The Game Dev Hiring Guide: CVs, Portfolios & Interviews | Mark Backler

I’ve worked in the games industry for 20 years and now run my own studio - the

following comments are just my own thoughts and opinions but hopefully they can

help you land your dream role in games!

General: Put Yourself in the Employer's Shoes

Employers have a job that needs doing and need to quickly find someone to do it.

They don’t have infinite time and get a lot of applications, so make things easy for

them:

• Don’t make them jump through hoops to see your best work on your portfolio (because they won’t).

• Don’t expect them to download and install an .exe of your game- make web builds or gameplay videos easily playable instead.

• Keep your CV in bullet point format as much as possible.

• Keep your covering letter brief and written in clear, easy-to-read paragraphs.

• Ensure required skills are clearly evidenced in your CV, portfolio, and covering letter.

CV Advice

• Match the job advert: Make sure your CV covers as many skills listed in the job advert as possible. If you have a gap, address it directly by stating how you plan to fill it (taking online courses, self-teaching software, etc.).

• State the role heading: At the top of your CV, include a clear job title heading for the role you’re applying for (e.g., "Video Game Artist" or "Junior Gameplay Programmer."

• Frame non-games experience: Frame previous non-games employment around transferrable skills like teamwork, communication, and technical problem-solving.

• Keep it concise: Stick to one or two pages max, and try to fill them- avoid awkward page and a half layouts by adjusting formatting or detail.

• List events and hobbies: Detail games events you’ve attended with a bullet point on what you learned. Include hobbies to show you’re a well-rounded individual.

• Keep learning: Add fresh experience by attending events, taking courses, entering game jams (Ludum Dare, Itch.io), or making games in engines like Unity, Unreal Engine, Game Maker, Construct, Stencyl, Twine, or Scratch.

  
  

Applications & Strategy

• Proofread everything: Check spelling, capitalisation, and punctuation across your CV, covering letter, and portfolio. Communication is vital when making games, so poor attention to detail leaves a bad impression.

• Track your applications: Keep a spreadsheet listing where and when you applied so you can follow up after three weeks or re-apply six months later with an updated CV/portfolio.

• Don’t get disheartened: Studios receive hundreds of applications and rarely have time to reply to everyone or give feedback.

• It’s a numbers game: When I was at university, I applied for 5 "sandwich year" placement roles at games companies, got rejections or silence, and felt hard done by. Years later, an intern told me they applied to 100 roles, heard back from 5, and took their pick. It’s a numbers game- be persistent in applying, learning, and improving your portfolio.

• Use job adverts strategically: Job adverts literally tell you what studios want. Use them to pull keywords into your CV and covering letter so you clearly check all their boxes.

Website & Portfolio

• Best work upfront: Make it quick and easy to see your best work on your landing page.

• Visual impact: Use images, gameplay videos, or GIFs on the main page so reviewers can instantly evaluate your work. Place secondary projects on lower subpages.

Email & Covering Letter

• Professional email: Use a clean format like [yourname]@gmail.com or [name]@outlook.com rather than something like awesomeGuy@wherever.com.

• Subject line: Keep it clear, such as [Job Role] Application - [Your Name].

• Letter content: State the job you’re applying for, why you want to work at that studio, and what skills you bring. Attach your CV as a PDF or Word document.

Networking & Mentorship

• Network online and at events: Build industry contacts at events and keep an active LinkedIn or professional social media profile to share work, follow updates, and build connections.

• Mentorship: Look into games mentorship programmes (such as Limit Break or Into Games) for guidance from industry veterans.

Interviews

• Research: Play the studio’s games beforehand, or watch YouTube / Twitch streams if you can't afford them or don't have the hardware/time.

• Ask questions: Remember you’re interviewing them too! Questions about your day-to-day role and responsibilities show genuine engagement.

• Dress code: Smart casual is the universal dress code for games industry interviews- suits are standard in other industries, but rarely expected in games. You can always ask if unsure.

• Practice: Take every interview opportunity you can- interviewing is a skill that improves with experience.

And remember, keep making content, keep learning, and be persistent!

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Mark Backler is the founder of Sketchbook Games, creators of the award-winning Lost

Words. He has 20+ years’ experience from studios including EA, Kuju, & Lionhead.