So I've been getting advice from a few people in the game industry and one gave me a lot of advice for seeking employment as a producer in the industry. He told me I should apply to junior and associate producer positions and told me that even apply for positions when you don't meet all the requirements and to keep applying, but he also let me know that these studios tend to only hire local people for their entry level and junior positions. Is this really true? If so the notion that I should keep applying to everything seems to contradict that as I'm in NC where there are hardly any studios around me. If it is true it sounds like I will be wasting my time applying to out of state studios and I have been in the past as well.

Iam super eager to finally make big moves for myself and become independent and I can't do that without a decent job, but it sounds like there is a barrier I can't do anything about if it is indeed true. What is your opinion and advice for me?

Edit: Whoops meant to post this in the careers section.

35 minutes ago, ProfKrauf said:

Whoops meant to post this in the careers section.

Not to worry. Moving it.

37 minutes ago, ProfKrauf said:

He told me I should apply to junior and associate producer positions and told me that even apply for positions when you don't meet all the requirements and to keep applying, but he also let me know that these studios tend to only hire local people for their entry level and junior positions. Is this really true?

Yes. Read "Location X3."

39 minutes ago, ProfKrauf said:

Subject: Knowing when to apply

What is your opinion and advice for me?

I think you wrote a subject line that doesn't match your question. "When" is "when you are ready (don't wait for other conditions to magically align)." And yes, you may need to move in order to get hired. Don't move until you have some money saved up. 

Ugh, I'm really trying to figure how to do this. I've been unemployed for quite a while because I live in a tiny country town and I have no car. I've had to turn down jobs out of town because I wouldn't have a way to get to and back from work on a regular basis.

1 hour ago, ProfKrauf said:

I've had to turn down jobs out of town because I wouldn't have a way to get to and back from work on a regular basis.

That sucks! Sympathy! Sadly, got no solutions for that one.

1 hour ago, ProfKrauf said:

Ugh, I'm really trying to figure how to do this. I've been unemployed for quite a while because I live in a tiny country town and I have no car. I've had to turn down jobs out of town because I wouldn't have a way to get to and back from work on a regular basis.

This is tough, and a bit of a chicken/egg problem. If you had the means, is moving an option?

Ultimately you need to find a way to invest in the opportunity (re: move, get reliable transportation, etc) to get a job that would generate the money to do what you want to do. An unfortunate reality is that we oftentimes have to spend money in some form (easiest to hardest: cash, credit, your time) in order to make money.