My degree and experience led me to a number of places, but none have put me in a game studio. In fact I'm starting a new job soon that has nothing to do with games or game design. So I went off to the internet to answer the burning question "How do I become a professional game designer? ... he first question remains. This might build my portfolio but will it lead to a job? So I'm here asking you all for some feedback. What do you think of my approach to this problem? Are there ways to improve it? Is there a stronger alternative? I'd love to hear your reasoning.
As the FAQ points out, and as repeatedly gets recited, game designer is not an entry level job title. It is a job title that usually requires 5+ years of industry experience.
There are smaller design-related jobs, like level designers, but they are relatively rare and often filled from within. Consider that a single game designer can often generate enough designs to keep a team of 30 other people (programmers, modelers, animators, effects, audio) busy. It is not unrealistic to have a team of 50 people who are working with a single lead designer and two junior designers for levels, items, and tuning.
The most reliable paths to breaking into the industry are through the engineering and art disciplines. That usually means programming, modeling, animation, concept art, and similar. They are not the only paths, just the regular full-time positions with the most openings. Another common path to breaking in that is a bit more unreliable is the QA route. Games need lots of testers and many are hired for each project, a small number sometimes stick around in other roles when the project is done.
Of course, you can keep on applying for junior developer jobs, and eventually you may land one. Just remember that it is a sought-after job because many outsiders equate it with glamour and ideas, not associating it with the actual work involved and the experience/background required to do the job effectively. If you're looking to break in, that route is certainly possible, but keep in mind that publicly-published job openings are rare and quickly saturated with applicants. It is certainly a road in, but I've listed above some different, more frequently traveled roads into the industry.
Finally, on the concept of applying to jobs by submitting your resume and portfolio through HR methods, that is the least effective job hunting strategy. Go read a copy of "What Color Is Your Parachute?" for more on that. The most effective strategy generally as well as the most effective method within our industry is to work your social contacts. Make friends with other game developers, get to know them, build them in your social circles. Then work your social network to find jobs.
Based on various studies (search my post history in the forum for citations, I'm not repeating them here) one hour working your social network for job hunting is worth roughly ten hours of blind applications through job portals and company web sites. It is still possible to find these rare jobs using those routes, it is just not very effective. Considering the scarcity of design positions you will want to do all you can to leverage the most effective job hunting methods.
