ScreenSkills: Careers in the Games Industry

Whilst watching the event hosted by ScreenSkills, I noted a few key points beneficial for entering the industry. One key aspect was to potentially enter the industry via quality assurance testing, as it is relatively easier to get into and can also provide you with experience. Developers need large QA teams for larger games, and so the position can be available fairly frequently. You would get a position the easier with prior QA testing experience, so taking any QA opportunity is very important. Networking was another aspect brought up in the talk - expanding your network means that you will have more contacts within the industry which means that more opportunities can come your way. Sites such as LinkedIn allow for people to connect and discuss careers and interests which can lead to potentially finding a job offering. Another tip presented in the talk was to emulate works experience. It was mentioned how experience within the industry can be hard to find, and that emulating the experience typically found in something such as freelancing can prove beneficial. It won't truly compare with real experience, but setting strict deadlines and a high quality of work ethic can prove effective when demonstrating your ability to work in an environment similar to that found in the industry.