I follow on from Part 1 of this series with some more information on how I got where I am today in the video game development community. Most of the old stuff is irrelevant but I hope it shares the need to actively plan your career to avoid some development cul-de-sacs.

Let’s continue…

Since a young age I’ve always had an interest in making computer games and I’ve been very fortunate to have supportive parents who worked hard to get what I now understand to be very expensive bits of hardware over the years. I thought I’d share some background of how I ended up where I have today with some luck and some foresight…

Well, the inevitable has happened and by the time you’re reading this I’ll have travelled 250 miles to start the next phase of game development career in Guildford, the hub of game development in the UK. This prompted me to reflect on how things have gone over the last few years and what advice I can give.

Why do I think that migrating to a game development  hub is inevitable? Because you cannot makes games in a vacuum and both your career and your business need talent to feed on or you will starve.

I’m typically passionate about making sure our beloved games industry is well stocked with talented, passionate individuals and we’re not going to get them by just sitting back and waiting.

I’ve been actively involved in the promotion of graduate recruitment for years now and I spotted this post that I prompted me to comment, but my comments were removed! So, I thought I’d share them here.

I recently finished Seth Godin’s recent book entitled “Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? How to Drive Your Career and Create a Remarkable Future”

“Why are some people easily outsourced, downsized, or freelanced into obscurity, while others have their pick of opportunities? In his most powerful book yet, Seth Godin argues that it’s more essential than ever to become indispensable – to become a linchpin. Linchpins are the essential building blocks of great organizations: they invent, lead (regardless of title), connect others, make things happen, and create order out of chaos. They love their work and pour their best selves into it and turn each day into a kind of art – and, in today’s world, they get the best jobs and the most freedom. Godin shows that the key to being indispensable is overcoming the fears that hold most of us back. If you have you ever found a shortcut that others missed, seen a new way to resolve a conflict, or made a connection with someone others couldn’t reach, then you have what it takes to become indispensable. It’s time to stop complying with the system and draw your own map.“

Here’s what I thought…

I have to say for the most part this is an inspiring read and has affected my approach to work, and it’s influence can be seen on my blog postings. I can’t help but see how anyone can be similarly affected. I found a great deal of the book affirmed my personal beliefs and I even found one small paragraph that read like it was taken straight from my blog!

The writing can become repative at times as there is a tendancy for the same point to be made time & time again, repeated until you’re mind won’t let it go. It winds around & around, re-stating the same fact, again & again. Languishing on the same point, a bit like this. It does mean it sticks in your memory though.

Having said this, whilst the majority of the book is “on the money” I fundamentally disagree with Seth’s point on education and how wrong the current system is for our future leaders. Maybe this is specific to the USA and I can see Seth’s point but picking up on his other points, education is something that’s a gift we give to our children in the hope that they lead successful and fulfilling lives. There are areas of the world that do not have the education we take for granted in the west and they struggle to make ends meet, hoping they can one day afford books and escape their lives. I think Seth’s point dismisses this benefit and almost claims we should just let our children be feral. I appreciate this is challenging and thought provoking and my comments most likely justify Seth’s writing.

After reading Seth’s other books over the years, I have learned and put into practice a great deal of the points raised and adapted them to suit my work making computer games and I feel the people I work with have also indirectly benefitted. I look forward to the next book and until then I’ll continue to read Seth’s blog to fill the gap.

Read this, and The Dip and Tribes and you’ll be spouting Godinisms!

If there’s one thing I hate, it’s receiving an automated reply from a small business, in particular one that’s supposed to connect with me as a person. OK, I’ll confess I’m having a rant about recruitment agencies, which is a pretty dangerous thing to do when you’re looking for work.

I have a special hatred for ones that pretend to be from a person. I know you’re not there due to the nature and content of your email so the “personal touch” is just lost. There’s no name, there’s nothing.

Also, PLEASE don’t direct me to a web-site to fill in my details. If you’re too busy to even bother to talk to me in the first place and find out about me then I know for definite you won’t “process” my CV in a meaningful way and you definitely won’t find me something that’s relevant.

There’s one fundamental point, I know you only get paid when I find a job! In the modern world I have many means of finding work but I recognise that the recruitment role is important and can make a real difference.

My point is, there are recruiters out there who maintain the personal touch and they succeed and get my vote every time.

When I get back to recruiting, which I will, I will absolutely focus on the agencies who I had the best experience with from both sides.

Make it personal, make the candidate feel like you have their best interests at heart and you’re not just looking  for your next 10%.

What’s your experience been like? Recommendations? Story to tell? Keep in touch.