OK so in this post I thought I would tell you a bit more about me and my journey to become a video game tester. I left school at 18 with no qualifications and spent the next 6 years of my life working in all sorts of bum jobs, from pizza delivery guy to Walmart. I always really hated my job, but I didn’t know what else to do and needed to pay the bills. My lack of qualifications was really holding me back.
I have been a gamer all my life, and spent my almost complete time almost time to playing video games, especially when I should have been studying! I would have loved to play games for a living, google atari breakout is my fav one, but I do not know how to become a video game tester. However one day I was on facebook, and a friend from high school got in touch with me. After chatting for a bit the subject of work came up, I felt really ashamed telling him that all I had amounted to since leaving school was working at Walmart.. but that was soon replaced with interest when he told me that he was a full time video game tester.
I had loads of questions for him, and after chatting for hours, I knew what I wanted to do with my life, It was a great feeling! I wanted to become a videogame tester! I was also lucky enough to have some insider knowledge. I scoured the net for more information, and job vacancies, but couldn’t find any. My friend had told me that games publishers rarely advertise online, and usually, go through specialised recruitment agencies only.
I was so dedicated to finding a job as a games tester – I had decided it was the perfect career for me, and I would stop at nothing to make it. After getting some advice from my friend on the quickest and easiest way to get a job as a games tester, I sent my details over to a recommended games jobs agency and prayed for the best. He had suggested using this particular agency instead of trying to get lucky finding a job online, as there are very few.
To be honest, I wasn’t really expecting them to be able to help me, especially after experiencing so many setbacks searching for my dream job, but I trusted my friends as advice, as he said he had used them and that they were responsible for getting him his current game testing role.
I was surprised when only a few hours later I received details on preparing for interviews, building a resume aimed at getting the job, and most importantly details of actual vacancies! Click here to visit their site
Unfortunately, none of those video game tester vacancies were anywhere near me, however, my friend told me to be patient, as new jobs are added all the time. I carried on with my life, and only 3 weeks after that, I received details of a vacancy in my area. With the help of the agency, I had everything I needed to prepare my application, and get ready for the interview.
After sending my resume, I was invited in for an interview, which I was really nervous about, but luckily I knew exactly what questions they were going to ask me, so I had answers already prepared, sneaky huh? 😉
After only 2 months, I received my job offer and began my career as a full-time video games tester. I often look back at the Facebook conversation with my friend and wonder what I would be doing with my life now had it not happened. I guess I would still be working at Walmart… Since then my life has changed a lot, I moved to California, I am earning a decent income (although I am far from rich) and I am doing a job I absolutely love. I even met my wife out here, so I guess I owe that to my friend too! lol
So my advice to you on how to become a video game tester is this: Prepare your resume, scour the net for jobs, never give up, and keep chasing the dream until you achieve it. The most important thing is to take action, if you don’t take action, then you will never get the job you want. Believe in yourself, if you chase your dreams, then they will come true.
