APPLYING FOR WORK? When to do it, how to know if you qualify? how good must you be?

#1

I want to ask most of you guys that have your jobs now. When you started were you great at 3d and 2d? Or were you okay but got better with the years?

I am new to CG, and have a small porfolio or work. I dont think I am that great but when should I apply for a CG job? Should I wait until I have a drop jaw porfolio?

I live close to this gaming company that I have been eyeing for some months now. It is a great company, and it is hiring all sorts of positions. Some for 3d, some for 2d, and some for non-art related posistions. I dont qualify for the 3d or 2d position because I dont have the 2-3+ videogame industry experience required… plus I feel my porfolio is weak.

Yet I feel that I should give it a shot… I mean is it bad to apply to a company and they think you suck, are you done for? Would they even bother to look at your porfolio again a year later? Or did you burn your bridge? Would you guys say from your experience that it is best to apply and see what happens or wait until you have the best porfolio??? I am just scared of applying now, not getting the job and never being able to apply there again… or is it actually a good thing to apply to a place more than once and show that you REALLY WANT to work for them and show improvement???

also… is it okay to apply for 2 differfent jobs at one company… for example apply as a 2D artist and also as say a intern? or a completely different position as well? Did you guys get your job by applying directly for one posistion or did you apply for one position and get something else??? HELP ME!

#2

Also if I apply to the Art job and dont get it, can I reapply right awa for another Non-art Related job? How long to reapply for the Art Job 6 months? a year? never?

thank you.

Jacob

#3

Well i did the whole rights of passage thing: go to college, go to uni. Apply for work. Luckily it paid off.

Yet I feel that I should give it a shot… I mean is it bad to apply to a company and they think you suck, are you done for? Would they even bother to look at your porfolio again a year later? Or did you burn your bridge?

Ok this is odd, why would ever think you burnt your bridges with a company for apply to them? Any good company, will either accept you. Or if they turn you down, state a reason. You can always ask for why.

You musnt think “oh this may not turn out” because thats stupid!, ive applied several times to the same place, before getting work. For one thing it puts you on there books, and shows your eager! (very important)

I wouldnt think its a problem applying for 2 jobs at one company, as long as there roughly related eg. Matte artist, and junior compositor. Not 3d animator and rotoartist as there too broad.

Both, ive applied directly, gotten a contact in the company and/or just good friends with people who work at places.

Did you guys get your job by applying directly for one posistion or did you apply for one position and get something else???

No this doesnt and shouldnt happen!, if you apply for a postion thats the position your going in for. If your an intern or a runner its slightly different you can take ‘interest’ in areas and the studio may hire you on.

You can reapply as many times as you want, in any space of time you want. I’ll generally check my reel every 6 months or so, see whats current, needed etc. If im re-applying to the same place well as an employer id expect to see significant changes/improvements in the reel. So this really dictates the time you reapply, if it takes 6 months to get good then 6 months it is!

eek

#4

Hi there !

I understand your concerns. Are you in Arts or VFX school atm ? Are you doing Ok-ish or do you feel extremely driven to absorb skills like a sponge ?

There is no straight answer to all of these questions though, I know. I can only share with you my experiences.

April 05 : the webcompany I worked at as a template designer went down. So I granted myself 3 months maximum to build a new portfolio aiming at general 3D & game development.

August 05 : I got an unpaid Internship at a game studio after job application. They proposed me 6 months, but i requested for 3, since I had to pay for relocation/housing/living costs without pay. Worked on Xbox360 game for 3 months at an average of i guess 52 hours per week. Peak crunchtime days would reach until 23:15 pm.

November 05 : They liked my modeling quality but they offered me extension of the internship afterall with a possibility to freelance contract in February 06, although no guarantee for that. I also had some doubts about living this lifestyle. I know I was gaining some nice professional skills, but as a person… i just lost alot of happiness in living such days even though the ppl at the studio are great folks.

Outcome : Although difficult, becuz i loved the actual work, I decided NOT to continue gamedevelopment.

Monday 28th Nov : job interview at a general purpose/viz/ FX 3D studio
today : I got a phonecall from a new gamedevelopment studio who have some serious plans with their own built engine. Somehow they heard about me and want to meet me.
After my 1st game dev expierence I am more sure about the general 3D studio job, but of course I’ll keep all options open and meeting new ppl is never a bad thing.

So, all i can say is ; try to figure out what you REALLY want to do becuz you’re income will rely on it.

#5

Thank you .

I know what I want to do. I want to work for videogames. I dont think my skills are up what they require. They also ask for 2+ years experience also which I dont have. Does the years of experience really matter?

I want to work for videogames, and there is a company I really like. I dont think my porfolio is strong at all… so I can either continue to work on my skills after my classes are over in a month… or apply right now and see if I get it…(which i probably wont)… or try to get my foot in the door by doing a non-art related job in this company.

[b]Is it better to get your foot in the door in a company of your dreams… say as a mail sorter or coffee grabber (and practice CG on own time)…Or go get work as a graphic artist in some print company (non videogame) doing graphics. I would be doing graphics and making my art skills better but I not in the industry of my choice.

In one I would be doing graphics… with illustrator photoshop but noo 3d and no game specifics… the other I would be working in the company I want but not as an artist.

#6

that’s a good question so I want to emphasize it:

when a company asks for 2 years experience, will they generally accept someone with less experience if they feel that person is qualified otherwise??

I been wondering that for a while, because it makes no sense for every company to ask for experienced workers…people have to get the experience somehow…??

-KDX-

#7

Apply - nothing ventured, nothing gained. If they turn you down ask them why, they might give you some info to help you land your dream job.
I got my A levels and headed straight to a multimedia software producer with an A level art portfolio, some of which was done using Photoshop. I got lucky and I got the job.
Just because you don’t have the experience doesn’t necessarily mean they will throw your application in the bin.

All the best,
jbw

#8

One cue I can think of is apply to a few companies you’re only mildly interested in before your dream one. Get some experience wih videogame industry interviews and maybe some feedback on your reel.

Oh and I’d pick B on the choices you gave.

#9

Your greatest insurance to making a great first impression is to make sure your work is at least as good as the average video games being released today. If you can’t compete even on that level, then you’d have a very hard time finding a job. Be honest with yourself and and also ask those around you to compare your works to the video games out there.

#10

This is very good advice, and what I think is often the most overlooked. If you want to work somewhere, look at someone already doing the job. Can you produce the same level of work, or close? If not, it’s unlikely that you’ll get the same position as them. This goes for any company. There really isn’t any harm in trying, so go ahead and apply, but in many cases I think newbies set themselves up for dissappointment. If you aren’t sure whether you could be a full artist or an intern, chances are you should really be gunning for intern.

About experience, yes in many many cases a job will ask for 2 or 3 years experience, yet take on people with less. Your reel only needs to show that you are capable of doing the job, and that you have some experience. The frustration is understood, it’s the old catch 22 of needing experience to get experience. This is one of the reasons internship is good.

My advice to people doing things like internship, or working as a runner, roto, render support or some other entry level job…you are in direct competition with the other people doing those jobs at the same company, much more so than mid, senior, or any other artists at your facility. Your goal should be to do an amazing job in the entry level so you can STAY at the company you started at and move up to at least a junior artist position. The problem is if you leave a company with an entry level job, its very difficult to qualify that as experience if you need to look for work again. At best, you may end up getting the same job again, which is not the worst case but its sort of like starting over.

Do a great job at the entry level, and you can slack off later :slight_smile:

#11

Actually, it is in fact, THE ONLY truly overlooked aspect of aspiring game artists looking for a job. When I art directed, I saw so many reels from candidates that makes you wonder just WHO gave them the idea that they were good enough for pro work, or even internship. It makes you wonder just how delusional most applicants must be to even think they had a chance. I partly blame it on all those schools out there promising guaranteed job placement if you take their CG/game courses. They seem to have filled students with unrealistic expectations by blowing smoke up their asses. The only truth is your portfolio. Is it up to snuff? As in, can you honestly compare your stuff side-by-side to any game on the market right now that’s made by a professional dev house (or even really good MOD’s by a talented team of amateurs), and say with a straight face and complete confidence that, “Yes, my shit holds up, and I can do that guy’s job just as well if given the chance”?

If most people had that kind of self-awareness, then all the art directors out there wouldn’t have to waste their time going through countless extremely underqualified demo reels, and could just concentrate on the ones that stood a chance of employment.

I know all this sounds a bit tough–but you know what, it is FAR better that you are tough on yourself than giving someone else the chance to be tough on you. If you can be tough on yourself and still pass the test, then you can face any potential employer and shake their hand with true confidence.

#12

hm… well this is a hard one… I feel your pain since I am in a similar situation. I dont feel my skills are ready yet because I have only done art for a year and I have sooo much to learn… but I wonder if I should still try to find work to get my foot in the door, learn from the job and increase my skills while I continue selfteaching myself in the free time.

I would get your porfolio together and apply for a job you think is suitable. I think you should give that company of your dreams a shot. Try applying to them as a entry level or even an intern. If they say no then go home and practice. Ideally you should practice and learn your art for years and then with a large and great porfolio apply for jobs but I assume you need money to eat and might need to work. So if you cant land your dream job right away I suggest looking for other art-game related jobs that you do qualify for right now. For example I already have had 2 art jobs… One with a photographer and one working in a small art studio I would bring the text into the images, change colors and do large format printing. It is not CG, and it is not videogames (my ultimate goal) but it is art and it is a start. :arteest:

Reach for the gold… if you dont get it the first time try again… you might land on silver :slight_smile:

best of luck :thumbsup:

#13

If you can objectively look at your work and feel that it matches up to current standards in the industry that you want to apply to, then you’re ready. Simple as that.

#14

Keep in mind that there is also a vast void that needs to be filled by technical brainy people. In a way, someone took a chance on me, despite my horrid reel, and that technical niche was where I fell into. Never underestimate the power of good problem-solving skills.

I love seeing new people with tons of potential. Just seeing someone green walking in, and then get assigned a bear of a shot, only to have the person complete it in flying colors is a wonderful thing to see. Despite the fact that there’s a lot of money at stake if a inexperienced person makes mistakes, there’s still a lot of places willing to take a chance.

And yeah, make sure your work is comparable to what’s posted front page here or what you buy off the shelf at Bestbuy.

peace,

Lu

#15

No, I didn’t know anything. That’s why they didn’t pay me.

Heck no, you won’t get a jaw-dropping portfolio unless you have work! Apply now for an internship.

Apply now. Get your name in the books. When you have new material send that in as well and they’ll update you.

Applying isn’t a one shot hit-or-miss. Apply early and often!

No harm in applying.

Go for the internship, work for free, get some experience.

#16

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