Volunteering at GDC

Post date: Mar 22, 2014 10:13:14 AM

On March 2014 I had the opportunity of volunteering at GDC. It has been a phenomenal experience so far. I’ve been able to meet speakers and see the latest updates in game development technology. But most importantly, I’ve been able to become part of a wonderful community that has both challenged and inspired me in any way possible.

5 Observations:

 1)   It’s not just about networking, it’s about making meaningful connections. 

As I observed speakers and attendees throughout the week, I noticed that there’s a dynamic that is repeated in recruitment situations. Yes, recruiters and directors look for people with competence and capacity in the field that they’re hiring. But what tends to reign over that decision is how well you get along with the team. These are people you’ll be working for a large part of your day, every day. The better people get along with their new team, the higher the chance of being recruited into the team.

2)   Things happen fast. Really fast.

One of my good friends in the CA program is currently working as a product manager for an automobile company. He has an incredible charisma, and had a few years of experience working in the game industry. He’s been looking for a way to jump back into the game industry, but nothing seemed to pop up. On Thursday, he had the chance to go to a party hosted by Blizzard, and had a chance to talk to the team. When I got the chance to talk to him, he looks at me with a bit of disbelief. “They want to hire me as a producer.” It was incredibly satisfying to hear.

3)   Patience and kindness go a long way.

There were many times when our schedules were at a crunch and we might be running late on certain talks or shifts that we needed to assist. And, when a lost attendee would cross your way at that time, it was like a direct challenge to your patience. Succeeding in such a challenge led me to acquiring a few business cards, and good information along the way.

4)   Ups and Downs. They happen, even when you’ve already reached your dream job.

Many CA’s had successfully reached a position in their desired company such as Riot Games, Blizzard, Bungie, and Rockstar Studios. But many expressed struggles that I never gave too much thought on, such as miscommunication between departments, troubles during the production process, and other situations. The ups and downs are continuous, and will manifest themselves in different ways as we progress though the industry.

5)   Communication is key.

 I had the pleasure of assisting to two Art Leadership roundtables hosted by Keith Self-Ballard. There were a variety of artists assisting, from art directors, to lead artists, to middle manager positions and aspiring artists. Many of them expressed how crucial communication and understanding between departments is. Some even expressed how some corporations sank projects because of decisions that lacked understanding of processes that departments went through (in this case, the art department). Friction will continue to happen, but it is crucial for departments to have an understanding on how each work, and how their processes run throughout game pipeline.