial, but so is reading the room. Don't go into networking with the objective that you're going to get something out of the other person. Go into it to build genuine connections and relationships. Be prepared for not everyone to click with you immediately. It's better to be laid back, relax, and ask about what the other person is working on or excited about. Try to talk about yourself less and listen more while networking with game devs. Try to approach it more in sharing your passions for the game industry with other professionals who are just as excited as you are and you'll build genuine relationships simply by being a genuine person too.

Imagine trying to explain your idea to someone who is a decision maker who has no clue what you're doing, and also try writing a pitch that is towards someone who is an expert in your field. From this exercise, it will help you have several, short elevator pitches at the ready based on your audience. If you write only one kind of elevator pitch without considering who you are pitching too and their ideas, background, and experience level, you might end up totally missing your mark on relating your idea to someone at the ready. Be prepared to talk about your work in several scenarios - professional settings, laid back ones like over lunch or coffee, and be prepared to explain more or answer questions.