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Where to Begin It's fall quarter, back to school. Employment for next summer is the least concern of the student, right? Not for one who's serious about looking for a good job. Fall is an excellent time to start researching possible internships, making contacts, and setting up interviews. For the employers, this means that things need to be prepared. A full program need not be set up, but someone should be able to respond to inquiries. A plan for when you will be interviewing / accepting / notifying is required. A clear example of how not to do this is Industrial Light and Magic's plan. Last year they stated: "Applicants who are selected for the program will be notified approximately two weeks before the start of the session." Obviously anyone serious about getting a summer job requires a few months notice. Not only to make plans, but to consider other jobs in case any other does not work out. Most acceptance/notification times are in the months of March and April. These dates can not be too rigid, however. Requiring a student to commit too early will cause them to stall while waiting for other opportunities. Delay too long and they might accept a job offered earlier. To balance these opposing forces many companies are flexible, extending earlier offers to preferred candidates. In my experience, acceptance deadlines have been from two days to six months. But most have been a few weeks. The game industry is rather difficult, however, for a hopeful intern. There are not many companies publicly offering positions. Last year I decided to focus on procuring a game development internship. I contacted thirty companies, was completely ignored by half, politely declined by most others, and had a few good chances left over. The companies I did contact were all common names that I looked up on the Internet. Spending ten minutes in an arcade with a pencil and paper provides many big names, but these were mostly the companies that ignored me. The smaller developers are often better candidates, but it takes some work to get their names. Digging through the credits of the games you've enjoyed is a good place to find those names. One of the best routes to a game job is through networking. Do you know anyone working on games, and if not, can you introduce yourself to anyone? Conferences are an excellent place to start, but they may seem out of reach for many students. You can also try finding alumni of your school who work in the industry. The Internet isn't a bad place to make friends either. Find someone working on games, email them and compliment them. Get a conversation started, and somewhere along the line mention that you love games and are looking for a job. Electronic Arts had a formal application process. I wrote a few short essays answering questions and packaged in some sample code, examples of work, and my resume. Other companies I simply sent a resume to with a short letter expressing my interests. One company gave me a list of quiz programs to write, and a deadline to meet. These all boil down to a couple components. The companies need to be shown that you are motivated and have potential. To show motivation means that just sending a resume isn't enough. But be sure to prepare one. List your abilities, past work, and education. These all help to show your potential. Motivation can be slightly more difficult to show. Start with a short letter, explaining what position you are looking for and why. Getting Hired So, now after contacting everyone you can think of, you have a company or two willing to talk. Be patient, but persistent. It may take some time for things to move along at the company, but this is why you started in the fall. You should have a long-term schedule, based on knowing when companies will be interviewing. Interviews are often made in person or over the telephone. This is a company's opportunity to further explore the motivations and potential of the student. It's also a time for the student to ask questions about the company, and potential positions there. In engineering interviews, I've worn a suit, sat up straight, and hated it. My experience interviewing in the game industry has been far from that. In these interviews, both parties need to confirm that employment would be of mutual benefit. That can be done in a casual manner. Students, keep in mind that it is an important meeting; take time to organize your thoughts beforehand and act maturely. The employer should have job related issues under control. They will have a pay-rate determined which fits their budget and which they feel suits the student. Bartering for a higher rate is bad etiquette, or so I hear. Beyond an hourly pay rate, there may be subsidized traveling or living expenses. These issues are usually not addressed until after the decision to hire the student has been made. Students should wait until and offer has been made before inquiring into these matters. ________________________________________________________ |
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