3 answers
Robert
Student
Independence, Missouri
1
Question
Updated
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What internships connect game desire supply for after his first your college or while attending his first year of college
I'm currently enrolled in full sail university for #game-design design #computer-games #game-development #video-games
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3 answers
Morgan Baker
Aspiring Software Developer | Aspiring Game Developer
4
Answers
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Morgan’s Answer
First, learn how to write. It took me a bit to figure out what you were asking. As for the question, find a group creating a game. If you're in college, maybe check out the local gaming club,. I'm sure Full Sail has plenty of like-minded gamers. You want to get involved with others who are interested, since networking is mostly how you will get the job. As for your first internship, take a look in your local area and the area around your school (I know some schools will let students stay in the dorms over the summer, it's something to check with your school). Also, talk with a career person
Chris Smith
Senior Onboarding Specialist
4
Answers
Detroit, Michigan
Updated
Chris’s Answer
Hey there!
Former Full-Sailer myself. A few things I've done and continue to do since leaving college --
1. Network. Even a simple as following people at companies you'd love to work for. Blizzard, Activision, EA - they all have really great teams and a lot of them are active on Twitter and LinkedIn. Follow people on those platforms (& others). Interact with their content. Like & comment so you start to get on their radar and before just directly asking for internships or positions. If you're able to go to any industry game events or conventions, that's a great place to meet like-minded people.
2. Work on your skills and showcase it. Instead of waiting to work for a company, there are ways for you to showcase your work. Art Station is a great website to post artwork and has a lot of game designers on there. Create content for YouTube and Instagram as well. Doing this will help to build up a portfolio. In my experience a lot of the companies you'd apply to will request a portfolio review. You don't need to build complete games to create a portfolio.
3. Use the Full Sail guidance. Talk to the career counselors there. Schedule a call with them to talk more. See if they have job boards you can subscribe to. They used to send me job postings multiple times a week.
4. Be patient. It may not happen immediately when you finish your degree. But be patient and continue to work on the 3 above suggestions. I've spoken to people who did luck out and find something before they had finished their program and had a good starting position lined up. But I've also heard from people who bounced around for a few years before landing the position they wanted.
If you know you really want to do something specific in that industry, be persistent and keep learning and up-skilling. Showcase your work and someone will take notice either by you applying or by following your work online.
Former Full-Sailer myself. A few things I've done and continue to do since leaving college --
1. Network. Even a simple as following people at companies you'd love to work for. Blizzard, Activision, EA - they all have really great teams and a lot of them are active on Twitter and LinkedIn. Follow people on those platforms (& others). Interact with their content. Like & comment so you start to get on their radar and before just directly asking for internships or positions. If you're able to go to any industry game events or conventions, that's a great place to meet like-minded people.
2. Work on your skills and showcase it. Instead of waiting to work for a company, there are ways for you to showcase your work. Art Station is a great website to post artwork and has a lot of game designers on there. Create content for YouTube and Instagram as well. Doing this will help to build up a portfolio. In my experience a lot of the companies you'd apply to will request a portfolio review. You don't need to build complete games to create a portfolio.
3. Use the Full Sail guidance. Talk to the career counselors there. Schedule a call with them to talk more. See if they have job boards you can subscribe to. They used to send me job postings multiple times a week.
4. Be patient. It may not happen immediately when you finish your degree. But be patient and continue to work on the 3 above suggestions. I've spoken to people who did luck out and find something before they had finished their program and had a good starting position lined up. But I've also heard from people who bounced around for a few years before landing the position they wanted.
If you know you really want to do something specific in that industry, be persistent and keep learning and up-skilling. Showcase your work and someone will take notice either by you applying or by following your work online.
JJ Odell
Game Designer
2
Answers
Charleston, South Carolina
Updated
JJ’s Answer
Definitely look for any sort of club or group with a videogame focus. Especially if they work on actual games, it can be great experience. In the industry, you are always going to work with a team, so recruiters will want to see that you have built a game with a team. Any games you build on your own are also fantastic and really show your passion, but it’s important to have had a team experience.
I would also recommend exploring what sort of positions you are interested. If you are interested in design, it’s helpful to learn how to code, and if you are interested in being a game programmer, it’s obviously essential. If you’re interested in art or writing, look into ways to improve your skills in those areas. For most positions in the industry, people will want to see a portfolio of your work, and classes can be a great way to build this up (especially if they are creative courses or ones where you can make a project videogame related).
My last piece of advice would be to apply to every position you find. It is very tough to get a position, so definitely work towards getting an internship. It took me applying to about 120 positions before I got my first offer (heard back from 3 and got offers at 2). It can take some time, but if you put in the work you can get great opportunities :)
I would also recommend exploring what sort of positions you are interested. If you are interested in design, it’s helpful to learn how to code, and if you are interested in being a game programmer, it’s obviously essential. If you’re interested in art or writing, look into ways to improve your skills in those areas. For most positions in the industry, people will want to see a portfolio of your work, and classes can be a great way to build this up (especially if they are creative courses or ones where you can make a project videogame related).
My last piece of advice would be to apply to every position you find. It is very tough to get a position, so definitely work towards getting an internship. It took me applying to about 120 positions before I got my first offer (heard back from 3 and got offers at 2). It can take some time, but if you put in the work you can get great opportunities :)