Hey everyone,

       My name is Tarun and I was just wondering (for all of you who having writing/editing jobs in the industry) how did you get there? I definitely have enough writing samples and experience with this, it's just that I can't seem to find any legitimate salary based jobs. I've been applying for assistant editor positions and have been coming up empty for the past three months or so. 

      I am in the Philadelphia area and very much willing to relocate should any game writing opportunity pop up. Any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and have a wonderful week! 

Check out http://www.ed2010.com they have lots of help for aspiring editorial assistants, although aren't really videogame specific, ^_^. They also have chapters in most US states, you can join, =).

There are jobs and intern ops advertised on cbsinteractive's website, and EGM even now has a page through which you can let them know you're looking for work.

Also, don't be disheartened after three months. It took my friend almost a year to get a job after she graduated, =P.

To answer your first question - I'm probably not your target audience, as I haven't exactly made it. However, I can give a couple of anecdotes.

I got some temp work for a month or two at Gamespot simply by responding to their job ad, and getting through the interview. What helped was that it was a sub-editing position, and my friend was self publishing a novel at the time, so I'd been doing sub editing on that for her, in my free time, so I already had examples of sub-editing to show, and was actively sub editing at the time. I had also just called it quits on an E3 DVD project funded by loans, which hadn't worked out, which, although a financial disaster for me, must have looked good on the CV, and I also had an article published in MCV next to the person who was hiring me, the week of my interview, =P. Parp! But I'm not the norm, and I didn't last there either.

I did freelance advert design for OPM Response whilst a student, simply by being in the right place at the right time. Chris Birch was organising JoyStick Junkies club nights for the games industry, sponsored by OPM - a games recruitment agency. And although it did become popular after a few events, back when it first started, not many industry people turned up. I was one of the few people with an interest in the games industry to turn up, and was able to explain I did layout design, and hand Kim Adcock a business card. I was later contacted more out of desperation than anything else, as her ad designer had let her down the weekend before an ad was due to be published. I got two days to make something for them from scratch, and get it off to print. =P Went into overdrive with student-enthusiasm, and pulled off a small miracle, and had regular freelance work for a year from them, after that.

I could relay some other stories.

Will Guyatt did an english degree, then worked at a videogames store, then ...I think got involved with a local radio station, then moved across to the BBC, and then to Future, =). So that was pretty cool. He's here if you want to pick his brains: http://www.gameleon.net/willguyatt/

Michael French got together with some other EDGE readers on ...I assume it was EDGE's internet forums, and made a fanzine called Blessed, which got passed around a fair bit, and Intent Media hired him, =).

James Beaven ...er...well, his story is on Youtube:


Ben Furfie, was involved in a number of Xbox fansites, and I dunno how, but he got involved with alienpants ...and later ended up at Intent Media, ^_^, eventually moving up the ranks to editor of PC Retail. You can pick his brains here: http://www.gameleon.net/benfurfie/
Um...who else? What else? Erm...er!?!

Some tips I got from Ali Wood [CTW, Indie, In Stock, PC Zone], were:
- Get experience, - it looks good on your CV, and you might meet someone who can hire you
- Be willing to start at the bottom and work hard, doing even s**t jobs with enthusiasm and speed can impress,
- make tea for people, =),
- and never give up. =P

Some tips I got from James Beech:
- he got his job after a friend told him about it, so networking is important,
- use your initiative
- he had a degree in journalism, =P

James White:
- Work hard
- Talk to people
- arrive early
- leave late
- Write all the time, about anything, =)

....er...that lot was paraphrased from the gift tags I mentioned in my comment on Joey's latest blog entry.
http://www.gameleon.net/Joey/blog/125/

Incidentally, James White, at Total Film mag at the time [which was 2003...am not sure what he's doing now!?] got his job after being turned down for a work experience placement, and having to scramble to find another at short notice, at which point he approached his favourite mag, and when a vacancy later came up, they remembered him, and invited him to apply for it. Again, he goes on to mention you have to be willing to start at the bottom and work your way up, =P.

Thank you for all of that good information! I plan on looking into each and everyone of those links/people you mentioned. It has been about a year since I graduated from university. Unfortunately, I found my current job (text entry/proofreading position) at Yellow Pages in Pennsylvania. It's definitely not the job for me, but it will have to do for now. There are absolutely no jobs for people with my experience around here but I do have my own blog, I am currently working as a freelance writer (video game articles/music etc), I wrote for Examiner.com for a bit and I also interned at the North American Publishing Company (Tech/gadget related publisher).

I do not plan on giving up on this seemingly never ending job hunt any time soon. :) I have the will of a warrior. Hopefully I'll find something good from one of these links! Thanks again for your advice. It is greatly appreciated.

Text Entry? Proof reading? Sounds like the same job I had when temping at Gamespot, =P.
I was on the production side, so didn't get to review any games. I should stop going on about it, as I was only there for two months...

Yeah, I noticed on your profile after I'd replied, that you did freelance work for Demand Studios, which in effect means you're already in the industry, ;-) / have already broken into it.

"There are absolutely no jobs for people with my experience around here"
...I hear you on that one. I'm in Swindon atm, and it'd be much easier to get bar work. =P.
I keep reading about stuff on ed2010, and wishing I was in New York, where a lot of the magazines are, =D [I love magazines in general, not just videogame mags].
That said, we at least have Intel based here in Swindon, and they were looking for an employee communications person the other week...producing mags, websites, newsletters, etc, for intel employees. If I wasn't trying to start up my own business, I'd have applied for that.

I know Future are looking for an assistant producer for the Nintendo Channel, which is a bit like PS3's Qore or FirstPlay, but for Nintendo Wii, ...only that's here in the UK. I see a lot of good jobs advertised on Gorkana PR, but again, they don't have many US jobs advertised there, =P. http://www2.gorkanapr.com/jobs/journalist

(A side note) I just read your profile and you are a Panzer Dragon fan! The good old days of Sega Saturn! I must have spent months playing that game. Virtua Fighter was also amazing for its time.

www.gamerawr.com (it's my personal blog to help my portfolio of professional work that I've done). Let me know what you think. Oh, and the site wont let me at you as a friend. What's the deal?

Here is a writing sample of mine from my internship

http://businesssolutions.ecatalognow.com/publication/?i=5706&1&p=21

http://www.ehow.co.uk/way_5401970_xbox-maintenance.html (one of my eHow articles).


I just applied to one of the positions from ed2010. Thanks again for sending me that link!

I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I find something. Sometimes I wish I lived in the UK. Everything looks so pretty there.

p.s. Hit me up on Xbox if you're ever bored! GT: The Great T Run

Cheers!

'Eh? That's weird. I do mention in my profile, that I prefer people write first, so I'm not just adding random people I don't know, but I know you from this forum thread now so am happy to be ya' gameleon fellow. If you're having trouble sending a fellow request, I'll send one your way instead. =).

Panzer Dragoon Saga is one of the best experiences I've ever had from videogames, =D, <3. Loved it. I missed out on VF2, but got Fighters Megamix instead, which was VF2 and Fighting Vipers combined. ;-) I'm an expert with Candy, ^_^, or so I reckon, ;-).

Still haven't bought a current gen console yet though, as I don't currently have a day job so am a bit broke! =P So can't take you up on your offer for online xbox play atm, =/....soz...
Most other people on this site probably will though, ^_^. There are a lot of 360 fans about, ;-).

Haven't hit the links at time of writing this, so I'll have a look, and come back and post my thoughts, in due course, =).

As Andrew so eloquently showed in his post, its a combination of being good, being experienced and just good old luck, timing and right-place-right-time situations.

My only advice would be to write lots and write for as many publications as will have you. It all looks great on your CV, and you never know what some odd freelance work or a short internship will blossom into.

BTW Andrew, Gamespot must be going through iterns like Mars bars. You're the third person this year who has spoken about their GS internship. Congrats!

Edit: A second BTW: For me, the biggest annoyance was the line "you don't have enough experience". It's a fucking nightmare and I'm sure you realise the catch 22 of "how can I get experience if you don't give me any!", but its just a wall that one day you will hit with a gigantic hammer and smash straight through.

I have finally hit through that wall, and its a very liberating experience. It was thanks to one freelance job (at the Escapist), which led to one internship (Wired) which led to one full time position (Pocket Gamer). Now no one says "not enough experience". Unless I try and apply to be a doctor or something... 

I wouldn't say I've "made it" by any stretch, but I do have a few sites I freelance for that pay, and a modest number of industry contacts. I probably didn't take the path most people have taken, but here's how I got where I am (modest though my position may be).

I started off by starting my own blog, and doing volunteer work for a few mid level, moderately popular sites. In that time, I built up a strong portfolio of work, and made a few industry contacts. From there, I just started putting myself out there. I look for gigs on an almost daily basis here on Gameleon, on the Game Press forums, and any other site the occasional google search turns up that might list video game journalism jobs. It's an uphill climb, and there's a fair chance you'll want to have a "day job" or at least some sort of alternate income while you're climbing that hill.

Don't get discouraged. Had I taken that advice a long while back, I probably would be much further along in my own career than I am today. Other than that, put yourself out there every way you can. Be active on twitter, facebook, linkedin, and any other popular social networking site, or gaming community you come across.

So put yourself out there, and don't give up - you'll get where you want to be with a little hard work and some patience.

Wasn't on an internship, ;-). Was on a salaried 3-month temp contract, that might have turned permanent, if I hadn't been fired for a (what I intended to be supportive) comment I posted on their then environmental sister site SmartPlanet (this was 2008, pre-CBS). Made the whole thing a bit bitter sweet.

Oh right, sorry! Got my wires crossed ;)