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M3wThr33 posted:NOT being selected is a good feeling. They appreciate your work (At least at your pay level). Well it's that or the same reason they "can't afford it" right now  Then again it does sorta feel like the ship is sinking, since the producer in charge of all artists gave their two week notice when they were all laid off (he is extremely upset over all of it), and last friday another programmer also put in their month notice. Buckwheat Sings posted:However I'd recommend to have an up to date portfolio setup juuuuust in case. It'd at least help make your worries go away since you know you have an option B ready to fire off. I'd actually almost say just apply to other places just for fun if the office vibe suck but that's just me. Way ahead of you. 
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Feb 8, 2014 02:01
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ZnCu posted:I've never gotten an answer to that question before. Has anyone? I got an answer back when I applied to one place but the feedback was sort of useless since I completely hosed up and sold myself as someone who never plays games except for like one yet highly technical(?) since I was super nervous. Also I made up the term gameplay theorotics or something bizarre like that. Come to think of it not many companies ever got back to me when I applied way back when. I know for sure I never got a response when I was a student. Can't hurt I suppose. SAHChandler posted:Then again it does sorta feel like the ship is sinking, since the producer in charge of all artists gave their two week notice when they were all laid off (he is extremely upset over all of it), and last friday another programmer also put in their month notice. Yeah that' fire off some huge warning bells for me. Buckwheat Sings fucked around with this message at 02:10 on Feb 8, 2014 |
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Feb 8, 2014 02:08
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Buckwheat Sings posted:Come to think of it not many companies ever got back to me when I applied way back when. I know for sure I never got a response when I was a student. Can't hurt I suppose. HR isn't going to put down in writing why they rejected you, and asking them to do so sounds like a pretty good way to get permanently limbo'd at that company. So yeah, I think it could hurt.
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Feb 8, 2014 02:13
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We give feedback on tests that we give out, but we also don't give many out. I wouldn't expect feedback on a pity-test that was handed out after you were passed over. Post your portfolio and we'll give you feedback 
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Feb 8, 2014 02:48
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Sigma-X posted:We give feedback on tests that we give out, but we also don't give many out. I wouldn't expect feedback on a pity-test that was handed out after you were passed over. Oh definitely not in that case. I knew it was a pity-test and I just thanked HR and moved in. I'm speaking more generally, in that if you ask too much from HR early in the process, it's possible they'll just can your resume and never open an email from you again. More than one HR person has told me they'll permanently block people right off the bat if it looks like they're a time-waster. quote:Post your portfolio and we'll give you feedback Okay then. Here's my portfolio. Be brutal.  I recently made several big changes at the request of an recruiter/job advice guru who, of course, bailed immediately after I made the changes. Things he asked me to do: Emphasize only certain portions on the front page (and only the front page), add a Work In Progress section and keep it up to date, and add small subsections to show my process and time spent under the bigger projects. There's only one resume up there but I have several specialized ones I use when contacting people. I'd say the biggest obstacle I have, besides any deficiencies in my skills, is that I've only worked at small companies, so I'm more of a jack-of-all-trades and not particularly amazing in any one field, which is what HR seems to look for. I'm trying to present myself as a 3D generalist with other talents and several published games under my belt.
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Feb 8, 2014 03:13
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I can't offer too much feedback on artist selection, but don't list Office and Google Docs ahead of Max, Maya, ZBrush, and ACS.
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Feb 8, 2014 03:26
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I don't have time for much itemized feedback at the moment, but at a glance - show me what you can do when you actually spend some time on something. I get that you can make bad looking games on short timeframes, but the fact that every piece of art showing your art ability comes with the rider of "Duration - 7 minutes" isn't doing you any favors. A lot of people can make bad art quickly. Most of those people make bad art slowly, too. Show me you're not one of them, and use a single short term project to show off your ability to make quick games if you feel that is really important. Take on a more impressive personal work project. Also I don't need to see everything you've done. Pick the best 20% of that.
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Feb 8, 2014 03:35
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I'm trying to find art internships at gaming companies in Australia and it's not going very well. The best one so far was when I fronted at the headquarters of "a medium-sized up and coming indie gaming studio!" and found out it was a single guy renting a desk with a Mac on it in the corner of a dingy co-op basement. Nevertheless, I'm posting in this thread because if I post in the Games Job megathread, that's my first step toward getting a Games Job! Be the change you want to see in the world!
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Feb 8, 2014 03:55
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ZnCu posted:
A few things: - Your portfolio really lacks focus. You need to decide what kind of job you want and tailor your portfolio to it. If you're shooting higher than mobile games, you'll probably want to go for an environment artist position or a props spot. The majority of your portfolio should be focused on the position you're going after. - You have too much work. 10-20% of what you have there is plenty. - Your portfolio lacks polished pieces that really show off your experience. Take a month and bang out something awesome in UDK using Max/Maya/Zbrush. Then do a few more. After a few months, you'll have some really killer pieces. - When I go to your portfolio, I want to see your best work right away, not several clicks in. Your mission statement can go on an 'about me' page somewhere else. - Going back to the first item, your skills really lack focus. Dedicate yourself to being a really awesome environment/props/character/hubcap artist and put some work in to your portfolio that shows that you are truly excellent in that area. Right now, you're only doing yourself a disservice by spreading yourself so thin.
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Feb 8, 2014 05:05
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Gearman posted:A few things: Pretend I said everything like this instead of my way.
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Feb 8, 2014 05:39
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Honestly all the critique I could give is to look at other professional generalist or mobile game artist's portfolios and immitate what they're doing (but do not copy them!) A good example of a portfolio I would consider awesome for mobile and AAA games, or who I would consider a really awesome "game art generalist" is our very own mutata. His portfolio: http://www.mutatedjellyfish.net/ Typically for a AAA portfolio I like it to be as minimal as possible and easy to look at just the art, but for a generalist or mobile artist it's good to show that graphic design/web design/UI ability because you never know if you'll be needed to do that kind of stuff on top of 3D art. If you don't want to do that kind of stuff on top of 3D art then show off your other skills like animation and rigging in some .gifs or videos embedded into your site. I agree with Sigma, as I usually do (you bastard). The bar for mobile game art is pretty low but that doesn't mean you should keep your skill level at that.
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Feb 8, 2014 05:46
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Fair points, all of them. I'm already only using about 10% of what I did in that last studio, but that's the problem with small companies: you do get to do everything, but you never get to do one thing really well. It's heartbreaking to have done so much work and get nothing out of it, but so it goes. The good news is that I actually started a modest personal project a week ago, an animated short focusing on a single 3d character and a single 3d prop (and some simple background, etc.) I need to shake some bad habits and take my time with it, but I'm looking forward to actually focusing on a single thing, for once. Thanks for the advice, guys. Edit: Oh, just to be clear: I'm not exclusively looking at AAA studios. But focusing on 3D and doing an excellent project to showcase will probably help with the mid-size and smaller studios as well. I just wish I didn't waste so much time listening to that recruiter. ZnCu fucked around with this message at 06:32 on Feb 8, 2014 |
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Feb 8, 2014 05:52
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Thanks, ceebee!  I'm the first to admit that my site is a bit too produced for what's necessary. I only decked it out because keeping and maintaining that website has been a hobby of mine since the turn of the century. I try to keep it as clean as possible though, but if your art portfolio is just a page of images, that's fine. It's the work and the ease of seeing the work that counts.
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Feb 8, 2014 14:03
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The guys here have given you plenty to think about already but regarding this:Sigma-X posted:show me what you can do when you actually spend some time on something. If there is something that I have truly learned and taken to heart over these past two and a half years in industry, a stitch in time really will save nine - it's that working fast is secondary to taking your time and making sure it's done to the best of your ability - even if it does come back requiring fixes. Yeah it's there in your mind that you have to get this done by this time to meet this deadline, but any time I focused on working fast on various tasks, I'd always lose that gained time redoing something that looked rushed. Working under an actual senior artist has helped my organisation, my confidence and ability to gauge my progress a hell of a load. If something is going to take more time than expected I will let him know and there is nothing wrong with slowed progress. So that's the advice I'd give to the new artists and your portfolios. Take your time, look back at your work and what you could fix, you have all the time in the world to get it right and you want to be judged on your best work, not your quickest, in folios and in the workplace. GeeCee fucked around with this message at 14:48 on Feb 8, 2014 |
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Feb 8, 2014 14:40
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Interview at a major developer tomorrow, been trying to refresh myself for what seems like all week, and I'm fairly senior (services developer, a lot of console experience). Realized I haven't had an actual interview in years, yay nerves. Someone lie to me and tell me interviews at that level are all scotch and smoking jackets.
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Feb 10, 2014 06:42
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VextheGrey posted:Interview at a major developer tomorrow, been trying to refresh myself for what seems like all week, and I'm fairly senior (services developer, a lot of console experience). Realized I haven't had an actual interview in years, yay nerves. Someone lie to me and tell me interviews at that level are all scotch and smoking jackets. Really? Dude? You'd better bring your track suit and warm up before hand, because if you can't beat the other contestants in the physical challenges they don't even let you wear your shoes home.
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Feb 10, 2014 09:49
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Sigma-X posted:Really? Dude? Don't forget having to beat the intern at pull-ups for the last spot in the team. Actually I've always been a big proponent of pull-up competitions for choosing workareas, too bad I could never get it to catch on.
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Feb 10, 2014 14:51
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Sigma-X posted:Really? Dude? Now I want all interviews to be like the Krypton Factor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNjcdfcyjCw
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Feb 10, 2014 18:30
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In lieu of a resume and portfolio a piece of the AggroCrag is acceptable.
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Feb 10, 2014 20:46
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SAHChandler posted:Well it's that or the same reason they "can't afford it" right now Yeah. I was ready when my company laid everyone else off. I didn't waste time. (Literally, they laid everyone off but the leads and me. Went from 22 people to 7)
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Feb 10, 2014 20:46
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Sigma-X posted:In lieu of a resume and portfolio a piece of the AggroCrag is acceptable. I worked on My Family's Got Guts 
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Feb 10, 2014 21:13
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ZnCu posted:Fair points, all of them. I'm already only using about 10% of what I did in that last studio, but that's the problem with small companies: you do get to do everything, but you never get to do one thing really well. It's heartbreaking to have done so much work and get nothing out of it, but so it goes. If you are aiming for AAA studios I would add some high poly works, i.e make something in zbrush that wouldn't look out of place in the next big ps4/xbox-one release. Right now you don't have a single non mobile work, which is fine so long as you only looking at roles where you would be doing low-poly work.
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Feb 10, 2014 23:05
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Consider too that just because you're not looking (exclusively) at AAA BigConsole Dollabillz Gaming™, doesn't mean you aren't competing with people from AAA BigConsole Dollabillz Gaming™ who are looking to move into mobile and have portfolios that are much flashier as a result.
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Feb 11, 2014 00:23
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Mobile is more 2D focused too so it helps to have a folio that shows great 2d as well. 
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Feb 11, 2014 00:29
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Also consider putting in some photos of your best party cheese plates and that birdhouse you made that one time in shop class.
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Feb 11, 2014 00:48
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Hughlander posted:Don't forget having to beat the intern at pull-ups for the last spot in the team. I accept that challenge. Also, I'm going to a game conference in Colombia next week. This industry is fun.
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Feb 11, 2014 00:51
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Does having a fully fleshed out LinkedIn profile matter much in the job search? I've been more or less sitting on the account and racking up random connections, but I haven't transferred my resume.
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Feb 11, 2014 02:23
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Yep. It really does. You can apply for a lot of jobs on company websites and through agencies simply by clicking the button to apply with your linkedin profile.
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Feb 11, 2014 02:24
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I'm an environment artist. My LinkedIn is fully fleshed out, I even went so far as to add art samples from my portfolio onto my actual LinkedIn page. In the past couple of months I have had 3 different recruiters approach me about senior server engineer positions they think I would be super qualified for based on my profile. For as useful as it is, sometimes LinkedIn makes me very sad.
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Feb 11, 2014 02:35
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I've never made a meaningful contact nor received any communication through LinkedIn, despite having a full profile.
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Feb 11, 2014 02:39
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I got a phone interview with Amazon for a good test lead position after someone from there checked out my profile, I didn't get past that though. Still, was a nice change from nothing.
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Feb 11, 2014 02:46
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My linkedin sucks and all I get is some very boring general recruiter spam and a handful of companies hoping to sell our company services. Jon Jones (of "Your Portfolio Repels Jobs" fame) has a good linkedin article: http://www.jonjones.com/2013/11/06/linkedin-for-people-who-hate-linkedin/
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Feb 11, 2014 04:50
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Mobile guys who have developed and released something independently: how did it go? What was the process like? I'm trying to get some insight and weigh the numbers in preparation for my own venture.
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Feb 11, 2014 04:55
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I'd really like to see an example of what people consider to be good form for listing out shipped titles / credits on Linkedin. I'm sure I'm doing it in the dumbest way.
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Feb 11, 2014 05:19
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You should definitely maintain a linkedin profile with the same stuff you put on your resume, and make connections with everyone who you'd be comfortable commenting on and having comment on you. It is absolutely the most important tool used by recruiting folks these days.
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Feb 11, 2014 06:20
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waffledoodle posted:I'd really like to see an example of what people consider to be good form for listing out shipped titles / credits on Linkedin. I'm sure I'm doing it in the dumbest way. I'd like to know how to do this for the portfolio. I've got 30+ titles I've shipped, and while they aren't all excellent, I'd rather show a solid track record of completed projects than just pretending they didn't happen.
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Feb 11, 2014 07:21
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I don't know if LinkedIn will work for me, but exploring the website some more has led me to some pretty interesting openings. Wish me luck folks, trying to dive into the wonderful world of Community Management 
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Feb 11, 2014 12:20
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Sigma-X posted:My linkedin sucks and all I get is some very boring general recruiter spam and a handful of companies hoping to sell our company services. This is a good read, thank you for posting it
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Feb 11, 2014 13:19
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Or I could just read that entire, awesome linked article.
Sion fucked around with this message at 14:00 on Feb 11, 2014 |
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Feb 11, 2014 13:57
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Sigma-X posted:Jon Jones (of "Your Portfolio Repels Jobs" fame) has a good linkedin article: quote:"Twitter. DON’T LINK YOUR TWITTER. DON’T DON’T DON’T. Do. Not. Link. Your. Twitter. No good can come of that. It will confuse the message that you are a professional, because Twitter is the guileless Ritalin-popping chatterbox child of social networks." (I still wouldn't recommend linking it, though, because it represents uncurated content on a carefully curated document)
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Feb 11, 2014 16:16
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