Literally fell into it. Was a physics major, but quit and switched to a multi-disciplinary studies degree because I didn't want to go into academia. Threw in some writing/production stuff in with the science and came out with some crazy-ass degree.
Got a job teaching snowboarding in Breckenridge shortly after college, then taught English in Japan for a year. I really liked video/movie production, so my first "real" job back in the states was as a video editing intern in Hot-lanta, then moved to LA to do more production work. Hated doing production in LA (it's awful), but my roommate was a games editor for an online video magazine thing. She got a job in games PR, then she told me when her company had an opening for something entry level. Decided I should get a "real career," (at this point, that meant a job that used Outlook) so I took it. I got that job purely based on the fact that I played video games, was good with computers, knew a little bit about video games press, and didn't fuck up the interview. Of course, that was all pre-2008 economic downturn, so I don't think anything that happened to me is valid for anyone anymore other than "make connections."
Bounced around at different agencies for a some years before winding up in-house at ATLUS. I took a year off to do some work in the financial sector, but I was awful at it and had zero desire other than "make money." Learned a lot of crazy shit along the way, and the reward is I work in video games.
I hope you all enjoyed this fireside chat.
