From Student to Studio: The Art Of Getting Your Dream Job

Note

How to Present Yourself

You don’t need a website. If you are not a web developer don’t spend 3 weeks making one.
Have a demo reel video on youtube / vimeo that you can share.
Keep your linkedin profile updated with links to your demo reel / website / handles. If you do not have these links it makes it much harder for people to find you.
Make sure to network through linkedin and other sites.
Share your work with others. Great way to get feedback. Don’t keep your portfolio hidden on your hard drive.
It is not about the quantity of the demo reel but the quality.
Make sure your best work is the first thing people see in your demo reel. Your demo reel is not only a reflection of your abilities but it also demonstrates what projects you think are high quality. If you show your worst first people may think you have bad taste. Also people have been hired off of showcasing one good example so make sure that example is first.
Customize your portfolio so that it is tailored to the job you are applying for. If you are applying to work on a real time strategy game like star craft, don’t make your first example in your portfolio contain work on first person shooters like overwatch.

Internship programs are a great way to enter the market and understand the larger development pipeline. Still it is difficult to get into internships so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get in.
Generalize your skill set beyond your main focus. Look at what comes before and after your role. You don’t have to know the whole pipeline. Still if you can help out other areas you can be a valuable asset. For example if you are an animator but you also know about about materials and lighting you can have a better time meshing with materials and lighting people that you will be working closely with.
Understand your own value. Even if you are a recent graduate you probably exceed those that have graduated in past years. Also don’t label yourself as a student. Say you are an artist / animator / etc. and let the viewer decide if you are ready.
If you send a recruiter a link to a website make sure you send them to the right place. Don’t make them have to search through your portfolio to find the information they are seeking

Hope is not a plan. Know what you want. Understand the role you want to play (designer, director, etc.) and then you can start planning and taking steps to work towards it.
Failure is amazing because it is such a great teacher. The best way to fail is to fail while trying to succeed. Don’t take up a task and not try because you will learn less from the failure.
It is good to be aware of new developments, others work, and changes happening in the industry.

The people you meet and work with now will be there for your entire career. Be careful not to burn bridges.
Be careful about what you say. Everything you say online will be preserved and can be used against you in the future.
Your reputation precedes you. People at your new job will know how you were at your previous job.
Be confident but not too cocky. Some level of cockiness can be tolerated but don’t be rude or inconsiderate.

Note

Everyone has there own way of self care but here are a few helpful tips:

Take care of yourself. We work to live do not live to work! Look beyond complete job satisfaction because it will not always be there for you. You have to be there for you all the time!
If you are not having fun you are in the wrong place. Assess your current life situation. If you are unhappy it may be time to leave and take up a better job or learn a new skillset.
When you are applying for jobs or working a current job, ask yourself what can you do for company and what can the company do for you. If the company isn’t doing anything to further your career, advance your personal journey, or bring joy then it’s probably time to go.
Sometimes we have to sacrifice things like money to acquire a new skill. this is where networking comes into place talk to people let them know what you want to do. That way opportunity can find you.
You may be afraid to show your work. But everything you want is on the other side of what scares you. Understand when you are getting in your own way.
Everyone goes through burnout. The industry will ask you to make something you have never done before and asks you to do it time and time again. Maybe try branching out and explore other interests like painting, astronomy, etc.
The day to day where you are working can become overwhelming so try to do things that are different from your work environment. If you work in front of a computer all day, try doing something outside or away from your workstation.