Landing a job as a video game tester is no walk in the park. As a matter of fact, it can be overwhelmingly difficult if you don't know where to start. Many gamers, instead of being proactive about becoming a professional video game tester, just sit around and do absolutely nothing to further their goals. They never actively search for video game tester jobs, so they never actually land one. If that sounds at all like you, read & follow the two tips below. They should help you get started with finding your very first video game tester job.
Tip 1: Network! The game industry is a large one, so the more connections you have, the better. You may have heard the phrase "it isn't what you know, it's who you know." Well, it absolutely applies to being a game tester. So, with that being said, start getting to know as many people in the gaming industry as possible; concept artists, designers, programmers, coders, testers, developers, support specialists, and anyone else who hangs around video games and/or has a video game related job.
Although it is very possible to do it all on your own, having a network just makes things easier; a LOT easier! The people in your "network" can let you in on jobs opening up, developers that are opening their doors, or they can just put in a good word for you when you are applying for a testing job. Plus, it never hurts to have a few friends in your respected field of work. As you have probably guessed by now, having a network of reliable contacts is really a must in this industry; so be sure to work on expanding your "friends list" as much as possible. Although, don't let the networking part of video game testing get you down. After all, no one starts off knowing all of the most influential people.
Tip 2: Get Out There! Don't wait until you have a huge network of contacts before you get started with your game testing career; just get out there! Game companies and developers are not going to put "Game Testers Wanted" ads in the paper. Sure they need video game testers, but they aren't going to advertise it everywhere. Why don't they advertise? Because they would be swarmed with wanna-be video game testers that just want to play games all day long and get paid for it.
Although that can be seen as the situation for testers, it actually isn't. Game Testers are paid to test games; they are not paid to play them for hours on end. So basically, game developers advertise in order to separate the real testers from the fakes. What does this mean for you? It means you have to go right to the game companies and developers themselves. You have to find them, talk to them, and convince them that you are an experienced video game tester and that they would greatly benefit from hiring you. Don't be shy either.
Tell them about your experience with games, your extensive research on the video game industry, as well as anything else that would likely impress them. Remember, the more experience you have, the better your chances are for being hired. If you still think this is a dream job and want nothing more than to become a video game tester, then follow the 2 tips above and you should be able to land your first testing job in no time.
Sean Saunders Spends Most of His Time Playing Video Games And He Now Has A Very Successful Career In Professional Video Game Testing. If You Would Like To Learn More About Paid Game Testing, Visit http://www.GameTestingParadise.com, The Number One Resource For Video Game Tester Information.
