Recruitment advice in a recession
This is a tough global recession. Companies / industries / countries / individuals are all feeling the strain in this global slowdown. No industry is immune from recession and as economies slow, unemployment starts to rise and there are less jobs to go around, hence heavy competition for roles. So what advice of job seekers in a recession?
Let’s start with graduates…………….
But before we discuss those coming up to graduation, let’s help those selecting their degrees and years away from looking for a job!
Selecting your degree?
If you currently reviewing what Degree to study and what are the best Institutions, you face critical decisions today that affect the rest of your career and your positioning in the jobs market. If you are looking at a career in the games industry, as we hope many of you are, then you will be faced with many choices….game degrees, traditional degrees, games design courses….too much choice….so what advice……?
- Closely review the University of your choice. Ask probing questions of your Universities of choice. What relationships do they have with industry? Do games companies partner in course curricula? If so, which companies? (You can make a judgment on those companies if they are quality or not in your eyes). What are the degree grading breakdowns? How many get 2:1’s and above? What companies do graduates go and work at? What success stories can the University provide? Of those working in gaming what positions are they in? Have they been promoted? You get the idea……seek out fact and not just hollow rhetoric.
- Remember this is your choice of degree. Ask yourself how many students are studying the course I want to study? How many nationwide? Now look at recruitment web sites and look at the pattern of vacancies. If you want to study for a game design degree then it is important to notice that only a handful of roles are recruited in the course of a year. If there are hundreds/thousands studying game design courses, what will happen to those students not getting jobs in gaming? How transferable is their degree into getting into other industries?
- Degree transferability is the key question. This is your degree. This is your life and you need to maximise your career options. It is important to reflect that if you can’t get a job in gaming, how much credibility will companies in IT, Consumer Goods, Mobile, retail, public sector etc give towards a graduate with a games degree against a graduate with a traditional degree? Most students in the UK leave University with averag debts of £15-18,000, imagine that was you and you could not get a good job after 3/4 years hard study on a degree that did not set you up for success.
- When reviewing courses, review closely the syllabus and the course content. Games degrees, if that is your preference, should contain strong underpinning of traditional educational skills.
- In many cases studying traditional degrees like maths, physics, computer science, Business studies, puts you at an advantage. Not only because you have a very transferable degree but because you will have a strong foundation of core skills.
- If you want to be a computer programmer / software engineer reflect on the level of maths involved in the role.
- Trigonometry
– Sin, Cos, Tan, etc.
- Vectors
– Addition, Subtraction, Dot-product, Cross-product, Magnitude, Normalise
- Matrices
– Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Inversion
- Transformations
– Translation, Scaling, Rotation
– Geometric Tests
– Sphere-sphere, sphere-line, sphere-triangle, line-line, plane-plane, etc.
- Dynamics
– Linear & angular velocity / acceleration / momentum
– Friction (integration)
– Solving linear equations (via sparse matrices)
– Hashing, Random number theory, etc.
- There are some very good games degrees, (and we are delighted to partner closely with several in the USA), but there are a large number that wont set you up for success. Please select carefully.
Heading for graduation?
Let’s now fast forward to those students who are part way through their degree and will be looking to start work in a year or two years time……
Do you have 1 or 2 years left on your degree? Now is the time to be thinking of your career!
Key is the consideration is that the jobs market is highly competitive, so you need to be able to stand out. How do you stand out as a graduate? Yes of course, the institution you study at and the grade you attain help recruiters assess your ability but there is a lot more you can do.
First up, have you considered internship? During those long summer vacations, why not work for a games company for 3 months and gain a real insight into working life. EA Internships place you on a live game team and hence give you really meaningful work on a game that will ship to millions of people…plus you get paid and most importantly you get you name into the game credits. You will also gain some vital contacts and build your network. If you are good you may even get a job offer for when you graduate.
Now imagine if you are the recruiter and you get a selection of cv’s. All are similar ie they come from great Universities and have strong grades but one cv has the added value of an internship. Which would you prioritise for interview?
Part two is coming…..looking for work today?…..graduate or experienced
EArl
I have been reading through these career advice pages and i was wondering… what collages would EA recommend? I am currently at Devry University and was told that the course that I am Majoring in was recommended by EA games, that is Games Simulations and programming, I am looking to get a career with EA if I am able, it would be my dream job, but I would like to know if the University that i am attending would ever get me there.
That is Devry University in Sandy Utah by the way I forgot to mention that before
Hey Leslie, I’ve looked around some colleges before I graduated mine, but from graduating college and everything some things I could recommend is to try to do dual enrollment. There are colleges out there that promise game development degrees, but they all teach about the same thing. Information over the internet is homogenizing colleges. There’s going to be a lot of information and it’s (in my opinion) going to boil down to how much you can master, not where to get more. If you are in the Northwest then I’ve heard of DigiPen in Washington is a great place to be.
Hello Earl
I’m Gautham Yerroju, and I have one more year of B.Tech (ggraduation). I’m from Hyderabad, India. Basically, I’m VERY interested in an internship in EA Mobile.
As for my qualifications, I’m not by any means an exceptional performer: my academic scores are average and my skillset mediocre. But I consider my interest in game development an advantage. I’ve played many genres of games and I’ve also explored game coding for about a year. That research led me to learn the basics of Python and use Pyglet, a good library. Now I’m aiming to make a small game for my project. Before that, I learnt Ruby basics and made a lot of scripts for Enterbrain’s RPG Maker XP system.
In conclusion, I don’t have an exceptional academic record, but I believe in my passion for games.
So how do I apply for an internship? Besides, what are the requirements for an internship? Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you
Are there any jobs available under marketing department?? thnks.
Is there an intern available at India ?
I recently graduated from Florida State University and double majored in accounting and finance. I was wondering who I should email in regards of an entry level position engaged more in the marketing/business aspect of EA (sports).
do you accept graduates from others parts of the world like southamerica???
I have long wanted to learn how to game design and live a happy life doing what i love. I have been gaming since i was 2 and have loved it ever since. Unfortuanatly, i have been without a computer most of my life and am now learning about basic computer skills. For those of you who are in college striving to be in the biz, would yall be able to give some adivce or send a message or recommendations on programs to use. Im going to a community college first then transfer to a university, what classes should i take? Also God bless everyone of yall who want to be in the biz and follow your hearts and dreams.
Hey Salvatore
There’s so much for you to learn, but I say your first stop should be Gamedev.net, an EXCELLENT resource for game development. You’ll probably find everything you need, from basics to advanced techniques and best of all, an active community.
Good luck
I,m studying in one of the best computer science universities in my country..i,m studying programming …what other subjects should i take other then programming to to improve my success rate for getting a job in EA.
I’m a recent graduate from Berklee College of Music in Boston and I’m returning home now to Vancouver and I’m very interested in applying for the internship/co-op program at EA. I’m a composer as well as audio designer and am really looking forward to getting started. I’ve created a profile on EA but is there anything else I can do to help speed up the process? Thanks!
Dear EA Staff:
I’ve recently graduated with a BS in Computer Sciences and I would like to be a game tester. I live in Puerto Rico. Do you have opportunities available for my region?
im looking for a way to git paid for testing games
i came here cause its one of my fav. gameing companys
hello I am & grade 12 student in toronto who wants to become a intern
Dear EA Staff,
I am a very recent grad of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and I would like very much to work at EA. I am willing to take ANY position ANYWHERE! I am currently still living in Colorado Springs, CO. I have already applied for several positions online and have attempted to call several branches with no success. Any advice on how I can get my foot in the door would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you very very much for any time that you take out of your busy schedule to help a very passionate gamer and business person with a HUGE desire to bring everything I can to the table at EA.
Best Regards,
Ryan
Dear EA Staff,
I am a Jr at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL. My major is Computer Engineering with a Minor in Aerospace Sciences. I am also an Air Force ROTC cadet and will commission as a 2nd Lt after I graduate. Because I am going to commission with the military I have a minimum of 4 to 7 years of service before I can retire. I was wondering if an applicant with a 4 year old degree but with military and leadership experience would affect any hiring decisions.
Thank you,
Frankie S.
I am entering my senior year at the University of South Florida majoring in Business Marketing. Where can I find more information on your internship. I am having trouble trying to apply for next years Summer Internship. Also I will be in Orlando this week, and wondering if I can get more information if I visit your headquarters in Orlando.
Warmest Regards,
Pedro Henry
Hi, I just recently graduated from USC with a degree in media arts and am now attending FSU for Integrated Marketing Communication / Digital Media. I am interested in being a Game Designer / Producer because of my interest in games as well as my interest in consumer psychology. What are some other opportunities that may make me more marketable for a potential career in this field?
Thank you,
Andrew pennell
Hello I graduated from a BA Games Design course at the London Collage of Communication in July, and I was wondering if there is any advice for getting my first job in the industry as I have had not luck so far.
Thank You.
I am currently a senior in college and was wondering if there were any intern or job opportunities in Orlando.