So, You Want To Be a Video Game Producer? Part #3

A year ago, I started an article series called “So, you want to be a video game producer?”

In the first part of the series, I talked about what video game producers do, and how the career trajectory looks like. You can find it here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/so-you-want-video-game-producer-pauliina-tornqvist/

In the second part of the series, I focused on key skills of a video game producer. You can find it here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/so-you-want-video-game-producer-part-2-pauliina-tornqvist/

In this third part, I am going to focus on how to land a job as a video game producer.

I will start off again by saying that I am not a recruiter nor a rep of my current (or former) employer(s) and that all this information is based on my personal experiences navigating in the industry. That being said, I am sharing my learnings so that I can hopefully help others to avoid some of the speed bumps that I hit especially in the beginning of my career. Because trust me when I say there were a few.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get down to business.

Nobody in this industry knows what they’re doing, we just have a gut assumption. - Cliff Bleszinski

So, you want to be a video game producer? Good for you! Being a producer is a challenging job, but it’s also pretty freakin’ fun. There are certain things you can do to optimize your chances of landing a producer gig, and I will tell you what those are.  

5 Steps for Landing a Job as a Video Game Producer

1. Identify Your Realistic Career Level

Study game production job ads to understand what career level you are at. You can do this by looking up job ads for the same role (e.g. Associate Producer job ads) in multiple game companies’ pages and compare the requirements & and described skill profiles.

Once you have a good idea of what the requirements for the different production career levels are, think about where you fit and what role would best match your skillset and experience.

You do not need to fit 100% of the requirements of the production role you are aiming for, but it’s good to have at least ~70% of them covered. Otherwise, you might want to consider a less senior role to start with.

If you are just starting off your career, focus on entry-level roles. If you have some experience in game development OR are well into your career but have no experience in game development, focus on entry- to mid-level roles. Lastly, if you have plenty of game development and production experience, you probably don’t need this post.

2. Optimize Your Resume and Cover Letter

Once you have figured out which career level and role you are aiming for, it’s time to optimize your resume, as well as portfolio and cover letter if applicable.

Focus on displaying and promoting all your relevant experience based on the job ads for the role. Made a cool personal game project? Make sure to highlight it. Got extensive experience in project management from another industry? Describe how you believe this translates to game production. The better you can highlight how your prior experience helps you in being a game producer, the better your chances of landing something will be.

In case you need to prepare a cover letter for the role (I am personally not a fan of cover letters, but that’s besides the point) keep it short and concise. Your cover letter should not be longer than a few paragraphs, and it should cover why you are interested in the role/company and why you are a good fit for the role.

3. Apply, Apply, Apply

Now that you have done your research and have all your application documents ready to go, it’s time to apply.

Keep an open mind when it comes to companies and locations, as more often you must pick one or the other when it comes to landing that first gig. Do your research and send carefully crafted applications to any roles/companies that seem interesting for you.

In addition to applying, you should also try to connect with recruiters and respectfully reach out about open roles or your applications.

Try to get at least a few applications out per week and keep at it, even if you might feel that you’re not seeing results as quickly as you’d like. The game job market is very competitive, so getting a foot in the doorway will take time regardless of your XP level.

4. Do Your Research and Prepare

Once you manage to land an interview, it’s time to return to your initial research on the role and company. It cannot be overstated how important it is to prepare for an interview in advance. This doesn’t mean learning answers by heart but doing your homework and ensuring you have put thought into the main topics that are bound to be discussed in the interview.

Play the game(s) of the company you are interviewing for. Read the “about” and “news/blog” section of the company. Read reviews of the company’s game(s). Google the company and the game(s) and see what comes up. Then, based on these prepare some thoughtful questions that you’d genuinely like to discuss with your interviewers about.

Next, think of answers to the most common interview questions such as “tell us about yourself” and “why are you a good fit for the role” and make sure you can answer them confidently and concisely.

Lastly, be on time for your interview. Check your tech setup in advance if you’re doing a virtual interview. Leave your home early to beat traffic if you’re going onsite. The interview is your chance to make a first impression to folks that have the power to either advocate for or recommend against hiring you so you should be mindful of putting your best foot forward when it comes to punctuality. It’s one of game producers’ key skills.

5. Thank

After your interview, it’s polite to thank your interviewers for their time and insight. This can be done through your recruiter, through a recruitment portal, or directly to the interviewers in case their contact info is shared with you. Don’t make it long or sappy but be on point and express your gratitude for the opportunity to be considered for the role in case it’s genuinely how you feel.

Repeat steps 2 to 5 as many times as necessary until you land your dream game producer gig!

That’s it! That is how you become a video game producer.

I hope this information is useful for aspiring game producer out there. In case there are questions about any of this, I am happy to answer them in the comments. Meanwhile, I invite my producer colleagues to chime in with any additional tips for how to land a game producer job.

-Pauliina