Quote:Original post by frob
Once you have some work experience doing related work it is not too hard to make a lateral move between industries.
An opportunity might be available for an internship and possibly a job at a market research company, looking at quantitative (survey data) and qualitative (focus groups) results and creating reports/presentations based on the conclusions that can be drawn from this information, and I'm considering the idea of spending some time in such a role to continue getting company experience during this economic climate, and also to secure wider career options so that I am not limited to game design openings in a particular city when I need work or if I decide to change paths later in my life.
The obvious similarities to game development in such a job would be learning more about product testing and usability through monitoring focus groups and seeing their reactions and opinions to different products, presentation skills and working in a team environment. It would involve quite a bit of writing although not quite the same style of writing used in game design. Having such a job would give me some stability and the freedom to work on my own personal game projects in my spare time, whilst allowing me to expand my skillset into a field that isn't quite as 'narrow'.
Would 2 years of experience in market research be an asset towards getting a game design job when I decide to cross back over into game design? My main concern is whether employers will value this experience from a different industry, as opposed to if I spent the time unemployed and working on my own portfolio. What additional job possibilities might become available in the games industry for someone with outside experience in market research? (I'm thinking it would be valuable for working at a publisher, such as being involved in the greenlighting process or ensuring a game will satisfy the market needs)
