Contact Info
Your name should appear as the first thing on your resume, bold and in a good-sized font. Then, provide employers as many ways to
reach you as possible - mailing address, email address, home phone, cell phone, etc. On each page include your name, contact info and
a page number.
Appearance
The first impression of you as a potential employee comes from the appearance of your resume. Make certain it is well-organized
with consistent headings, fonts, bullets, etc. Bulleted points let the reader scan through your achievements quickly. Avoid a cluttered
appearance and use lots of white space. For printed resumes, use white, ivory or light gray paper.
Format
Use short, crisp sentences that are structured around keywords. Select keywords carefully - they should reflect your ability to do
what the position you're applying for requires. Choose action phrases, such as led, designed, developed, presented, etc. As a
general rule, keep the length of your resume to 1 or 2 pages; however, for some technical and creative roles you may need to expand
to an additional page. Be as concise and to the point as possible.
Summary/Objective
The resume for an entry-level position typically includes a general objective describing the opportunity desired. However, if you are
an experienced candidate, you'll be better served by summarizing three or four skills that match the employer's needs and highlighting
in a short, bulleted paragraph at the beginning of your resume.
Work Experience / Accomplishments
List the company, dates of employment, and provide a short description of duties/responsibilities. Then, focus on your achievements
for each employer and place the most relevant ones first. It will be your accomplishments - especially quantifiable/measurable ones -
that will sell you to a potential employer. Use percentages, amounts, dollars, etc. in order to showcase the significant contributions
you made.
Education/Training
Include all pertinent information regarding education, degrees, training and certifications. Include the school's name and location
and spell out the degrees you received. If currently enrolled, list expected date of graduation.
Targeted
Tailor your resume and cover letter for specific jobs and employers. Nothing goes further to show your true interest in a position
than taking time to research the company and to tweak your resume accordingly.
No Errors/Typos
Take time to carefully write, re-write, edit and proofread your resume. Never send out a resume with spelling and grammatical errors.
Try having a friend or family member proof and provide feedback as well.
Skills Checklist
Engineers / Game Developers / Other Technical Positions
You'll want to include a section outlining your specialized technical knowledge or abilities. Place this after your Summary or at the
end of the resume. Unlike the Summary, this is an area where you can go into great detail about your depth of knowledge. Include every
programming language you know and every tool you can use, as well as platforms and hardware on which you've worked. Rate your skills as
expert, proficient, intermediate - but be prepared to be tested - especially if you claim to be an expert.
Chart of Projects
Engineers / Game Developers / Game Designers / Producers / Artists
Put this section after your Skills Checklist or Employment History or on a separate page if the list is quite extensive. Make these
bulleted points for each project and include Title, Your Role, Publisher/Developer, and Platform. This is also a good place to list
student games or mods. Be sure to include the tools used.
Demo Reels
Artists / Game Designers
For artists and designers, your demo reel is as important as your resume. Presentation of a demo reel can be done in various
forms/mediums, so find out what each prospective employer requires. Cover your bases by preparing a demo reel both on the web and on
CD-ROM and test to see that it can run on as many different platforms and systems as possible. Your demo should be 2-5 minutes in length
and should begin with and showcase absolutely your best work. Given the volume of reels that the game company hiring manager must view,
strive to make your demo original, show a variety of genres and styles and emphasize your unique artistic strengths.
