I'm a software engineer working for the US military. I'm a solid C++ developer with 5 years experience and very keen design/development/debugging skills. I've got some great experience and awards on my resume (along with a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Virginia Tech).

I'm looking to move into the gaming industry. However, after a first round of applying for gameplay engineer jobs, I got no bites whatsoever.

My question for anyone in the industry is: what do I need to do to be taken seriously by gaming companies? I have a great development background that I'm sure would translate very well to gaming, but my resume seems to be getting passed over entirely.

I've started trying to put together some sample games in my spare time. I did a basic Geometry Wars clone from scratch in XNA with a friend, and now we're working on some basic tower defense games for Android.

What other things can I be doing to be considered for gameplay engineer jobs?

Thanks in advance

It sounds like you're quite well set up.

It depends on which position's you are applying to though. Maybe you're senior in your current role, but might not be seen as such in the games industry and therefore may need to lower the level you are aiming at.

If you're applying to entry level roles then keep going. It's not easy to find work at the moment. Just keep working on game demos to show you can transfer your knowledge to games development just fine.

Maybe your CV/Resume needs to be targeted more towards the games industry also. Attempt to highlight tasks performed in your previous jobs that could be used in games. Most computer science topics do transfer.

[OFF TOPIC]
I worked on Geometry Wars: Galaxies for Wii/DS and would love to see your clone. :D

Uhm, that is a pretty serious thing you intend to do.

Would you mind telling us the reasons of this big change ? Are you sure you and your family can afford the salary drop ?


As for your original question - yeah I can see a few problems right away:

1. You have no direct game programming experience whatsoever. That`s a pretty big one.

2. You have just a small portfolio of stuff you did in your free time. OR it is not presented in such a way that is immediately obvious. Maybe you don`t make enough eyes to see that you have done some game(s) in your free time. Rewrite the CV, perhaps.

3. Dedication to work through the inevitable crunch - Are you presenting a serious commitment to making games and how much they mean to you ? You know, out of 100 candidates, the most passionate ones have higher chances.

4. You are too eager :-) You may have to suffer a couple dozens more interviews :-)

Quote: Original post by theboringone
1. what do I need to do to be taken seriously by gaming companies?
2. I've started trying to put together some sample games in my spare time.
3. What other things can I be doing to be considered for gameplay engineer jobs?

1. Have a solid portfolio.
2. Perfect, just keep doing that.
3. More of what you've been doing. And read http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson41.htm

BTW, this belongs in Breaking In.

Thanks for the feedback.

Quote: Original post by VladR
Uhm, that is a pretty serious thing you intend to do.

Would you mind telling us the reasons of this big change ? Are you sure you and your family can afford the salary drop ?

I'm not passionate about this industry. Its certainly not bad, but I'd rather not settle if I can create an opportunity for myself in gaming. I also have an open invitation back to government if I want (I've made some good friends/contacts here). Also, I'm unmarried and looking to relocate to Austin.

Quote: 4. You are too eager :-) You may have to suffer a couple dozens more interviews :-)

I haven't even gotten any calls back, but after reading some replies, I'm sure it has to do with the fact that my resume is plastered with non-gaming development experience. And while I'm SURE my experience is very relevant to gaming, I can also understand why a hiring department wouldn't feel the need to bother with my resume (no matter how decorated it is) if they have also received a number of other resumes with direct field game dev experience.

Quote: 1. Have a solid portfolio.
2. Perfect, just keep doing that.
3. More of what you've been doing. And read http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson41.htm

Awesome, thanks for the link. I guess the big answer is pretty straight-forward: keep working on some games at home and build a portfolio.

I really appreciate the feedback, guys. Thanks again.

If you move to games you are also looking at a (probably) big pay cut, lots more hours, and much less job security. A job for the military is just about a job for life. For a game studio you don't know if a game is going to flop and close the studio.

Yeah, I'm sure it will be a pay cut and more hours. At the end of the day though, I'd much rather enjoy what I'm working on than have some more cash put away and stumble home disgruntled 5 days a week. And like I mentioned earlier, I've made some very nice connections within the military and have been told that I'd have a job waiting for me (by a number of different departments) if I choose to return.

Sometimes ya gotta take chances, life ain't just gonna happen on its own :)