We have an enormous amount of turnover in our incredibly fast-paced industry. A lot of first time first timers are really surprised that they don’t have any guidance or explicit tasks when they start working at a game company and wind-up leaving their jobs without much to show for it.
Here’s a list of 15 tips to help you avoid being at the top of the next layoff list. (I’m going to avoid obvious tips like - do your job well, don’t steal, don’t be rude, don’t come to work drunk/high, etc.)
Who knows, with these tips you may even be promoted!
- Volunteer for Projects and Tasks You Want
Do you have a light day/week? Great! Ask yourself, if you could work on anything at the company, what would you do? Go find whoever is in charge of that department and offer your services! Are you a graphics programmer who really wants to work on design? Ask the design lead if you can help out! Are you a tester who dreams of writing? I’ll bet the writers would love to off load some of the generic dialog barks! Do you want to be a manager? Suggest or organize a company initiative.
- Create a Task “Wish List”
This is a list of those little things that are perpetually put off until someone “has time” to do them. Pull this out the next time you are sitting around waiting for the build to be fixed, an asset to upload/compile, or whatever else makes you sit around rereading all of the XKCD [www.xkcd.com] archive. Imagine all the great things you’ll accomplish while everyone else is bored! You should keep a private list for yourself, but this is also a great thing to start as a shared company wiki.
- Schedule Mini-Reviews
See our entire article on how to “Score BIG on Your Job Review”.
- Keep a Weekly Accomplishments Log
This was also addressed in the above article. This is important as your great work won't help you move up or keep your job if no one knows about it! You need to toot your own horn at times.
- Help Your Boss
Your boss should be supporting your job, but have you ever asked how you can support your boss’s job? Sometimes you’ll be surprised to find out that little things matter a lot!
- Share Your Knowledge
Submit to give lectures at conferences, schools, and your local IGDA chapter! Write articles for trade magazines and books. Consider maintaining a blog to showcase your skills as an expert in your field. Having an employee lecturing and writing as an “expert” can really boost a company’s image. (Consult with your company’s HR/PR department first to make sure this is ok.)
- Make Connections Inside the Company
Many studios tend to become a bit “clique-ish”. Having friends on the inside makes it easier to do your job and stay ahead of office politics (instead of getting crushed by them). Ask coworkers and leads of other departments out to lunch. Use these opportunities to learn about the other departments. Take your boss to lunch too.
- Make Connections Outside the Company
Having friends on the outside can help in many ways too. You can learn new techniques in your field. If your company allows “brown bag” lectures, you can invite them to speak at your company to teach everyone else this technique! If your company is hiring, you may be able to recommend a great employee. (Some companies give bonuses for this!) And if your studio shuts down, they can help you find a new job!
- Keep an Eye on the Business
Is your company pitching a new project, buying a small studio, or closing a division? You should know about it. All of these things will likely impact you on some level. New projects mean new opportunities to move to a position you want. Closures and mergers may mean layoffs or relocation. Is your company doing a deal with another company - best learn about their structure and technology! Knowing what your company is doing allows you to position yourself to capitalize on opportunities or avoid pitfalls.
- Participate
Does your company have extra-curricular activities? Is there a company sports team, regular game tournament, or a lecture series? Participate! These events are made to encourage networking, team building, and fun!
- Listen, Don’t Share
When it comes to office politics and gossip there is one simple rule: listen, but don’t share. You can learn a lot by listening to what other people choose to spread around. But as soon as you repeat or vent yourself, you’ve entered a whole new level. Even a fanatical gossiper might not trust you as soon as you start contributing. Besides, you can never be sure who will hear what you say or in what context it will be presented. Adding to office gossip is an easy way to get in SERIOUS trouble!
- Develop a New Skill
You would be surprised how easy it is to become an expert in just one system or skill – and even be in high demand because of it. But what happens when that system or skill is no longer in demand? Perhaps a new, better, cheaper software program comes out that does your old job for you? Uh-oh. The best strategy is to continually add to your skill set. Try to learn a new skill at least once every couple of months.
- Individualize Communication
Some people communicate better via phone calls, others work best over email, still others live by texting, IM, or Facebook. Ask your boss and coworkers how they would prefer you contact them. I’ve known people who couldn’t remember anything until they read it in an email and I’ve known people who insist on always talking in person.
- Have a Life
Your work isn’t everything – or at least it shouldn’t be. Take up a hobby, sport, or volunteer. You’ll be surprised how much this enriches both your life and your job.
- Get Plenty of Sleep
This may sound silly, but sleep deprivation is proven to be devastatingly detrimental to your performance and mental capacity. That said, I’m going to stop writing this blog post I’ve been working on all night and go to sleep!
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