what got you where you are today in your feild of work?

I would suggest that you volunteer for the GDC (Game Developers Conference) that is held in San Francisco during March every year. You would need to submit your name as a hopeful volunteer on their website a few months prior to the conference. Look for the deadline on the website. If you are chosen, you join a large group of people who help set up, facilitate and tear down the conference. During the time that you are not working, you get to go to all of the talks, demonstrations and walk around the expo floor. You can set up meetings with companies who will look at your work and also network with a bunch of people in the field so that you can get some exposure to the video game industry. They accept high school and college students as volunteers. Again look for the GDC on line. Good luck!

Hi Thomas,

Glad to hear that you're interested in getting into game development as a career. As Kevin mentioned above, volunteering at GDC is a great way to get exposed to a lot of what the game industry has to offer. I volunteered for a few years before I started my career in game development.

My personal journey is a bit meandering, but the short answer is that I studied art and illustration in graduate school. Originally I had intended to get into comic books but a friend of mine was a programmer at EA when I finished my degree. He suggested that I go into video games and so I sent him my portfolio and resume and he got it to an art director. I interviewed and a couple of weeks later I got an offer and was on my way.

While in college I had also joined a small student group to develop our own game. Things like that, working on your own projects shows companies that you have the drive, initiative, and passion for the industry. They are definitely looking for people excited to work in this space.

So think about what you want to do in the video games industry and apply yourself to pursuing that course of study. Volunteer for GDC if you want to get a closer look at what people are developing and doing in games. gamecareerguide.com has some links, articles, and resources if you need a jumping off point. 

Good luck, Thomas. I hope that this information is helpful.

Andy

Hi Thomas,

I am a self-taught freelance photographer. I have been taking pictures for 3 years now. The life lessons that got me to where I am today is believing in myself, remembering that failure is growth, and finding a mentor in my field.