Hi,

As a wanabee sound designer I wonder really how much of an impact these multiple sound design contest can have on your resume? I am not much of a competitive guy, so I've never felt the need to participate in one of those but still if it's amazing for the resume if you do good on it, I'll do it.

So you'd only do it if you knew doing it would be "amazing for the resume." You're not interested in the other benefits, like what you could learn, what good portfolio pieces you'd have, what contacts you could make.
Got it.

Winning a contest some producer never heard of probably wouldn't be "amazing for the resume," but it might help.

You don't sound like a go-getter. Producers like go-getters.

I expressed myself wrong, "good on the resume" include portfolio too in my mind.

For the learning part I guess you're right but it would mostly be about rules and deadline I think. I don't even know if you get some kind of constructive feedback when you loose (I assume you don't) so you really don't learn much on sound design. If what I did is bad I loose but I don't really know what was bad.

Contacts tho I don't see how I could make any in a sound design contest since I would do it alone. I would maybe get contacts if I win yes but not for just being in the contest.

I am talking only about sound design contests, not game jams and stuff where you need a team.

I might be completly wrong but that's how I feel about it right now.

You still don't sound like a go-getter. You sound like someone who's good at coming up with excuses for not doing something.

Perhaps the benefits that you get from those kinds of contest, such as portfolio material, rank placement, possible contacts etc. are best used when you don't have anything better to put on your résumé.
You use those benefits to give you momentum, getting you higher to the next challenges that will give you even greater benefits (freelance work on games, studio contracts etc.).

This means that your résumé is an evolving listing, including only what were your best professional experiences up to that moment.
When you're starting out, participating in a contest related to your field of work is certainly better than not doing so. Everyone starts from somewhere.

Do contests add to your resume? Not really. But the lessons/techniques learned and contacts you make from contests can definitely help!

You still don't sound like a go-getter. You sound like someone who's good at coming up with excuses for not doing something.

Well usually you would be wrong I always do as much as I can to improve.

In this case you are right, but that's because I just really hate contests, especially in art stuff were there is a part of the result that is completly up to personnal preference from the jury.

But hey I got convinced so I am going to enter some.

...especially in art stuff were there is a part of the result that is completly up to personnal preference from the jury.

Keep in mind that once you start working for clients, you also have to appease their personal preferences as well. So contests like this are really good practice. You get to read a brief or see a picture/video and then attempt to make sound that matches the stated direction. Aside from contract negoitation and payment, the only thing missing from contests versus the client relationship is the ability to get feedback and take additional stabs at the audio.

Yes, maybe I have a wrong mindset about those, for the client I don't mind and I am happy too you know because that's the job. But for a contest I don't like it for some reason.

I deal with this already I am in an internship right now and I do some sound design so I know what you mean.

Well, more specifically, what I meant is the more people and times you have to figure out what someone wants and meet those needs, the better. It's great that you're already getting some exposure with your internship but why not increase the amount of experience and exposure you have to working with others. Perhaps you feel that you have enough experience in this field already but, at least for me, I'm still learning new approaches and tricks after 9 years and over 140 projects. I'm much better at it now than when I first started but there's always something to learn and make better!

After all, it's much more about how well you work with people and less about making audio. Many can make great audio - less can be great to actually work with. Nobody wants to work with a jerk.