Finding the Perfect Game Job

Ok you sit at home all day playing video games. Now you want to make a living doing what you love, but have no idea where to begin. Well it's quite simple actually.

Before you get started, you want to make a few key decisions. First you want to know exactly what type of game testing job you would be best at. Second, you want to know where the best places to look for these jobs will be.

You have to take a few moments to evaluate yourself and figure out what game jobs you will be applying for. As I'm sure you are aware there are all kinds of game testing jobs, just as there are all kinds of games.

You can test for companies who distrubute games like COD4. Or Gears of War. You can even test games for companies that distribute them to mobile phones. Yep every kind of game you can think of, there is a testing job to go along with that.

Ok so you know what you like and what you want to do. Now what?

Now is the MOST important part of the process. How am I going to qualify to get these jobs?

In any hiring process, the Human Resource people look for key words when reviewing applications. If you fill out an online application for example, and you put two words under each section, will you get selected for the position? Most likely NOT. I cannot stress enough the importance of a resume. A resume is what is going to show the employer all of your skills and how you actually qualify to apply for their position. Before applying for any job, including game testing put together a resume.

It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Just something that shows that whatever skills they need, you have. Obviously if you don't have them, then you don't apply.

Now where do I look?

Job boards are key here for the most part. There are a ton of them out there. Most that you're probably already familiar with are ones like Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com. You just access their home page, type in game tester and search in your area for the best jobs.

Another great site dedicated to gaming is Gamasutra.com. They have one of the best selections of major game producers. I have found that they always seem to have testing positions posted no matter when I access the site.

Another little secret I have used is Employment911.com. Their job search page actually combines job postings from many of the sites I've named above. That way when you search for game tester, you can see any game tester job that is posted on any website out there that posts jobs. It really is a simple way to see everything in one place.

Then there is the membership option. Does it work, yes I've done it myself. You just need to be smart when making a decision about which membership site to pick. I always suggest trying to contact the company and asking a general question such as "Do you know of any jobs available in NyC right now". See if they respond to you. Obviously give them some time, if there is someone on the other end, they will respond. Then you'll get a feel for what that site is about. Are they about money, or are they about helping you?

Ok you know what you need to do and you know how to do it. So don't wait another day, get into the perfect game testing position right now!