Tips From The Pros (or Our Trip to GDC)

A group of us wen to the Game Developers Conference Online last month. The conference was a mix of information sessions, networking events, and a bustling expo floor. Most of our group had free student passes, but a few of us paid to upgrade to the Game Career seminar pass. I was one who upgraded and attended the events specifically on getting a career in the game biz. On the expo floor, we talked to a number of hiring managers and recruiters about internship opportunities and what they wanted from college grads.

In this thread I'm going to share (and I hope the other attendees will share too) any info I got while at the event: including relevant presentations from the game career classes and any info I get on internships.

Two presentations during the Game Career Seminar really stood out to me.

Jim Rivers, the hiring manager of Obsidian Entertainment, gave a presentation called "Resumes, Cover Letters and Websites." Now, some of the info will feel a little familiar to anyone who has taken class that covers those things, his presentation also went more in depth into the video game side of things. After the expo I emailed him and he sent me a copy of his presentation, here's a link to it: https://docs.google.com/open?id=1CYeU9or3sPb2XB1bjMShq99fAM9ilTin2N-kZShFEhnwg9HSm0irxPaFpWvZ

After that Lindsey McQueeney, the Manager of Talent Acquisition at 38 Studios/Big Huge Games, with the help of Jim Rivers gave a presentation called "How Not to Get a Job in the Game Development Industry." This one was a little more fun, less business. She showed us examples of things people have done wrong when trying to get a job in the industry (including stalking Blizzard employees), and the two of them would make some sarcastic jokes about it. Here's a link to her presentation: https://docs.google.com/open?id=1Nyl0dAUL0d8kfAu_uQUuHL-9VQUjqUFs97ONORdW-iUzbqSYQx5oMMf3HL5S

Good stuff. Thanks.