Applying for local jobs with the intent to move.

Shake92 · 2013-01-15T00:08:40

So I'm about to start applying for QA jobs with the intention of moving to wherever I can find a job. I'm pretty open in that regard but a couple of things occurred to me that I was hoping you guys would be able to help me out with. Firstly, how do developers view an application from someone who is applying from out of the area but is planning to move? I was told that in my cover letter or some piece of my application I should specify that I am already planning to move to X city regardless of whether or not I get the job. This was all fine until the second issue occurred to me... The interview... I can't say I'm already moving to a city if it means that I'm going to ask to schedule an interview the week that I supposedly get there thus leaving me moved to a city where I don't necessarily even have a job... Not the situation I want to be in... But beyond that, how can an applicant in my position possibly be available for an interview assuming that virtually all companies would want to have one before they hire. I live on the east coast and its obviously just not feasible for me to drive to the west coast for an interview... I need a sure thing before it makes sense to make the trip. Not sure if there is really an answer here but I was hoping someone could give me some advice. I know there are companies on the east coast and I am applying to several but it seems like at least 80% of the larger developers are on the west coast and frankly I'd prefer to move there anyway.

Games Career Development Business

Started by Shake92 January 04, 2013 06:03 AM

11 comments, last by L. Spiro 11 years, 3 months ago

Shake92

117

Author

January 13, 2013 03:57 AM

I don't really have a long term goal right now. I want to get into QA and do the best that I can within that position. I don't want employers to think that I view the position as a stepping stone to becoming a designer, and I sincerely don't. I'm at a point in my life where I want to explore some different paths and try to find whats right for me because I just spent 2 years studying finance at college more or less because it felt like what I was "supposed" to do after high school, and I don't want to make that mistake again.

My goal is to get a QA job right now. Do the best I possibly can to fulfill my duties as a QA tester, and go from there. I want to get a feeling for whether or not I would enjoy a career in the video game industry. Would it be cool to be a designer? Probably, but I don't have my mind set on anything right now. Based on who I think I am and what I think my strengths are I would say that I'm best suited to be a producer or programmer. I don't have any schooling in programming but I did a lot of HTML in a few web design classes in high school and I was very good at it, fast at it, and enjoyed it so I can see myself being a good programmer but obviously that would require i get schooling which is another thing that I'm open to and would like to explore ideally as I work a QA job.

Long story short I don't really know what to expect and frankly at this point I feel that I probably won't get a QA job at all. My resume is mediocre, I've worked 2 jobs in restaurant business, i had a 3.2 GPA at college, and I have decent extra curriculars. On the negative side I dropped out of college which probably leads employers to label me a quitter. I have no degree. I have no experience in the video game industry, and I live in New Hampshire (obviously not local). Really the only thing I feel that I have going for me is my experience as a really good gamer and my experience testing games (lots of beta testing experience and I alpha tested a recent AAA mmo and gave a lot of feedback on balancing directly to devs) but realistically I don't feel like that is going to offset the shortcomings on my application. I might be able to use a few low level connections at a couple of companies so that seems like my only real shot at this point... Kinda feeling down about the whole situation.

Tom Sloper

17,201

January 13, 2013 04:53 AM

1. Really the only thing I feel that I have going for me is my experience as a really good gamer and my experience testing games (lots of beta testing experience and I alpha tested a recent AAA mmo and gave a lot of feedback on balancing directly to devs)
2. I might be able to use a few low level connections at a couple of companies so that seems like my only real shot at this point...

3. Kinda feeling down about the whole situation.

1. That's not "experience." Employers have a particular definition for the word "experience." http://www.igda.org/games-game-october-2006

2. That'll work better if you're local when you try that.

3. This too shall pass. You'll feel better soon.

-- Tom Sloper -- sloperama.com

L. Spiro

25,818

January 15, 2013 12:08 AM

I am not seeing exactly why this is so hard for you. Calculate how much you need to rent a place for 1 month in Washington or California safely, including a budget to get back home as a safety net, save up that much, and go do it.

Spend that 1 month looking for a job in fast food.

At least the chances are higher there. Your goal is to get closer to where you need to be, not exactly right where you need to be.

Likewise you don’t need to aim for the QA job right off the start. Aim for a job that will allow you to sustain yourself, then start looking for a QA job.

You may have to move a few times before you finally get the QA job, but this is your best bet.

If your planning is not terrible you will also be able to abort at any time and flee home.

And I am not just saying, “This is what I would do.”

This is what I did. Except on a scale 10 times larger.

I budgeted for 3 months in another country, including the tickets home just-in-case.

I got a job as an English teacher in order to extend my stay. With just this job I intentionally missed my flight back home.

No matter! I have enough to sustain myself! Any job that can sustain you in your new location is your first goal.

A few months later I found my first job as a game programmer.

Replace “country” with “state”, “English teacher” with “fry-flipper”, and “a game programmer” with “QA”, and suddenly this becomes your story instead of mine!

But only if you actually get off your feet, drop the pity party, and take action.

Tom Sloper already said it: If you try you only have a chance at failure. If you don’t, you are guaranteed to fail.

L. Spiro

I restore Nintendo 64 video-game OST’s into HD! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCtX_wedtZ5BoyQBXEhnVZw/playlists?view=1&sort=lad&flow=grid

Applying for local jobs with the intent to move.

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