Video Game Designer

Learn About the Industry First

Some children aspire to be firefighters, doctors, or police officers, but many outgrow these dreams when they are faced with the reality of these professions. The same can be said about video game design. It sounds sexy from the outside looking in, but it's still a lot of hard work.

The video game industry is incredibly cutthroat. As such, you should learn more about the video game industry and what a video game designer does first. Be sure to check out career reports and work trend publications about potential salary information, rate of growth, and where to find the best jobs. Not everyone works for Nintendo and Rockstar Games, after all.

The two best things you can do are to read a number of trade magazines and to attend related job fairs in your area. Try to focus on career-related information while you get bombarded with game previews and other interesting news bytes. One magazine you may want to consider is Gamasutra.

Become a Video Game Designer

There is no set path that one can take to become a video game designer, but there are a few basic foundational things that you should keep in mind if you aspire to design the next Halo or Guitar Hero.

Proper Training and Skills

As a video game designer, the most important characteristic you can have is creativity. If you are not naturally creative, you will have a hard time in this job. Even if you are very creative, you need to hone and sharpen your skills. This involves everything from drawing skills to familiarity with certain types of code. The best way to learn about the basics of video game design is through a respectable design school.

Be sure to read our article on the steps to finding a video game design school if you are serious about a potential career as a video game designer.

Amazing Portfolio

The next step you should take after training to be a video game designer is to develop an impressive portfolio. However, this doesn't mean that you need to actually be working with a video game company to develop your portfolio. If your focus is largely in artwork, you can sketch some of your best ideas by hand or using specialized computer software. This is your chance to showcase your creativity and your brilliant ideas!

If you're more about the actual game design, there are several titles wherein you are free able to make "mods" or altered versions of existing games. Counter-Strike, for example, is a modified version of Half Life. Even if you don't participate in such a huge undertaking, it is possible to design a single level in Doom or Quake, for example.

Relevant Experience

And this is probably the most difficult part of the process. Even if you've studied hard about video game design online, getting your foot in the door of a major company can be quite challenging. Here are five strategies you can consider:

• Look into unpaid internships at local video game studios.
• Apply early and often for as many relevant positions as possible. The more impressive your resume, the easier time you'll have landing positions in the future.
• Be professional. Video game designers are typically pretty casual, but this is still a professional career. Be sure to stay professional throughout the entire interview process.
• Networking. Attend trade shows -- E3, Tokyo Game Show, etc. -- if at all possible. These present an excellent opportunity to meet people "in the biz."
• Game tester. Yes, it's not the same as a video game designer, but these positions are a great way to get your foot in the door of a real video game company.

Also remember that there are different types of employment arrangements for a video game designer. The most common, at least early in your career, will be contract-based work. A company may hire you for a single game and then keep your name on file for future projects. Alternatively, you can be a freelancer before landing a full-time position.