idealpeople blog

We’ve been promising this for some time, and now it’s finally here! Here at Idealpeople towers, we employ people who not only know quite a bit about Recruitment, but who also know quite a bit about recruitment within specific technology verticals.

So, allow us to introduce you to Patrick Kennedy, who heads up all of our Games recruitment within Idealpeople. He works with numerous Games studios throughout the country, and we knew you’d probably be interested in what he has to say on how to get into maybe one of the most competitive (and certainly most stable, despite any economic turbulence) industries around.

So, without further ado…

What’s the biggest challenge facing candidate looking at getting in to the Games Industry?
That’s a difficult question, every candidate has different strengths and every studio wants different things. The biggest challenge is both understanding where in the development of games you want to be and then getting the information you need to help you get there before you start university. If you have only just decided you would like to make games after completing a BSc E-Commerce degree and have been focused on Java - then you are going to struggle - a lot. A better question may be: how do I make sure I don’t encounter any problems getting in to the industry? That’s also a difficult question, but easier to answer.

Firstly, as with every profession - not everyone is cut out to do it. Playing games is fun, making them can be the opposite at times. Lets say that we are talking about those people with the natural components necessary to be a good games developer. In order to go through the perfect transition into industry after university you probably would have been thinking about making games from age 15! Yes, you need to start early, meaning Maths and Physics at A Level (GCSE too if you have the option), preferably making sure you get a ‘B’ grade minimum. Starting to learn the basics of programming early on goes a long long way to giving yourself that coding mentality. I’m not talking crazy multithreaded applications distributed on on n-tier architecture here, I’m talking about the basic principles of programming. A lot of programmers had that moment when a level of understanding reaches a certain point and it ‘clicks’ in their head, this will happen a lot earlier if you start to learn the basic underpins of programming early on.

So, you have two A’s in maths and physics eh? Well, off to University it is. It is very, very important you choose your university well, I won’t go into detail, just do some research. Scotland is very good for games degrees. When it comes to BSc Computer Game Technology vs. BSc Computer Science, my experience shows that most studios have absolutely no preference. What matters are the modules you choose and how well you can code. Choose all the programming modules you can. Yes, all of them. The better you can code the more success you will have with applications. If you can support this with evidence of your own demos or snippets of interesting code then you are at an advantage. Let’s remember game programming is just software development (of very cool software). This industry is one of very few that still labels coders ‘programmers’, you need to be a competent software developer. While on the subject of code, C++, C++ and more C++. Do not worry too much about learning other languages (other than English) apart from C++. Yes, Java is exploding, yes, C# has it’s benefits - but the vast majority of games are written in C++ and that’s not going to change in the near future. While choosing modules, think about specialisations. Gone are the days when two people made a whole game. Programmers are increasingly becoming specialists in select areas from the ever attractive and competitive graphics programming to other areas such as audio and tools programming. If I was starting University now, I’d aim for a network or audio programming and choose my modules accordingly. Very niche, less competition, rapidly increasing need for the skills and a more secure long term career. If throwing packets around or digital signal processing isn’t your thing then do something else of course, just choose the relevant modules. Also focus your demos, dissertation and any hobbyist work in your selected area to show off your skills.

So, you have ‘A’ grade maths and physics A levels and a 1st in BSc Computer Science with Games Development eh? Time to start creating the tool that initially represents you in applications: the CV. You need to make sure your CV says that you want to make games only. If you don’t get a job in games then you will sign on and make games at home for fun - that sort of mentality. I’m not advising that state benefits are the way forward of course but that level of passion is another box ticked. Any contributions you can show to a modding community or a non-profit/hobbyist game development project is also a major bonus. Put it this way: my company makes chocolate and I need help - I have two candidates, one general chef who likes to play football & DJ - and one that makes his own chocolate in his spare time. Who am I going to hire?

No, it’s not easy, but what good every came from easy? If you didn’t get a 1st or you didn’t do maths A level or any of what I’ve said it doesn’t mean you should give up. “Wow, I didn’t get any A levels - but look at these demos I made they’re awesome!” - Indeed, evidence of competence to do the job in question will outweigh any of the above. The above however will go a long way to putting you in a situation where you can tell hiring managers about your success’ and strengths. I placed someone last month who doesn’t have a degree, has spent the last 6 years coding in C for an aerospace company and it doesn’t say the word ‘games’ on his CV anywhere! He doesn’t even own a console or know the market. He simply was the right candidate for the right job (and a master of computational physics). Sometimes that happens but that’s not something you want to be hoping for. As an entry-level candidate you will not have the benefit of being simply ‘the right candidate’. Graduates are new to games development but also a commercial environment in general so my advice would be to stick as closely to the perfect candidate above as possible - it will make your life much easier.

What’s the most common mistake you see in applications from candidates looking to get into the Games Industry?
Wow, difficult question also. Things like ‘I have exposure to C++’. That’s like me saying I have watched some cooking shows when applying for a chef position. Not sure why I keep referring to chefs here :/ I also see a lack of flexibility which doesn’t help in a highly competitive market. “There are not many developers in Norwich, so I’m afraid that limits your search a bit.” Some people have genuine reasons for having to stay in one place. If you can be flexible, then do, it will help tenfold.

PhD and MSc candidates often have an expectation of £35k, which unless they are master coders, isn’t going to happen by quite a distance. I understand they have racked up more bills than their BSc counterparts but it doesn’t really make them that much more employable. £35k is around double a BSc entry level salary, and I know one thing, most studios would rather have two bright BSc graduates any day. They will all have to undergo the same training and development to bring them to commercial-coder standards so it’s a no brainier for the studio. MScs and PhDs are great and they will potentially help your career development fast track but I would advise to be prepared to start off in a very similar capacity as if you hadn’t done it at all.

There are arguably too many people coming out of university with Computer Games Design degrees. Someone should do something about it really, it’s really unfair to build students expectations incorrectly, the jobs just don’t exist in any kind of reasonable number. Too many skills in not enough depth to be able to add value to a studio in any development area. Animation is animation, programming is programming, art is art, a little bit of everything isn’t going to get you a job.

What single piece of advice would you give someone wanting to get into Games?
Ha, see the first question, I’ve somehow managed to talk for 20 minutes there.

Which area of expertise within Games (i.e. programing/design/art/engine etc) is the most sought-after at the moment?
Very good question with some quick and easy answers. Network Programming, Audio Programming, Physics Programming & Render Programmers cable of advanced shader development. That said, if you make these choices now, it will be 3 or 4 years before you’re looking for a position and who knows what the market will be doing then? Put it this way, if it was me I’d go for Network Programming for the obvious reasons.

Finally, how do you see the industry changing in terms of recruitment in the future?
If I knew that, I’d be doing it now! There is a lot changing in general, people are realising that actually having their own Google indexed website might help a bit! Then again, some do all that and don’t have contact details anywhere or a CV… This industry is one of few that really tries to engage with students prior to graduation. It still doesn’t work however, for a number of reasons that I won’t go in to here. Let’s just say in my opinion efforts from studios need to be more focused on preparation rather than aggressive recruiting. Studios don’t see the value in that (they could be spending time preparing someone for a career in a different studio), but then they don’t realise that students are just being bamboozled by tens of studios and false hopes of an easy ride. My solution would be to get every developer to contribute relative amounts towards an organisation that has the industry’s future talent at heart. If your studio and environment is good, people will come, simple. One thing is for sure, we need a whole lot more collaboration between government, universities and developers to make sure our graduates are equipped to do the job and also that the jobs are there in the first place. We try and do our bit here at IDP! I’ve done enough to make my matching and sourcing process very effective and it’s continually evolving, as an industry I have no idea how the others will cope with a decreasing number of quality entry level candidates and an increasing number of vacancies requiring industry experience. As I’ve said a few times here already, do enough to make sure you are of interest and none of this will matter. Easier said than done I know, but aren’t most things?

After that marathon, we’re off for a lie-down and a bit of GTA. If you want to know more about what we can do for you if you’re looking for a career in Games, then a good place to start is by registering your details with us by clicking here - or you can search our current games vacancies on our website - here, although Patrick’s the first to admit he doesn’t advertise most of his vacancies, so it is best to get in touch via the regsitration page on the blog.