As Mobidictum, we held our first Career in Games event! In our event, we hosted precious names and discussed many issues related to the game industry. Elif Karaata, our guest at the event, where our valuable guests were present, addressed the topic of “Making a difference when applying for a job” and shared tips.
Elif Karaata is an expert who has accomplished successful works in the game industry for more than 15 years. In addition to being a game designer, she also has experience in animation and programming. Karaata, who is equipped with the multidisciplinary structure brought about by being a game designer, has various duties in the fields of production and administrative organization in his portfolio. The experienced name is currently continuing her successful career in MagicLab‘s Event and Communication Specialist position.
Karaata had previously shared her suggestions for entering the game industry at our event. In the next session, she shared tips to increase your chances of being hired and answered the question “how to apply for a job.”
The job application process is a difficult one. There are different problems that both employers and job seekers face in this process. As job seekers, you may be familiar with the challenges of the process. So, how is the situation for employer companies in the job application process? How is the process going?
How should a CV be made?
A curriculum vitae (CV) is a document that includes skills, experiences, educational background, hobbies, work experience, etc. It is a personal summary and is used when applying for a job. For companies to evaluate you correctly, you need to create a successful CV. A good CV should be made in a way that accurately reflects your characteristics and skills. Contrary to what is thought, creating CVs with long information pages may not always be the right option. Regarding the subject, Elif Karaata states the following:
“A resume is essential. Preferably, have a single page, clear CV where the feature you want to highlight is very clearly visible and your contact information is visible.”
Karaata, who has examined many CVs with the eyes of an employer throughout her career, says that everything you do does not need to be in the CV. It can even be a disadvantage for a CV to include everything you’ve done in your career to get more attention. When preparing a CV, make sure to be very clear and precise. Also, include only the information you consider necessary and important to your CV. Longer CVs will not give you an advantage. Karaata adds:
“Of course we all have something to say, but it’s a balancing act. You can decide what and how much to tell by trial and error or by reviewing other resumes.”
In summary, making a good CV can be the first step to your new career. You should examine the CV samples well and decide what you want to highlight. It is helpful to consider that many CVs are sent to where you will apply. To stand out among these applications, you should pay attention to some tricks.
How to make a good CV:
- Add your name to the filename of your CV. A file name in the form of “CV-NameSurname.pdf” will enable your CV to be found faster while your application is evaluated.
- The extension of the CV should be “.pdf.” Other file extensions may not work correctly on the computer of the person who will review the application for reasons such as version incompatibility.
- When choosing a font, make sure it is legible. The readability of the CV is more important than it looks good to the eye.
- Use a personal e-mail address on your CV. You should always have access to the contact addresses you will use.
- Make sure the links you add to the CV are working.
How should the portfolio be made?
Another job application document in the digital world is the portfolio. Portfolios are one of the best tools to show yourself. A portfolio is a collection of personal presentations and can include your experiences, strengths and weaknesses, talents, previous projects, and much more. Although it undertakes a similar task with a CV, it is much more detailed. Regarding the subject, our speaker makes the following statement:
“Portfolio is one of the best tools where you can show your work – in any field – what you can do. It may seem like it is mostly used in visual fields and belongs there, but it is not. You can use the portfolio in any area.”
When it comes to the game industry, you can see a lot of job postings in the software and design fields. While preparing a portfolio, you should include a prototype of the products you produce. Just as a designer can add designs to their portfolio, a software developer can add the code or prototypes he/she has developed. You can add your works in many fields, such as software, design, marketing, etc., to your portfolio. So, what should candidates who have not worked professionally before and who will apply for a job for the first time do? Elif Karaata explains:
“Create a job for yourself. You have to show that you are improving. You must have taken a few steps towards the industry you want to enter. I think it would be an advantage for you if you put a clue about the job you want to do in your portfolio.”
The new and fast-growing structure of the game industry attracts the attention of many people from other disciplines. For this reason, people who have done other jobs before should explain how they can evaluate their experience here when applying to the game industry. This is where portfolios come into play. Good and creative portfolios will increase your chances of being hired.
In addition to these two crucial documents, it is also essential to have strong communication skills. Try to improve your communication ability. You also need the self-confidence to show that you are suitable for the job you will do, and you can reflect this self-confidence by communicating correctly. At the same time, the game industry requires creativity and productivity. Investing in these qualities and expressing them accurately to the employer will pave the way for your career.
While stating how difficult and tiring the process can be, Elif Karaata reminds us not to get stuck with these obstacles. In this challenging process, not giving up and not being dragged into rebellion with wrong thoughts will affect your business life positively. Our speaker advises you to stay calm despite all the negativities. So you can maintain the quality of your communication. Communicating with the impact of previously unsuccessful applications may prevent you from landing a new job.
