Hello my name is Thomas Abrams and I head up the recruiting function for ArenaNet. We hired over 170 candidates for our studio last year in a really competitive market. This panel discussion is on how to get hired in our industry. Whether or not you are a game designer, programmer, artist, or producer, it is not easy to break into this market as you have a lot of competition for only a small number of roles. You only get one chance to get notice in our industry so you have to put your best out there! I see it time and time again that talented candidates do not have a solid game plan before searching for the right studio to work for. The norm is to just apply to a lot of studios and hope someone notices you. Hope is not a plan. This discussion will cover all topics related to getting hired in gaming. We will also go in-depth on how to be prepared for your interview once you get one. My experience spans from Software to Advertising, and I can tell you that the gaming industry is the toughest to break into. I'm really passionate about this topic and so is our panel. We will provide insight in to our hiring practices as well as what we see on a day to day basis. We feel this talk will help everyone trying to get into the industry have a better chance at doing so.
Our Agenda:
• Having a solid game plan
• How to write a cover letter
• How to create a solid resume
• Networking in the industry
• Portfolios, Code Samples, ???
• Interviewing Basics (before, during, and after the interview)
• Salary Negotiations
• Q&A
