The Games Game

Doing Instead of Dreaming (December 2008)

Dear Tom,

I am a 33 year old American living in Singapore, and am looking to start a career in the Games game. I have professional experience in senior restaurant management, with a background in graphic design. I was a computer programming student in college, and could probably program a simple game.

I am most interested in a creative role, such as a Game Designer, and feel confident in a managerial role. I have attended game conventions like E3, Tokyo Game Show, etc, have created my own card games etc... but I can't get anyone to take me seriously. I have been searching for a job for over a year with hundreds of resumes sent and it's the same response. They are looking for experience. I started my own game company to help create my own experience, but it seems to have turned against me -- HR professionals think I am just a dreamer.

How do I get taken seriously without experience, or convince someone to give me a shot?

n/a

Hi n/a,

Wow. There are so many issues raised in your question, it's hard to know where to begin.

If you want to be taken seriously, you have to play the game smarter. You have to build a portfolio, just as I told Carlos in last month's column. Join in some modding projects or indie ventures. Find a way to make yourself useful in any way you can. You have to get your hands dirty and discover what making games is actually like. You'll not only have a portfolio then, but also some contacts.

As for that matter of having started your own company. I don't know what kind of company you created, but it sounds to me like you just hung out a shingle in hopes of attracting clients. What you said about HR people looking upon you as a dreamer sort of bears that out. Starting a company isn't the right way to learn an industry.

You say you're in Singapore and you've sent out hundreds of résumés. Since you're at the entry level, nobody will hire you unless you are local. Looking on gamedevmap, I see 25 companies in Singapore. So you shouldn't have sent out any more than 25 résumés. Sending applications to companies in other countries is a further mark of a dreamer.

You need to stop dreaming and start acting. The way to get the job is to do the job. To be already doing the thing you want to do is very convincing proof that you can do it.

Find a realistic entry pathway. If you're not a good enough programmer and not a good enough artist, you have to find another niche for yourself. Maybe QA, I don't know. See what you learn while modding.

While living in Singapore, you should only be applying to local companies. If you want to work in the game industry somewhere other than Singapore, you'll have to move there first.