Support NeoGAF

[jiggle]

I've never been to one so I want to make sure. Is it a good time to submit resume/reel/portfolio to the companies during the expo? Since they're there mainly to show off their goods, will submiting via their company email/adddress, answering specific ad, and going through HR a better route to go?

 

[Rhindle]

A whole bunch of companies have recruiting booths at the show, IIRC. But I have no idea whether that's a more effective way of getting in the door than going the HR route. You'll save some on postage.

 

[bishoptl]

Recruiters are out in force at GDC. Bring your resume along with CD/DVDs of your work (assuming you're an artist).

 

[fennec fox]

Bring a billion resumes. Hell, bring em to E3 too.

 

[Datawhore]

Bring your resumes to the recruiting booth, but don't try and pawn them off on unsuspecting developers in the lunch room. That's what business cards are for.

Have a suit, or some nice clothes too because many of the HR booths will actually hold interviews while the show is going on.

GDC is the best place to network in the games industry, period. People I met there helped lead me to my current job in the industry.

 

[jiggle]

Thanks for all the info!

I was just planning on wearing tshirt and jeans. Guess I'll need to rethink that part :lol



Time for me to get cracking on putting together my portfolio.

 

[Eggo]

GDC is a much better choice than E3 for getting a job. The atmosphere is quieter and people have more time to talk and listen to what you have to say. Good opportunity.

 

[Flynn]

I was going to chime in to confirm:

Dress like you would for an interview.

They usually make a listing of jobs available at the booths. I remember Bioware had a bunch of positions open last year.

 

[FreakyFink]

Any good ideas (or connected people) that could waive the $200 admission price?

 

[truesayian]

bring a resume, i guess.... but seriously, bring a VERY STONG and ORIGINAL CD PORTFOLIO. That's really all that matters... the best resume, wont hold a thing to an amazing cd portfolio.

 

[Crazymoogle]

bring a resume, i guess.... but seriously, bring a VERY STRONG and ORIGINAL PORTFOLIO.

That's basically how it is.

Note 1: Cut the crap. Don't worry about how much stuff you've got until the crap is cut out. Everybody knows about first impressions, and if your first ten seconds/ten works aren't your best, they're going to haunt everything that comes after. This applies especially to animators, because almost everyone would rather see 30 seconds of quality rather than 3 minutes of "needs work".

Note 2: be prepared to give away portfolios. And in my experience strong work for a game demo or the like trumps everything else unless you're looking for a cutscene job. Companies will always tout talent before training (if you draw like Oh! Great, learning how to use Windows XP is considered a minor setback), but showing great work in a game environment is like a sign shouting out "I'm qualified, quick - hire me before I go somewhere else!"

Someone once told me that ideally you should spend money equivalent to a third of your tuition just to market yourself and deal out portfolios, and while I'm not sure how true that is, the guy with the blank label CD is rarely going to be seen before the guy with the illustration labelled DVD and glossy prints. Even if you hand your stuff in first.

(Yes, I've seen people hand in VHS tapes with packing tape name labels)

Note 3: Character/Environment artists: Bring a sketchbook if possible. You're not about to pawn it off, but if person A is intrigued by your stuff, they'll definitely want to see how you do with rough work. I've personally hired at least one person before based on their sketchbook works after being left not completely convinced by their portfolio pieces.

 

[Marty Chinn]

It's probably easier for artists than programmers, especially if you're starting out. It seems like a lot of places were telling you to go to the website to submit your resume there rather than taking it right then and there.