How can you master game industry etiquette and professionalism?

The important thing to remember when networking is to remove the notion that Networking = Job. Networking, especially in the gaming industry is a unique opportunity to learn from the best people who have worked on some of the most amazing creative works of their career. They want to share their stories to help others blaze their own path into the industry. We share in the passion and joy of working in the industry and want to inspire people. Come into networking by wanting to just learn and build long-term relationships. The unseen and surprising benefit to networking is that it could eventually turn into someone putting in a good word for you.

I have realized, throughout the years, that networking in the gaming industry specifically should be about appreciation. Everyone has a story to tell or a game they are passionate about, and that's what you should look for when you reach out. Ask what inspires someone, and talk about what game(s) as children convinced you to drop the controller and try and build one themselves. The gaming industry is unique, and we as a community should strive to keep it that way. When you are trying to network with someone, live by the rule of 2 questions/follow-ups about them before you bring up something on your end.

I've been to a couple of gaming conferences in 2023 alone after running trade shows for a year earlier in my career that weren't gaming-related, and they are 100x a different ball game. Gaming conferences aren't necessarily about getting deals done but more about (1) learning about what's new and upcoming for games and tech. (2) It's about networking and setting up follow-up meetings later on to see if any potential partnerships can be formed. The #1 Tip I would say is to change your phone lock screen background to the QR code that scans your LinkedIn; that has been the best thing I've learned as the year has passed.

Interviewing for a job in the games industry takes a lot of balance and demonstrated experience. You need to balance how much work you've done autonomously while speaking highly about your collaboration with your teams. You need to balance your confidence to speak about your strengths but be mindful that you're not turning people off with your ego. You need to balance how you approached something in a past position and what you would do in the future in a given situation. You need to balance energy and enthusiasm. You need to balance the timing of your answers with how long an interview is. You need to balance your knowledge of the job you're interviewing for, the company you're interviewing for, and the industry as a whole.

Well first off, I want to point out that the answers don't include any way to prepare for a remote interview which from my professional experience is way more common. My advice on how to prep for remote interviews. (1) Dress professionally (2) Think about your background and what everyone is looking at behind you. (3) Prepare your resume/portfolio and/or website to screen share, send links, or provide attachments. (4) Take notes, *if you can* to "circle back" on topics you'd like clarification on. (5) Make sure to follow up afterwards.

I'll keep this one short and sweet. (1) Keep your portfolio updated and accessible, and maintain a constant addition of material. (2) Be specific when talking about your previous experience, "Created levels" --> "Facilitated the design of three levels from concept to greyboxing to set dressing." (3) Have your resume available for download. (4) Showcase that you truly love what you do outside of your source of income.

Make sure that all aspects of your online presence you want found professionally are actually linked together. Broken portfolio links or redundant/lapsed websites could be the barrier between a conversation or someone clicking onto a new tab!

Gaming has always been in the digital era where showcasing your work, building community, building networks, talking about games, and sharing your passion happen online most of the time. As we continue to live through the rest of our time in this industry digitally, it's important to be visible online. This is how people find each other, learn from each other, talk to each other, and grow as an industry. Wherever your passion lies in gaming, whether it's game development, marketing, recruiting, etc. showing up online and building your presence around what you love most about the industry is how you attract opportunities. The industry can be one of the most welcoming.

I would encourage a quality over quantity approach when engaging in digital communities. I sometimes feel that the sheer number of digital spaces can result in newcomers not engaging deeply in any one community. I have greatly enjoyed connecting with developers from many different disciplines across multiple platforms; limiting myself to a select set of spaces was crucial in helping me build lasting friendships and deeper connections.

Mastering professionalism involves staying informed and building genuine relationships. Stay updated on trends, technologies, and developments through continuous learning and industry engagement. Simultaneously, invest in authentic relationships with peers and mentors, fostering a network of trust and collaboration.