When advertising video game jobs, game developers are looking for highly skilled gamers to first and foremost help them develop the best game they can. Games testing can take on so many different forms and today you almost have to specialize in certain genre’s if you want to make a name for yourself and start to get noticed by the bigger games companies.

If you are looking for video game jobs, then games testing is NOT your only option. There are a ton of jobs you can do to help you get your foot in the door – which is vital in this industry. Lets quickly look at 3 great video game jobs you can get.
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1. Marketing
Getting a marketing job with one of the major gaming companies can be a great entry level job. Now, you won’t start as a marketing executive but you can be part of the marketing team. This can be a very exciting job as you can help out with game launches, work at exhibitions and even gaming tournaments.

2. Support
Although this is not wildly exciting, you can get a job with any game where you are part of the online support team. These are much easier jobs to get – especially if you are very experienced or knowledgeable in a particular game. Once again, this can be a great entry level position to get your foot in the door of a major gaming company.

3. Development
Without a doubt, the most exciting video game jobs is with design and development. Can you imagine being part of the team that develops a game like Halo. Wow! Imagine that. If you consider the fact that video games is one of the fastest growing industries you are definitely in the right place and this is indeed possible. The only downside is that video game jobs in design and development are much more specialized and unless you have some very specific skills you probably won’t get in. Fortunately, there’s a big skill base involved. Whether its 3D animation, programming or character design you can use it and be part of something incredibly exciting and rewarding.
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This is where games testers play a huge part in making a game successful. When most people think about video game testers they think of a casual job where you lie around and play the latest games all day long. Unfortunately that’s NOT the case. Games testers have to be highly skilled gamers and most of all, the need to have the insight and knowledge of gaming in general to help developers and designers come up with something that mind blowing.

Testing happens at every stage of a game’s development. From concept to character creation to the music and even the packaging – all relies on testing to see what will work best and eventually sell more. Its all about finding what works and because developers don’t have that “outside” perspective they have to rely on video game testers to give them the feedback they need to improve the game before it gets released to the public.

With games testing taking on such a complex process these days you can really get in on this at so many different levels. The easiest way to start, is probably to do beta testing – which is really there to help iron out some of the flaws and errors in the game. Its usually just small bugs and errors that crept in and all you really need is an eye for detail. Although this is an entry level job, it will at least get you in though the door.

Even though this is a very competitive industry, video game testers is in demand in a big way. If you are good and if you are passionate about games you can work yourself up fairly quickly. There’s just so much opportunity and with Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo throwing big money at games it can be a highly lucrative career for the right person.

Are you that person?

The biggest challenge that video game testers face is getting started. Finding your feet and getting to know the right people in the right places can be a challenge at first. I would highly recommend you join The Gamer Testing Ground as it will give you that initial help you need to get started. The key to making it in this industry is to take that first step. If you are serious about making a career out of gaming then you need to start now. Experience is invaluable and the quicker you get it, the quicker you can move on up.
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Game Testers must be always on the lookout for the next project or assignment. Video game companies do not have to seek out testers for their games. The position is a desirable one and for that reason, a video game company has a number of candidates willing to take the work. To get a jump on the rest of the game testers out there, you must be proactive about finding work.

At the end of every assignment, check with the company for feedback on the information that you provided. This will help you become better at your job and find the areas where you might need to improve. Always ask for additional work and express your willingness to take on another assignment from the company. You never know when your services will be needed again so make it clear to the company that you are available whenever they have another project ready for game testers.

Get your resume online. You must be willing to promote your services as a game tester. Add new information as it occurs and make sure that your game testers resume is as up to date as possible. If you have just completed a major assignment for a top client, be sure to add that information to your resume so that others can see the kind of quality work that you can do. Promote yourself on video game testers websites and forums to get that next plum assignment.

Network in the gaming community. This is the best way to get some useful information about job leads and the next great game testing opportunity. You will also find some great technical information for game testers here that you can add to your knowledge base. Be proactive about your gaming education and learn as much as possible about the development of video games. The more you know and understand, the more valuable you are as a tester.

The contacts that you meet are very important to game testers. Attend conventions and immerse yourself in the world of gaming. Attend expos and events that feature the latest in gaming technology. Your job is to be on the cutting edge of the latest gaming systems and equipment. The gaming industry moves fast and you must move right along with it if you want to remain valuable to the video game manufacturers. Can you imagine how valuable you would be if you only knew the consoles and systems that were available five years ago or longer? Stay on top of the game and make sure that you are among the very best game testers on the market.
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The first thing that a beginner should know about game testers is their role in the development of a game. It may seem difficult to believe that a video game maker would pay someone to play a game, but it is actually a very important part of the development process. A game manufacturer must ensure that a new game is free of errors and glitches that could cause problems to the consumer when the game is brought to the market. The game testers perform this role by playing the game and isolating the errors for the manufacturer to fix before it gets into the hands of the public.

Game testers must have impeccable communication skills to be successful in the field. You might be able to find the bugs and glitches, but if you can’t effectively communicate to the company, the information is useless. Work on your ability to write effectively to detail the experiences that you have playing video games.

A tester usually works on their own. This means that game testers must be experts in time management. Without effective time management skills, the work will not be completed, deadlines missed and the manufacturer will not find you a dependable resource for your information no matter how good you are at game testing. Even if you are working out of your home, you must be able to devote a portion of your day to work and nothing else. Treat it like a job that you travel to every day or you will soon find yourself running out of time for your testing work. Let your family and friends know that while it may seem like you are playing, you are actually working and cannot be disturbed.

Before quitting your day job, try beta testing on a few projects to determine if it is the right field for you. You can also take on some assignments that you can do at night in your spare time to get started in the field. Make sure that you will be able to earn a living game testing before you quit your job. You might find that the job is not the right one for you. Or you just might find that it is the dream job you have been looking for your entire life. Either way, you have to try it before you can decide. Take the job seriously and expect that there will be times when you do not enjoy your work and times when you love every minute of it. Every job has those moments when the work is tedious and boring. Game testers go through this just like everyone else.
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