Gaming Industry Entry Level Jobs
The Gaming Industry is a big business, and it’s growing every year. If you’re looking for an entry level job in the gaming industry, this article will help you find one that fits your skills and interests.
What is a Gaming Industry Entry Level Job?
A gaming industry entry level job is any job that requires little experience or training but still provides some basic knowledge of how the gaming industry works. These jobs typically don’t pay very well because they require little training and education, but they are good starting points for those who want to work in the gaming industry.
What Skills Are Needed for Gaming Industry Entry Level Jobs?
The most important skill required for these jobs is patience. As someone new to the industry, you may not know what you’re doing at first, so it’s important that you can stay calm under pressure and keep your cool while learning on the job. You’ll also need strong communication skills because most jobs in this field require interacting with others frequently—both face-to-face and over email or phone calls. Lastly, since many of these positions involve customer service work (either directly or indirectly), it’s helpful if you have
Gaming Industry Entry Level Jobs
1. Spend time on video game discussion boards
There are many online video game discussion boards where users share advice and tips on the video game industry. This allows you to gain extensive knowledge of video games and what it’s like to work in that field. Some users will also publish their own video games and receive feedback from others on what to improve.
If you have prototypes of video games you’ve created that you’d like to share, you can post them on the discussion boards as well. Some executive game designers browse these boards, so they may view your game and provide helpful feedback. They may even offer you a role at the gaming company where they work.
2. Build a gaming blog
If you’re interested in writing about gaming or if you’d like to demonstrate your advanced gaming knowledge to potential employers, you can do so with a blog. You can create a blog for the gaming community that features stories about your gaming experience, tips to follow when playing certain games or reviews about newly released games. Experts in the gaming industry may locate your blog, enjoy your work and reach out to you for feedback or potential opportunities.
3. Create your own games
Many employers require or prefer candidates to have experience creating games, which can be difficult for entry level employees to obtain. Take courses online to learn how to make games and earn certifications in certain software systems that you can include on your resume.
You can also build a portfolio that features your homemade games. This way, you can still showcase your experience creating games, even if you haven’t worked at a video game company. There are also some companies that hire freelance video game developers to design or help build their games. Showcasing your freelance work is another way to make your resume stand out, even if you don’t have experience physically working in a video game company.
Related: Types of Video Game Designer Jobs
4. Earn your college degree
A great way to learn about the video game industry, develop an advanced skill set and gain valuable connections is to pursue a bachelor’s degree in video game development or game art and design. Apply the skills and education you develop toward the career you pursue. You can also feature your class projects on your portfolio to showcase to hiring managers. When pursuing this program, you can take courses that teach you coding, animation, scripting, drawing and using common software systems.
5. Pursue entry level and internship roles
Conduct research to locate available positions within the video gaming industry and find ones that appeal the most to you. Some entry level roles involve testing video games, which rarely require a degree or professional experience. Working as a video game tester can help you better understand how the gaming industry operates to help you realize if you still want to work in it. If you perform well as a video game tester, your chances of moving up to more advanced designing or developing roles will grow.
You can also pursue an internship in game development if you have basic art, sound design or programming skills. Research potential internship programs that video game companies may offer. This is a great way to build connections within the industry and to learn which specific career you’d like to pursue, if you’re unsure. Some companies choose to hire their interns full time if they’re impressed with their work.
6. Work in a gaming studio
Once you’ve gained extensive knowledge, experience and abilities, you can pursue a role at a gaming studio. Update your resume to include any related job duties, education or skills you’ve earned that make you a great fit for the role. You can also share your portfolio featuring your projects or games to stand out to hiring managers. Some gaming studios hire employees to work in non-development roles at first and allow them to later move up to development, animation or design positions.
Jobs in the gaming industry
There are a wide variety of gaming industry jobs available that you can pursue depending on your skills, interests and education. Below you will find a list of common jobs within the gaming industry, where you can also find up-to-date salary information from Indeed by clicking on the salary link by each job title:
1. Animator
National average salary: $44,397 per year
Primary duties: An animator uses computers, software systems and other technical devices to design moving images that relay certain messages, information or stories. Their main duties include creating storyboards, reviewing writers’ scripts to accurately tell stories, altering animations according to clients’ needs and presenting final designs to clients.
Related: Learn About Being an Animator
2. Computer programmer
National average salary: $48,341 per year
Primary duties: A computer programmer designs, builds and maintains software systems and computer infrastructures. Other responsibilities are using coding languages to build and debug programs, testing and building computer structures, writing computer instructions, editing source-codes and applying updates to systems according to users’ needs.
Related: Learn About Being a Computer Programmer
3. Game designer
National average salary: $59,435 per year
Primary duties: Game designers use coding languages to create the characters, stories, props, settings and rules for video games. Additional responsibilities include pitching new game stories and ideas to clients and other employees, managing artists, programmers, audio engineers and animators, creating prototypes for new games and conducting quality control on games before releasing them.
4. Application developer
National average salary: $91,890 per year
Primary duties: An application developer, also known as a software developer, creates and modifies coding for software or mobile applications. Their main duties include customizing software systems for certain computer or phone programs, designing prototype applications, testing source codes and troubleshooting current software or mobile applications to add updates.
Related: Learn About Being a Software Developer
5. Audio engineer
National average salary: $96,882 per year
Primary duties: Audio engineers use different types of sound equipment to enhance, record, create and edit sound on various media forms, such as radio, television, video games, music or film. Other responsibilities are assembling sound equipment for events or studio recordings, selecting the right mixing and sound equipment according to client needs and preferences, designing various audio systems and troubleshooting sound equipment regularly to ensure it operates properly.
experience working with people before applying for one of these
