CAREER RESOURCES
CAREER RESOURCES
We are so excited that you are considering a career in games! Here are some commonly asked questions and resources which will hopefully support you in your career journey.
How can I find where games companies are based / which studios are near me?
Ukie (the trade body for Games in the UK) has a great tool called the Ukie Games Map. This lets you search your local area to find out which educational partners, games developers and service providers are located near you.
How can I connect with the local Game Developer Community in Norfolk?
Norfolk Game Devs have a monthly Meetup Group and a Discord Server which we keep moderated but it is obviously a public server so cannot guarantee the content 100% of the time etc (we tend to only invite those under 18 if their parents give permission / are already a part of the server).
Norfolk Game Devs have their next few events in the calendar which you can register for here. If you are under 18 and plan on attending without an adult with you, please only RSVP to the Show and Tell events as the Socials are hosted in a pub.
Why are you not accepting school work-experience placements for your games studio?
As we are a small team of part time staff and contractors it is not easy for us to take on a work placement student from a school or college which is under the age of 18 due to DBS checks and safeguarding considerations. We work remotely and so do not have a consistent workspace which could support a young person coming to work alongside us. This will not always be the case and as soon as we are ready to expand and take on more people to our team, we will make sure to advertise this!
Larger games companies do offer work placements but it's a big challenge locally to find companies which are able to do this as so many of them are still in the first stages of starting up. If you have trouble finding placements with game studios it is very unlikely to be about you personally and please do not take it as a reason to stop working towards a career in games - there will be other opportunities down the line!
What are the different Job Roles?
Screenskills - Games Career Resources
If you’re not yet sure what job roles or departments you might be interested in for games, the Screenskills website is a fantastic place to start. They have job maps, roles and e learning modules which can help them better understand the job roles in the industry available to them (which is important to know if looking for placements).
Into Games - Student Resources
IntoGames is a non-profit organisation specifically looking at connecting schools and education with the games industry. They have resources and events to access and also can offer the school specific support if they become a member. https://intogames.org/
IntoGames now have a fantastic resource which is their own curated database of career resources on Notion, find this table of wisdom by clicking here.
Youtube Series on Job Roles - “So You Wanna Make Games?”
In this series of videos by Riot Games learn about the different elements of game development - a great resource for those starting out, or who want to learn more about the different disciplines involved in game creation.
Link for YouTube Playlist
Super Awesome Resources
She Plays Games - Podcast on Working in the Games Industry
Lauren Kaye runs a fantastic podcast called She Plays Games which features interviews with women of many different roles in the games industry, some of which don’t always get their time in the spotlight. The podcast gives visibility to the many women who already have successful careers in the video game industries with the hope of making women around the world realise that there’s a place for them too.
www.sheplaysgames.co
Code Coven are an amazing organisation which is specifically focused on encouraging people from diverse backgrounds into games. Here is a video from one of their workshops on Narrative design and writing for games.
Link for YouTube Video // codecoven.co
Code Coven - a Resource Treasure Trove!
Limit Break is a mentorship program aimed at underrepresented people working in the UK games industry. Participants are paired with a mentor who is an established professional in their field. They often open for applications in early April for each year.
www.limitbreak.co.uk
Limit Break Mentoring
Virtual Economy - Podcast on the Business of the Games Industry
Virtual Economy - A podcast about the business of games for the rest of us. This podcast hosted by Amanda Farough and Mike Futter is a great way to keep up to speed with the big shifts in the global games industry, looking at the labour market and any business changes we should be keeping an eye on.
virtualeconcast.com/podcast/