I understand the need to vent a little frustration, but I also keep getting this whiff of entitlement. It's not supposed to be easy, you are up against a lot of talented kids who will go through the bullshit of the job fair and maybe even get that job that you want. What choice is there? There are literally thousands of students clawing at entry level positions. It's no different for anybody else.

The circumstances aren't conspiring against you getting employed in this industry. It's simply that hard for people who don't have standout work.

While I sympathize with your roadblocks, the industry does not care. So suck it up and stop feeling sorry for your misfortunes. People have gotten farther with much less. You don't realize how much of a leg up you have growing up and living where you are. People bust ass abroad just for a sliver of the same opportunity.

I'd advise you not to waste your time carrying on long threads of frustration but grab a beer, smoke a joint and get making work that you want to impress people with. Aim high.

Originally Posted by WarrenMarshall

I think the point was a little different than what I believe you took it as.

It's about visibility. Just submitting your folio to game studios is the very least you can be doing. Getting noticed is the key, IMO, to getting hired. For example, taking part in communities like Polycount where industry artists hang out is great for this. They'll see your work and that has a larger chance of getting you an interview than simply throwing your resume on the stack at Game Company X.

I got hired here 13+ years ago because Cliff saw and liked a level that I made in my spare time for Unreal Tournament. That got us talking and that led to a job offer. If I had simply applied for a job by sending in a resume I doubt it would have happened.

I really aim what I'm saying here at new grads or people who never had an industry job before.

You pretty much repeat what I said. Visbility gets you noticed, but it didn't get you hired. I seriously hope it was your art that made them go "let's hire that dude!".

Forget about that Flash folio, that blog, that twitter stream, that RSS feed, that WIP thread - yes, this can help you build connections, but if your art sucks it will not help a lot. You don't post WIP threads for vanity to get noticed - you post them for feedback! Spreading mediocre art everywhere on the net doesn't help you - it just takes away time from the essential: making art!

Visibility comes by itself. Post stuff on Polycount, get feedback. People will eventually notice you if your art ROCKS! and sometimes it even takes just 1 single thread, or 1 single piece of outstanding work to get noticed! Wait with the whole visibility stuff until your art is up to standards and only then worry about "getting noticed".

Just think of how many artists get "discovered" in our industry? Sure there's a a few, but it's the same as in Hollywood. The majority of us goes to auditions. Maybe super-star places like Blizz, Naughty, Id are different from the rest and 50%+ of their workforce got "discovered", but somehow I doubt it as they still run a careers page on their site. So if you got discovered, call yourself lucky - really, it's great when that happens - but it's just not working for every single artist out there.

I certainly wouldn't build my job seeking strategy around this. Especially how many juniors totally overestimate their artistic abilities. So don't lean back. Keep sending out those resumes and work on art!

Originally Posted by Autocon

Oh well I didnt mean it was a bad example of someone getting where and what they wanted. For that I think he is a great example and something to strive towards.

I just meant along the lines of it being a bad example of someone who wanted to be great at something working hard and eventually becoming great at it. As although he achieved his dreams of becoming an actor and politician he isnt GREAT at those things, just famous.



It was more of a comment on Mr.Whippy's word choice in the way he phrased his sentence using GREAT to describe Arnolds as a great political (based on the fact that I had him as my govinator :/) and his acting career. If he just said, he pushed to become an actor and politician I wouldn't have made the comment :P

Hehe, maybe 'great' was pushing it, but I guess the point was made.



Back to the topic generally though, I can't find that GDC talk but it was pretty clear in the stats there that loads of people get jobs in games industry, but then decide to leave soon after because it's not what they wanted.
So that says that getting the jobs isn't hard, clearly people don't need to be gifted from birth to do the actual work.

The problem is being passionate about the content and work to actually do it and keep doing it well.



I think anyone who works hard at this stuff can be successful at it no problem at all.
The problem will always be sticking at it, and that requires a passion and love for the work too.


If you can't stick at it enough to finish a portfolio then you have to wonder if you are actually passionate about it.

We can all make mistakes in what we want to do in life, but it's a good idea to have a good think now and again to make sure you REALLY want to work in games.
Going on the stats from employee turn over it looks like lots of people like the idea but it doesn't really materialise as their dream job!


Hmmmm

Dave

I found that great video on GDC Vault:

http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1012343...y-of-the-Whale


I recommend any one to watch it. I've worked in lots of creative areas for the last decade and it applies to them all really well in most cases.


Cheers

Dave

I think Arnold Schwarzenegger's career is based on a lot of luck and timing. Going from body builder to actor and then politician is not really a natural order of switching careers. From my experience, most athletes are horrible at acting and Arnold is no different despite him being funny and great in those cheesy action flicks.

I think people here are pretty much on point here. I tried to tell you this the nice way by saying that people with less skills get jobs but that you shouldn't stop working but I'm afraid that that kind of cheering up can go both ways. If your current portfolio isn't good enough then you need to step up the game and make it better. If that level isn't good then go up another level. Never stop, i myself have been working on my portfolio ever since I quit my job almost 2 years ago and I haven't had any luck yet getting a job as a character artist in an AAA studio. I don't let it get me down and I just keep making my stuff better because that's what it all comes down to; If you can't get a job then it's most likely your portfolio's fault. Even if it isn't it's better to think that way because then you'll keep improving it no matter the reason.

I've tried to help friends getting jobs at certain studios but I've failed to do so every time because of their weak portfolios. At one occasion, the creative director even asked me if I would hire the friend if I was in the CD's position. He said that a potential employee artist should not only be able to match the skills of the rest, he/she should be able to inspire them as well.

You need to aim higher and not sit and worry about why you haven't gotten a job yet.