LinkedIn for Game Developers
In 2023, I took a course on game writing from an industry veteran who had spent the last few decades creating a career for himself in the industry. The class primarily covered the basics of writing for video games and how this differs from writing for other mediums, but near the end of the course he took some time to share with all the industry hopefuls the best way to pave a career in the industry.
His number one tip was to get on LinkedIn.
For me, someone who has come to loathe the platform, this was devastating advice that I did my best to turn a blind ear to. But unfortunately, as I continued to attempt to find a way into the industry, the advice I kept hearing was to get on LinkedIn.
Eventually, I decided it was time to cave. After all, it is really, really, REALLY hard to luck out and get a job in the industry these days without a connection. Any job posting is likely to have hundreds of applicants, all indistinguishable from your own application. So, here was my gameplan for stepping up my LinkedIn game and making meaningful connections on the platform.
Treat your profile like a portfolio
Treat your LinkedIn like another portfolio. If you post your work, you can pin it to the top of your profile so people can see it as soon as they land on your page. This is important. Use you bio section at the top to really tell a story about who you are and what work you do. With your headline, make it clear who you are and what you can do. Pick a flattering profile and banner photo that shows your personality while still being professional. Make your experience section meaningful. Generally, it’s better NOT to include superfluous experience in this section. It might be tempting to put all your experience down, but if your content writing internship sophomore year of college or your serving job over the Summer isn’t relevant to what you want to do now, remove it. That way, your relevant experience can shine and be at the top of your profile.
Connect with people who work at studios you are interested in
Spend time connecting to the right people. It’s totally okay to connect with total strangers, especially if your profile is clear in your intent and they can understand from that why you would be interested in connecting. Find a studio you are interested in, then search for employees on LinkedIn and add them. Especially employees that work in the departments you are interested in. Don’t do this expecting them to hand you a job or talk to their boss about you, it’s about forming real connections.
Message people without acting like a beggar
Once someone accepts your connection request, send them a thoughtful message thanking them and starting a conversation that could be interesting for both parties. Do NOT ask them for a job. This is annoying and often not in their control. Instead, ask about their career, the industry as a whole, or what they like about working for their studio. You want to start a conversation. Be complimentary, but make it genuine. Treat them like a human being and not an opportunity.
Also, always be the last one to say something. Thank them for their time when you are done chatting so that when you end the conversation, if they ever come back to it they will see this courtesy in your message history.
Post frequently
Posting on LinkedIn is hard, especially if you have a lot of connections from previous experiences and are afraid of judgement. That’s totally fair. Unfortunately, sharing your work on LinkedIn is also one of the best ways to get more eyes on your accomplishments, and possibly catch the eye of someone looking for the skills you’re offering.
Posting once a week should be your end goal. This is a lot, but it get’s easier the more you do it. If you are super shy about posting, try for once a month then work up to twice a month and so on. Also, even when you are not currently looking for a job, keep posting. It keeps your network engaged and keeps doors open the next time you are looking for a job.
This shouldn’t count as your once a week post, but responding to another persons post or sharing it can be a great way to boost engagement and also create a supportive community on LinkedIn. Just remember that genuine, thoughtful comments will always go further than things you post just to make some noise. Be genuine and thoughtful with your replies.
This article is a part of an ongoing project of daily video game mini essays. If you like the idea of getting these mini essays dropped directly into your inbox, I am cross-posting on Substack. You can subscribe here for free: https://howtogrowroses.substack.com/
If you want to learn more about me or my games, you can find my website here: https://www.heyitsamanda.com/
