23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Who is this book intended for?, February 13, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Get in the Game: Careers in the Game Industry (Paperback)
I thought this book was going to be for people who aren't yet actually -in- the game industry, but all of the sample resumes are for people with tons and tons of experience. The first one is for a Producer who has already produced 32 successful games! How is that supposed to help me write my resume?
But the book starts with a list of programming languages used, and tells you why each one is important! So who is that for? Because these people with 10 or 15 or 32 games to their credit already must know all that stuff.
I'm not sure I believe very much of what this guy says. He says that you should never use the mail to send your resume because it shows you are technically illiterate, but then he tells you to stick post it notes to your resume, and not to use brightly colored paper -- well, how do I stick a post-it note to my emailed resume?
And is it possible that any hiring manager would really be influenced by a post-it note on the resume saying "I'm the person you're looking for!", or even worse, a telegram (a telegram?) after the interview, saying "I really want this job!" I'm not in the game industry, but in my industry, that kind of thing would mark you as a flake.
Of course, the telegram doesn't -say- that, it -states- that, because this guy writes pretty badly, and thinks that everything has to be -stated- instead of just -said-, like that makes it more important.
But how the book is written isn't important, I just wanted the information, and he pretty much just ignores people in my situation, trying to move into games from another industry.
I can't figure out who this book is supposed to be for. It sure isn't "all things to all people", but it isn't for people like me, either.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Information if Redundant at Times, June 21, 2005
This review is from: Get in the Game: Careers in the Game Industry (Paperback)
I will say that this book definitely has a lot of useful information for those people (like me) who are still in the process of obtaining an education and/or training. Additionally, there is a lot of useful information for people who have been in the game industry for a few years. My main problems with the book concern the numerous grammatical errors and redundant statements. I know this doesn't chiefly concern the content of the book; however, it is just kind of frustrating that at least 3 times I remember reading subsequent paragraphs that started with the same sentence or idea. It literally looks like he made two versions of the same paragraph and forgot to take the other one out! Additionally, as others have said, his job seeking tactics seem exceedingly aggressive in my opinion. Now he obviously has more experience than me. I just feel that some of the advice is over the top. I will give him credit though for forcing me to realize the opportunities available when you really really work at self-promotion. I have no problem recommending this book to others, but if you are a grammar freak like me you may have to take some deep breaths and relax before diving into it :)
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Marc's advice from this book got me a job in the industry, June 30, 2003
This review is from: Get in the Game: Careers in the Game Industry (Paperback)
I read his book and started networking and marketing myself. 6 months later through a contact I got through networking I got a job as a Content Manager for a AAA game company.
It's all who you know and how well you can network to get there. The game developers are a small tight-knit group who rely on other people's referrals.
Marc's tips got me started creating a database of game developers and keeping touch with those contacts. I also redid my resume according to his advice and it really stood out.
I did other things on the side: Create modifications for existing games (Unreal, Half-Life), reworked my demo reel (also using advice from Marc's book), and worked as an intern for a 3-D design company. But this book was the glue that held all those parts together.
This is a great book and well worth the money. My current position can testify to that.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
