Come Prepared and Arrive Alive

It's crucial to invest time into the presentation of your resume and samples.

Cover Letters. The cover letter is beneficial in highlighting your strengths (especially those that a resume might not convey) and passion for the industry.

Cover letters are advisable (especially for entry level candidates) to accompany resume submissions since you may have limited games experience. If you want to go the extra mile, create a cover letter unique to each studio that you plan to pursue at GDC.

Resume. Draft your resume on quality paper and make it look presentable and verify the accuracy of the spelling and grammar on your resume. It is not necessarily bad etiquette if your resume exceeds one page. A better question to ask is -- "Am I including all my relevant games experience on my resume?"

Samples/Demo. Your portfolio is your best chance to make a great first impression -- there might not be a second chance. It is beneficial at times to bring an actual "reel" to the show as you may be asked by potential employers sit down and share your work.

It is also a good idea to bring your laptop with samples at the ready (or the ability to demo your reel on it) to avoid allowing equipment issues to stand between you and an impromptu interview.

Include a shot breakdown with any work samples you provide, and keep the demo between 2-3 minutes in length, or only as long necessary to show your BEST work. Anything longer and you risk losing your audience. If you drop off a demo with an employer at GDC, I strongly recommend following up after the show with an email to the hiring manager containing attached art samples or a link to a website.

Most studios strongly prefer websites for portfolio submissions because they are usually the most time efficient. If you choose this format, please make sure your website loads quickly. Hiring managers can get easily discouraged by slow-loading websites, and therefore you risk losing your audience.

Bring a sufficient number of materials. I am always amazed by the number of job seekers who run out of relevant materials (resumes, business cards, demos, etc.) at the show.

Searching for a job at GDC is a contact sport... you need to make contact with potential employers in order to educate them about why your experience, knowledge, and abilities can make the employer more successful. You quickly become a casual observer when you run out of the materials necessary to conduct a successful job search.