THE SECRET TO FINDING UI UX JOBS IN THE GAME INDUSTRY

User Interface Game Design Course.

Tags: Game Jobs, UI Artist Jobs, UX Designer Jobs

INTRO

Gainfully employed, newly-redundant, veteran CEO or bewildered new grad – the great equalizer is the search for a new job. And we’re not talking about just any blue-collar job in this Guide, but a full-blown honest-to-goodness UI UX Design Job in Games. Forget about the obvious and the trite, let’s talk about the best-kept secrets that only the professionals know.

SECRET 1: UNDERSTAND YOUR APPLICATION FROM THE STUDIO’S PERSPECTIVE.

I know, I know: for you getting the job feels like a matter of life or death (Hi Visa holders!). But from their perspective… Well, they already have a job – and it damn-sure ain’t to look at Portfolios all day. That’s your first clue how to make your job search more successful: understand the Studio’s thought-process before, during, and after they receive your application.

No matter your dire need for employment, recognize that from their perspective, especially the Art Director (usually the final say) – this feels like a punishment. Do what none of the other “Hail Mary” applicants are doing: build your Portfolio around convenience and comfort. Immediately show vital information like nutritional information on food packages: list the Software you know and the Skillsets you have (mobile vs. Console experience as just one example). The Art Director is there to absorb, not to read, so for the love of God, stop filling your Portfolios with a mind-bending amount of writing. Three sentences per paragraph and 3 paragraphs: the setup, what you discovered, and what you’ll never ever do again.

Lastly, Cover Letters aren’t a throw-away idea if (and only if) you have a particular connection to the Game. This can be a passionate devotion, a personal project, or oblique corporate ties. The Cover Letter is primarily there to highlight your “soft power”; a blend of culture fit, internal motivation, and brand empathy (if you’re not a superfan, can I trust you with the fate of the IP?). If you don’t really have any fondness of the project, don’t fake it and doubly, don’t write a cover letter. 

PROGRAMS AND SKILLS TO HIGHLIGHT

The metaphor (similie? Whatever-) used above was that Studios look at you like we all look at packaging in a grocery store. Your “nutritional facts” are crucial as they can fast-track you or outright eliminate you from the running. Here is the definitive list of ultra-rare information: the Skills and Programs to highlight on your Game UI Design Resume.

• Unreal (careful, as they may make you implement your designs, effectively making you an Engineer with high-pressure work) 
• Proprietary UI Tools used in your other Studios
• Miro
• Figma
• Console Experience
• Mobile Experience
• PC Game Experience
• Personal Indie Development (be it self-published or in-progress)
• Gamejam participation
• Leadership Roles in Design
• UI UX Concepting
• UI Artwork
• UX Wireframing
• Ai integration (be aware, copyright laws are very molten on this)

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SECRET 2: KNOW WHERE NOT TO FIND UX DESIGNER JOBS IN GAMES

Like I tell all my Students in my Game UI Design Mentorship, it’s a lot easier to figure out what something ain’t supposed to be than the infinite number of things it could be. Maximizing your time finding a UX Designer / UI Artist role means eliminating time wasted on dead-ends and scams.

First, let’s talk about good Game Design application etiquette. Don’t DM the job-poster on Linkedin, it’s not helpful and tends to spook them, not charm them. Try not to double-stuff by applying on the company site and on LinkedIn – it doesn’t double your chances. Lastly, it takes no effort for the Studio to check your Socials to see your hate-posting about your previous employer. Sterilize your Social Media or better yet – don’t air your grievances aloud.

Sadly, with the ubiquity of LinkedIn and the rise of Ai, previously undreamable scams are on the rise. Be very cautious around any job that requires any kind of payment up front for equipment. Double check their LinkedIn profile to see how long they’ve been a part of the platform and if their posts seem oddly… inhuman. Lastly, if you hear or are the victim of a job scam, get loud: informing others is the best way to stay protected and to protect others. In general: if a Studio is reputable, they will project that reputation to legitimize themselves. A scam can’t project anything except a fishy smell. 

KEEP YOURSELF SAFE FROM GAME JOB SCAMS.

These scams were always scummy, but they’ve been given an even scummier coat of paint with Ai. Let’s keep you safe in your head and your heart by ousting some of the known ones. Again, if you see something, say something and help keep us all safe.

• They say they’ll pay you for equipment
• They require some form of money from you
• They’ll ask for access to your LinkedIn (not a link, like full blown access!)
• Strangely poor English and lack of proof-reading
• Hats during meetings (hair is difficult for a living Ai to do, so they hide it with hats)
• Slack channels that seem consistently active without highs or lows (sophisticated  Ai bots)
• Very evasive about your questions on salary, expectations and the role
• Recruiters have almost no presence or history on LinkedIn
• Equity (not a scam, but the farthest thing from food on the table)

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SECRET 3: KNOW THE INSIDER TRICKS TO FIND GAME UI UX JOBS.

So you have their perspective and you know what not to do. Let’s get to the good stuff. Presuming your Resume and Portfolio are symmetrically strong – improving your odds at successfully getting a Game UI job requires a bit of unconventional thinking.

AAA Studios with names you recognize will prioritize internal talent, then internal recommendations, then some rando off the internet (that’s you). It is vital that you network outside of your discipline. You want to be known as a, “Hey, I know a UI Guy/Gal, let’s just call them” fixture in people’s lives – in much the same way if you knew an IT professional and mentioned it to your Studio, that friend would be instantly fast-tracked if they had severe IT needs. Presuming you don’t have that network (I guess that’s why you’re reading this!), you can approach Recruiters directly with your resume, location and wants. Game UI is exceedingly rare, always in demand, and unlikely to be commandeered by Ai. Applying to jobs at the nexus of job-outreach with a Recruiter and their Agency is much smarter than random applications.

Indie studios don’t have the budget to hire a Recruiter, but their needs for UI Design is still just as evergreen and dire. Apply to these smaller studios directly, even if they don’t have an opening. The odds are staggeringly high that they 1.) don’t know UI Design is a discipline or 2.) folded the role into Art. Cold-calling like this may lead to more Contract work than fulltime roles, but when it comes to putting food on the table, I’m sure you won’t mind. Indie can also be charmed if you redesign one screen of theirs as part of your application. Not free labor on a major screen – but maybe a paintover or mark up to show them just how much they’re missing without you.

MORE TRICKS OF THE GAME UI TRADE

Pretty crafty, huh? But wait, I’m not done yet! Here are even more secret tricks and techniques I’ve either pioneered or seen in my time as an Art Director:

• Check out an Indie Dev’s previous work and see if their UI is demonstrably bad. Start with those Studios.
• Post your wireframes on Social Media. Art is subjective, but tight usability is universal. Use it to show your authority on the subject and authenticity: everybody is putting up finished work – but nobody is showing their process.
• Use your Wireframing skills to seek out lucrative UX-only contracts where desperate Studios just need their unruly layouts fixed. Very quick and profitable turnarounds. 
• Mobile devs have much more challenging UX problems than console because of screen size and lack of buttons. They clearly have the much more dire need for UI UX professionals.
• With interviews, always have a “Marquee Project” in your Portfolio that is your best work and you can talk about at length. The odds are very low you’ll get past 1 project anyways, might as well practice with your best.

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LET’S SUM UP

Getting a Game Design UI UX Job is challenging, but far from impossible. Presuming your Resume and Portfolio are rock-solid, there are a couple of nontraditional ways you can improve your chances. To keep your application from feeling like a slot machine pull, I recommend:

• Always understand the process from the Studio’s perspective, and present your Skills and Programs immediately, as well as your work as quickly as possible.
• Learn good etiquette: don’t badger the job poster, Cover Letter only if you have a special attachment to the project, and watch your ass out there!
• Don’t do the tired and trite: use unconventional methods to get the UI job. Be the “Go to guy” for UI in your network. Apply to indies with proof of your talent. 

Related Links and Further Reading

• What really happens in a UI UX Interview for Games
• 10 Ways to Practive Game UI Design on your Own
• The Game UI Database

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GAME UI DESIGN LONGTAIL SEO SEARCH TERMS 

This may seem tangentially related, but many of my Game UI Design Mentees are also web designers and have a passing knowledge of SEO. As one of the very few Gamedevs with his own long running site, search engine optimization for terms is at the heart of my business. Many of you won’t care, but some of you always ask (and it’s very obscure knowledge only a few of us know) so freely given: here are the SEO longtail search terms used to find this free Game UI Design Course.

• how to get a job as a game UI designer
• game UX design portfolio tips
• entry-level game UI jobs no experience
• junior game UX designer salary
• how to become a game UI artist
• game UI developer resume examples
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• best universities for game UX design
• game industry networking for UI/UX
• what skills are needed for a game UI artist
• freelance game UI/UX jobs
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• common mistakes on a game UI portfolio
• major game studios hiring UI/UX designers
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• how to transition from tech UI to game UI
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• how to apply for jobs at indie game studios
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• how to get a job at Riot Games UI
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• best resources for game UX design job seekers