Hello everyone,
I finished my Degree in Games Design last year (with a First) and have struggled to find work since then. I am working as a Dev at the moment but it isn’t something I really want to do. I am looking for advice on how to secure a job in the industry. I know becoming a game dev is hard but I have the skills, knowledge but just lack the experience.
I would love to hear your advice, maybe even showing a CV or Cover letter.
Thanks Guys
Make games.
And Sell them.
Also advertise them.
It’s easy, just put these three reply’s above in infinite loop.
Well start with small tasks, get games published, that will build your CV. If you are good people will notice that and you will get hired fast.
Quick question, is anyone here doing it as a profession?
I want to, but I can’t find anything so. I’ll probably have to do something else so I can make money now.
We just gotta keep developing random games until we’re good enough to survive on it 
When you say Game Designer… based on the context of your post… it sounds like you mean the true definition of Game Designer? As in you are currently doing development work and want to do design work.
Is that what you are after or did I misinterpet your post? Clarifying what exactly you are doing now and what exactly you want to be doing will help others to provide guidance to you.
I am a professional developer but not in the games industry.
At the moment I am doing dev work, this is very broad but its mainly coding based. I am doing this like Tomnnn said, to keep bread on the table, as Design is my passion.
As in a previous chat, Game design roles vary a lot although I mainly want to work on mechanics . I am also interested in story and theam, but not as important to me as the mechanics. I would love to work for a larger company, starting down the bottom and working my way up, but feel like my experience would be better used in a indie company.
What’s left to say? The first response nailed it! You have a degree in game design, you can code, and now, you need to improve your game design skills. Be wary of the second response, ‘Monetize’. Unless you are trying to build your own Indy studio, it’s an inefficient path to success. Since your goal is to get hired in the industry, then build LOTS of games, with no monetization at all. Build a game a week, a game a month, or a game every 12 weeks. The goal is not wild success - it’s learning through failure. Try; Improve; Repeat.
Gigi
PS - I’m a professional developer, award-winning designer, and game industry veteran of 11 years. Portfolios matter.
Usually the game designer in indie companies is the multi-disciplinary person. Sole game designers are more common in larger companies, and I have a more bleak view of game designers in AAA companies.
In these companies, in general, game designers earn less than programmers and artists.
Most of the time, they have not much more freedom other than tweaking tools that engineering delivers to them.
Those tools are not idealized by the game designers. The vision is generally dictated by the creative director, and game design in these companies most often refers to game balancing and level design.
If you still want to follow a career on it, it is not uncommon for MMORPG companies to hire game designers among their players. This happened recently with Hearthstone. Since you’ll be tweaking the system, you must play the game very well and know it, so the best players have these areas covered. Couple it with experience in the industry, or an already made game, or a cool mod from another game, and you’re attractive enough for them to pay attention to your cover letter. And since you know programming, that is a plus for you.
Now, if you want to work at something that resembles more like a creative director, what in indie games we call the game designer, then as an entry-point it’s often not possible in these.
Step 1). Make a game
Step 2). ???
Step 3). Congrats! Your now a game developer!
Gigi nailed it best but I’ll leave a short life lesson from personal experience -
Over-rated imo.
I’m a professional animator going on 15 years - outside the industry and I can honestly say I’m happy with the choices I made to stay out of the industry - and work on games in my own personal time.
I choose to make money and make games on the side rather than scrape by on a entry level salary, living in large metropolitan areas which I’m at odds with, and working 80 hours per week for 40 hours of pay.
I don’t think that sounds very fun.
But I’m having fun tonight! Animating a creature that was created by an awesome artist, envisioned by a kick butt game designer, and will soon be in a game that is looking as good as any other game from a small commercial game company.
Breaking-in is kind of blurry when you look at it from an indie point of view. 
Thanks for the reply, was nice to hear it from someone with experience behind them (no saying others don’t, but they haven’t stated there background). I am quite interested to know your story if that is possible. I want to know how you got into the industry and when. Also do you happen to have a website or any portfolio that I can look at, just to get a feel for what I should be aiming for.
What should you be aiming for? Yesterday, when I spoke at the local high school, the students had the same question. I’ll share with you, the same answer I shared with them. The easiest ways into the industry are: knowing someone at a game company, living near lots of game companies, and building a port folio of released titles. The one you can best control is “FINISHING GAMES!” Whether that means one a week, one a month, or one every three months, that’s how you Try, Improve, and Repeat.
Gigi
(PS - My Background? Google Curtiss Murphy, Why Games Work, or Good Games By Design).
As Gigiwoo said, some of the advice is targeted for indie-developers. But you want to be a hired GameDesigner.
Aside from building a portfolio you must sell your soul, work and apply for (free or low payment) internships. This is equal if not more valuable as having some, most often dump, games on your website. It shows that you know how the industry works from the inside and that is what counts in a commercial environment.
You are already working as a developer in the industry? Then is there the chance to switch that position internally? Start as a Level designer or some other kind of position (there are so many meanwhile) which is closer to a game design position.
I believe that getting the foot in the industry is more important as to have games on a personal portfolio. Portfolio only really matters for artists. That was my experience. Degrees matter as well of course.
But what I also experience is that once people are in an industry position they struggle to really level up. Don’t forget about your goal.
Again thanks for the replies,
Well I work in a company that isn’t exactly games, but I develop in house applications, where I am geographically placed doesn’t help, but I am willing to move. I am hoping the experience that I have is better than none at all. As this job gives me GUI, UX and level design work, while working with VR tec.
I do feel like it is a real struggle to get any form of recognition from these larger companies, as they rarely reply and often hire lower positions internally . I just wish I knew how to grab some more attention from them. I know you can scream BUILD GAMES till your face turns blue, but I personally feel like I am not getting to the stage that they may even view what I have done.
I am a very ambitious person in general with high goals, just looking for some advice, thanks for the replies. I would Love to hear some more suggestions.
The only way to get anywhere is to make games! Im sorry but there is no quick fix in this case, you cant get hired unless you can show games you’ve made. In fact, in that aspect its easier to set up your own company, on your own you can make one game, sell it and break bank (fingers crossed), whereas a company will expect you to make a lot of games.
If you are right about companies not viewing your completed games at all, then I can tell you there is nothing you can do to get in with them, no amount of attention grabbing can do that. If you are right, I say the only way is to go it alone, or set up a team with other developers. Both these options also need you to build games
While catching up on Gamasutra yesterday, the “Types of Designers” article reminded me of this thread. Maybe some of the alternate roles of game designers will give you new ideas.
Don’t expect any recognition from your current large employer. Instead, since you’re an ambitious person, participate in every game jam you can. Online jams are fine, but it’s hard to beat in-person events. You’ll get great experience of all kinds – teamwork and management, design, development, etc. – meet other people who can give you leads on game design jobs, and come up with lots of ideas for games. Employers want to know that you can work well in a team and can actually complete a project.
Reminds me of talks and reads on how Valve is setup as a company. It’s been said they don’t hire you into a position, you are hired and work on what you want, what you think you can help out on. You don’t have a title, your not the artist or the network programmer. I think thats pretty cool, if the right people are hired.