1. Breaking In To The Game Industry IGDA DC & Vicinity Chapter 8/17/2006

2. Breaking In to the Industry  It’s all about Being Realistic Preparing Networking Applying Staying In

3. Being Realistic  Are you sure you want to do this?  Rare entry level roles Game Designer Concept Artists  If you don’t want a “job” GameMaker (site?) Torque (http://www.garagegames.com)http://www.garagegames.com Others  Have another skill to sell yourself with

4. Preparing  Choosing the right school There’s no “right” answer to this. “I don’t care where you got your portfolio, only that you have one.” – Tom Sloper Listen to the people that do what you want to do.

5. Preparing  Getting the most out of your school IGDA Student Chapters Don’t take classes for the “easy A” Do work outside of class (or independent studies) Enjoy yourself!

6. Networking  Networking is a necessity ½ of the entry level jobs are not advertised Having someone in the organization that can speak for you is always a plus Resources:  Articles by Darius Kazemi (http://tinysubversions.blogspot.com)http://tinysubversions.blogspot.com  Tom’s articles (http://www.sloperama.com)  How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

7. Applying  Apply early and often  Apply to all open positions  Continue to work after applying  Follow up  Be persistent, but not annoying It’s a fine line, but you’ll know when you’ve crossed it

8. Applying  The Dreaded Interview Know the company. Be yourself. Use all of your best communication strategies. Show you are:  Ready  Willing  Able  Educated

9. Applying  The Dreaded Interview Questions Have you played any of our games? What games are you playing now? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What’s the most important part of being on a team?

10. Staying In  “What I really want to do is design” Do your job first. Keep your ears open Fill the gaps you can fill Remember your networking skills  Moving up in the world is not all about skill

11. Staying In  Jeff’s Pleas Keep yourself educated Keep pushing yourself Keep a work / life balance Stay involved with the community (IGDA)

12. Recap  School Choose the one that fits you best. Make the most out of four (five?) years. Enjoy yourself!  Networking Friends can get you jobs Visit the resources and practice

13. Recap  Apply early and often You are not too good to get coffee. Show desire, don’t be annoying Sending off the application is not the end of the process  Prepare for your interview Know the company Be yourself

14. Recap  Get the position you really want Keep your ears open. Fill in the gaps.  Stay involved Always learn more. Help the whole community.

15. Questions?  Contact Info jeff@fuzzybinary.com http://www.jeffongames.com