Hiring process and career preparation for video game industry

A N I N S I D E R S P E R S P E C T I V E O N

G E T T I N G H I R E DI N T H E V I D EO G A M E I N D U S T RY

A N D M A N A G I N G YO U R C A R E E R

B R I A N P E L L E T I E RB P E L L E T I E R @ L E A R N I N G G A M . E S

PREPARING FOR YOUR

CAREER

WHO AM I?

20 years in games industry

Helped build Raven teams

Developed 16+ retail games

Art Director & Creative Director

CAREER JOURNEY

Marvel Comics: Freelance Artist

Raven Software - 5 years Artist - 2D/3D/Animation Art Manager Lead Artist

CAREER JOURNEY

Activision / Raven – 13 years: Art Director Project Leader/Creative Director Artist 2D/3D

Games Learning Society / Learning Games Network Art Director Creative Director Head of Project Development

CAREER PATH

Production Path Increase skills and experience over time Become and expert at your craft Mentor and Train others

Management & Leadership Path >> Me Learn management skills

training Organize production for others People Leader

personnel issues More responsibility – more pay

More headaches!

WHY IT MATTERS TO YOU

Hired over 40 people

Reviewed thousands of resumes and Portfolios

Conducted 100’s of interviews

I’m still at it

THE HIRING PROCESS

RESUME

PORTFOLIO

PHONE INTERVIEW

ON SITE INTERVIEW

COVER LETTER AND THANK YOU

WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR

RESUME

RESUME: WHAT I LOOK FOR

Easy to Read

Skills Do you fit the requirements

Software Programs Doesn’t matter which ones

Experience Yes! even for entry level position >>

RESUME: EXPERIENCE

Hiring for a team position:

Experience working with others Group projects – class project or with friends

List the projects Number of team members What your roles were

Internships

Join a Mod group

Create your own game/s Shows passion / self motivation / proactive

WHAT I WANT TO SEE

PORTFOLIO

PORTFOLIO: WHAT I WANT TO SEE

Blogs vs. Websites

Quality – eye for detail Instant reaction

Well rounded skills

Area of Specialty What is your focus?

Quality over Quantity

PORTFOLIO: WHAT I WANT TO SEE

Consistency Diamond in the rough syndrome

3 examples with same quality

Compare yourself to others Internet – world at your fingertips

Never plagiarize! See internet…

Differentiate yourself from classmates

PORTFOLIO: WHAT YOU SHOULD SEE

Comparison of entry level art

1 2

PORTFOLIO: WHAT YOU SHOULD SEE

Comparison of entry level art

3

PORTFOLIO: WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

Continue to build your portfolio Work on new art to better your portfolio After school – it took me 3 portfolios to get Marvel Gig.

During Career – continue to build portfolio Catalogue your work Be prepared I didn’t save enough images of my game art

Create Process Images Create step by step images to show your process

STEP BY STEP EXAMPLE

WHAT I WANT TO KNOW

PHONE INTERVIEW

PHONE INTERVIEW: DIGGING DEEPER

Okay, so we like your Resume and PortfolioScreening process overview:

Did you do what you say you did How well do you know your programs Passion enthusiasm How well do you work with others Your potential to get better Personality / Culture fit

PHONE INTERVIEW: DIGGING DEEPER

Be prepared to answer the questions

Did you do what you say you did, and……How well do you know your programs

Tell me the process and programs you used to create “X”? How did you get your reference? What stock models or textures did you use? What part of “X” was created by someone else? What feature of the program did you use to create “A & B”? What problems did you encounter?

How did you overcome?

PHONE INTERVIEW: DIGGING DEEPER

How well do you work with others? What was the project you worked on? What was your role? What was main factor in the success of project? What was the biggest issue facing the project?

How did you overcome? Tell me a time when you disagreed with a teammate? Explain a situation where you disagreed with your instructor?

How did you work through the issues? Besides the tasks given to you, how did you help your team succeed

PHONE INTERVIEW: DIGGING DEEPER

Passion, Personality and Culture Fit What Artists inspire you? What games inspire you?

Be truthful if not the games (or kind) the company makes Where/what do you see yourself doing in 5 years?

Be honest! Don’t pander to what you “think” I want to hear What do you do for fun? Who are your heroes?

PHONE INTERVIEW: DIGGING DEEPER

What are YOU screening the employer for?

Prepare questions to askDo your homework on employerAre they a good fit for you?

Be respectful and grateful

DO YOU FIT IN?

ON SITE INTERVIEW

ON SITE INTERVIEW: HOW DOES IT FEEL?

Congrats, We like you enough to spend money on you.

If we weren’t serious about hiring you, we wouldn’t be flying you out. Or spending our precious time with you.

Be courteous, appreciative and respectful.

Dress to impress

This is our first date

Do we want to commit to a relationship?

WHAT IT TELLS ME

COVER LETTERS

COVER AND THANK YOU LETTERS

Written communication skills – it matters.

Communicate Passion and Enthusiasm

Show knowledge of potential employer

Follow up with any extra info or clarification

Thank by name and be appreciative – mean it!

I HIRE PERSONALITIES FIRST

SKILLS SECOND

THE BIG SECRET

CREATE OPPORTUNITIES

Get Discovered:

Create Fan Art…with a twist! Re-imaging their universe – be original Put on message boards / fan sites

Post your Artwork on Art sites

Enter Contests All the art sites do them

LAST WORDS

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

Confucius

LAST WORDS

THANK YOU

B R I A N P E L L E T I E Rbpelletier@learninggam.es