Job Searching Tips (after a layoff)
AHOY.
I didn’t realize it had been more than a month since I last wrote a blog, my bad!! Things have been very busy both at work and in my personal life. My dog is very sick so we’ve been taking care of her. She seems to be on the mend, though, so that’s good. How’s everyone doing? I feel like my summer flying by so quickly! In case you missed it, I was recently awarded the opportunity to be part of IGDA Foundation’s Virtual Exchange Next Gen Leaders 2024 cohort! Really exciting opportunity to learn how to be an effective leader in the industry. I hope to use my findings to level up this blog so it’s more impactful for everyone.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to write about for a while, but I feel like this one was a long time coming. I wasn’t sure if it would be helpful to write about but given the more recent news, I thought why not.
Today I’ll be talking about job searching…and from the perspective of someone who got laid off. I got laid off near the end of December 2023 and spent about four months on the job market before landing my role. I’ll try to be as realistic as possible with this blog because there’s really no way to sugarcoat just how tough it is to find a role right now.
BUT hopefully this will be useful to some of you, and can be applicable to anyone looking for a job, not just those laid off. I’ll give some advice and links to helpful websites, all with the context of my own experience.
So You Got Laid Off
rip in peace
I won’t go into detail about my layoff because #legalreasons but it’s similar to the ones you’ve heard or you’ve experienced yourself. I did cry…and forgot to turn my camera off for a bit. I’m an ugly crier lol. The whole time, I was trying my best to hold it together until I could hang up.
Here’s the part that really bothered me with how I handled my layoff. I only allowed myself these few minutes to dwell on it before I sprung into action. I didn’t take the time to process what happened because I had this sense of urgency to find a new role ASAP. I was back at my desk updating my resume, reaching out to former coworkers, applying to roles, and putting the green banner on my LinkedIn in thirty minutes. Maybe it was because I was scared about the rest of the industry? I knew after keeping up with others that any Associate Producer level roles were hard to come by, so I wanted to be as proactive as possible.
Some people may see this as a good thing but looking back, this wasn’t healthy in the slightest. Maybe it’s because I’m a producer and thought, ok this was the worst outcome but what is the plan to mitigate this? But this was the first time I had ever lost my job and I wasn’t prepared for how difficult the next few months were going to be, but I didn’t even allow myself more than fifteen minutes to breathe.
So, if you find yourself in the same situation, here’s some things I would recommend:
take the time to process wtf just happened: I’m not going to tell you how to feel, because we will all feel differently. the usual response to a layoff is “take all the time you need,” and these people are RIGHT. you will need the time to acknowledge what happened because it can be traumatizing! know that it isn’t you that caused this. this can be really hard to do, even I struggled with this because I took it so personally, but unfortunately there are just some things out of your control. once you feel you’re ready to continue, here’s some other things to consider -
read over legal documentation from your previous employer: you will likely get lots of emails from HR or whomever your contact is, and you are going to want to read these thoroughly. there will be lots of legal information about your the terms of separation. know your rights, and follow up with any questions, concerns, corrections, hesitations, clarifications, ANYTHING before you sign. if you are getting some sort of severance package, read this fully and ask any questions you might have.
if you are protected by specific laws depending on where you live or if you were part of a mass layoff, look these up!! you may be entitled to other rights that I am not mentioning (see WARN Act)
if your studio DOESN’T give you any legal documentation about your layoff, then follow up!! you will need it in writing if you need to file for unemployment or if you need to take any legal action. it’s also just good to have this in writing and it would be really weird if they didn’t follow up with anything.
review severance package/PTO payouts: if your studio offers a severance package, read it through to know what you are getting and agreeing to. if you had remaining PTO, ensure you are getting the correct payout. most of the time, you will not get your severance unless you agree to the terms and sign the paperwork, so be sure to understand what they are asking of you in return. with your severance, ask about what deductions they are taking out, including taxes. if your severance is not pre-taxed and paid outright, be sure to budget out what you think you will be taxed come tax season, as this is included in reported income.
review health benefits and retirement plan: know when your last effective date is for your health benefits so that you can plan accordingly. if you had a retirement plan with your studio, make sure the login information is set to your personal email address, and that you can access it. if the studio provided a match, ask when they will be notifying the retirement company of your layoff and when their last contribution will be.
identify a point of contact from your former studio: you never know if you need to follow up on anything, so it’s good to identify someone that you can email for questions. for example, you may need to follow up about tax forms or unemployment verification needs!
save that last paystub: again, good documentation to have. if you lose access to your paystub accounts because it’s tied to your work email, save all your paystubs! if you’re getting severance, ensure you save that specific paystub as well.
review your finances: scary but necessary. budget out your bills for the next six months, and set that money aside if you can. if you’re also in thousands of dollars of student loan debt like myself, review your options to see how your payment plan can be adjusted.
file for unemployment: look up how to file for unemployment in your place of living, if it is offered. if they require specific documentation from your previous employer, be sure to follow up with them to get this! know when the earliest you can file so that you can be processed as soon as possible. know the processing times as well, so that you can properly budget.
join a game community: I think this is still the email to contact, but if you were laid off from a games role, you can email this account to join the Game Industry Job Hunt Slack group. there is also this form!
Honestly, I might write a separate blog about being laid off. But, that’s my TL;DR.
So You’re Updating Your Resume
plz
Once you’re ready to start your job search, the first thing you’re going to do is update your resume. Be prepared to have a lot of versions, as you’re probably going to update it as you continue your search. I’ll cover specific areas of resume writing in this section! You don’t have to follow them all, but this is how I went about updating my resume and it worked well for me. Here’s a version of my resume I have on my website. Not perfect, but this is my space-saving variant where I listed tools and skills within the bullet points, rather than its own section. Fun fact: before game production, I was a recruiter! I’ve read maybe a thousand resumes at this point, so I feel somewhat qualified to give resume advice :D
Know what you’re applying for
What roles are you interested in? Are you considering a new role after the one you just had? Are you brand new to the industry and unsure where to start? Knowing the types of roles you are interested in will help you edit your resume. Tailor your resume for the role you want, instead of the roles you’ve had. Highlighting the applicable skills and experiences you have as it relates to the job description will help the hiring team understand how you can fit in at their studio. Most job descriptions will have relevant skills or requirements, so you can use these as a starting point to highlight on your resume if they apply to your experience.
You might even have different versions of your resume based on the roles you’re applying to! When associate-level producer roles were scarce, I started searching outside of production for operations roles as well as business development/game scout roles. While production is a jack-of-all kind of role, my responsibilities around bug prioritization and feature production weren’t the most relevant. If you do decide to have different versions, stay organized! Name the files differently so you choose the correct one for applications.
Brag about yourself
Not literally, but talking about your achievements and how you’ve made an impact in your previous roles is a great thing to add. If you have numbers/data points to back up your facts, even better. People want to know not only what you did, but also what happened as a result of you doing this thing. Maybe you performed team stand ups that resulted in increased productivity, or you held bug triage meetings that resulted in X% bug burndown rate. The general template I followed for these bullet points were “[action] which produced/resulted in [effect].” You don’t have to follow this as it may not be applicable, especially if you are just starting out in your career.
Keep it simple
When I was a recruiter, I spent maybe 30 seconds looking at someone’s resume to see if they were a good fit. I’m not sure what tools applicant tracking systems have nowadays, but I know there are still real humans looking at resumes! Getting past this step is the hardest part of the application process, so you want to make sure your resume is concise, to the point, and easy to read.
Know your audience! There’s lots of resume templates out there that use different fonts, colors, spacing, shapes, etc. to make it eye-catching. These could be good for creative roles, but might not be suited for others. Colors can also be distracting and make things hard to read, and are even more difficult for those that are colorblind. Different fonts, sizes, and spacing can make words feel more crowded and harder to comprehend. You won’t know if the hiring team has any accessibility needs, but it’s good practice to think about. If you feel like you want to bold words or phrases for emphasis, that can be helpful, but zoom out of your document to see just how many words are bolded. If too many words are bolded, then it’s losing its intended use, and the reader won’t know where to look first.
Other general resume suggestions:
skip the headshot or photo: this can mess with the formatting of your resume and take up lots of space that you could be using for other information. and, as sad as it is, it can produce unconscious bias for the hiring team.
save and submit as a PDF: word documents might not format correctly based on whoever is opening the document, so all your hard work may be moot. applicant tracking systems are also better equipped to parse through a PDF than a word document. also, word documents allow other people to edit your resume without you knowing (yes, a real thing!!) when I worked at a recruiting firm, people would edit the resumes before sending it out. while this might be helpful, they could also put false information on there that you’re not even aware of and can’t speak to.
write an objective: if you’re transitioning from another industry or applying for a different role than ones you’ve had before, having an objective explaining what you are looking for will help the hiring team understand why you’re applying! for example, I was a producer/project manager in the tech industry with no games experience. I used 2-3 sentences to explain what I was looking for.
Here’s what I wrote for my application to Maxis: “Dedicated, detail-oriented, and goal-driven individual looking for a production role within the gaming industry. Strives to partner with others and find new opportunities to learn and grow. Loves dogs, organizing, and playing video games.”
*write a cover letter: I put an asterisk on this because cover letters are time consuming, but I do think they are worthwhile if you are applying for a role you don’t have direct experience in or if you’re coming from a different industry. for example, when I applied to Maxis, I wrote a very honest cover letter about how I had zero experience in game production, but then went on to describe how my passion for The Sims and my desire to learn would help me make a positive impact at their studio. when my contract ended, one of my supervisors brought up my cover letter and how I was able to achieve what I set out to do. again, cover letters are time consuming, but if a job application asks for one or if their application has a “tell us why you are applying” section, take the opportunity to share what can’t be expressed in a resume!
So You’re Applying For Jobs
may the odds be ever in your favor
Writing your resume is one hurdle, but applying for jobs is truly a job itself. It can be hard at times, given the state of the industry. I’ve gathered some tips on finding roles to apply to as well as how to stay organized. In a weird way, job searching helped me keep a routine after getting laid off. I set a goal to apply for one role a day during the week, and left the weekends to relax. Of course, there were a few days where I just did not feel like doing anything, but I still forced myself to look at job sites. I’m not sure this was healthy though, as I would find myself doom-scrolling and would feel sad. I should’ve listened to my mind and body then. If you find yourself in a similar situation, listen to yourself!
Research studios
If you’re just starting out in the industry and not sure what jobs you’re interested in, research studios of the games you’ve enjoyed or are familiar with! This will help you give context on what you might be interested in pursuing. I had zero idea what could be fun or applicable for me, but I knew I liked The Sims so I got familiar with Maxis and Electronic Arts. It was helpful to read the job descriptions and put it into the context of the game. Studios will typically have a careers page with open roles as well as more information about their culture, values, and benefits. These are all important things to review when applying as well! Look at the studio’s LinkedIn as well to see if you know anyone directly or have a connection. The industry is smaller than you think!
Use job sites
Of course, there are thousands of game studios and it is impossible to look at each one’s career page for roles. Luckily, there are job sites that collate all the open roles for you! Here’s a few examples:
Google: sounds silly, but this is how I found two out of the three games industry roles I have. I searched “remote producer jobs” and read through all the recent roles. I did this a few times a week!
GrackleHQ: this website tracks careers pages from specific game studio websites, so it won’t have all the jobs but it does get real-time updates, and it’s run by people who specifically want to help people in the industry. neat!
Work With Indies: this job site is aimed at finding roles for indie studios, or solo devs that might need a freelancer or someone part-time to help them out. I like this site because it’s run by a small team and their job descriptions are always solid.
Remote Game Jobs: as the name says! I’m a big fan of remote work, and it’s nice to have a job site dedicated to posting roles that support it too.
Hitmarker: another popular site! I’ve seen a mix of AAA and indie roles on here. Sometimes their postings are outdated, so you always want to cross-reference with the studio.
Games Industry Biz: you may read their articles and news, but they also have a part of their website dedicated to job postings!
Game Developer: similar to the one above, you may read their articles and blogs, but they also have a part of their website dedicated to job postings!
XP Game Jobs: I never used this one, this one is new to me so I can’t speak to it, but wanted to include it here!
LinkedIn: not my favorite when applying for games jobs, as their algorithm is just so bad. but, people do share postings on here quite often so it is useful for that.
pro-tip: never believe the number of “applicants” a LinkedIn job posting has. it is a farce. whenever someone clicks “Apply ->” it will automatically count them as an applicant, despite not filling out an application. I’m not sure if they’ve changed this, but this was very annoying with my LinkedIn Recruiter license. and it’s quite intimidating for the applicant, too.
General tip - always try to apply to the studio directly rather than going through a third-party application. It’s better to be safe and have your application in the studio’s hands in case something happens where the third-party’s unable to forward the applications back to them. However, I think sites like Work With Indies and Remote Game Jobs are safe bets.
Reach out to connections
In my last blog post, I talked about finding people that believe in you - these could include people you’ve worked with in the past! Once you’ve updated your resume, send out some feelers to see if your network has any potential leads or connections to studios you might be interested in. One of the more useful LinkedIn features is seeing what connections you have at a studio you’re interested in, whether it’s someone you know directly (1st connection), or someone you know first-hand is connected to someone there (2nd or 3rd connection). You can use this as a starting point to see where you might be able to get your foot in the door. However, I wouldn’t rely on this as your main way of applying to roles, as people might be busy or they might just have their own reasons for not getting back.
Track your applications
I use Notion for general life organization, like home projects, books to read, games to play, Stardew perfection tracker (IYKYK), and I also found it to be a fantastic tool for tracking my applications. It’s important to track where you’ve applied in case you want to do follow-ups, or if you end up progressing through an interview process, you have a record of everything! Job descriptions may get taken down from websites, so I would copy and paste them in case I needed to refer back to it. I would also write down the names of anyone that I spoke to, including recruiters and the hiring team, so I knew who to contact or send thank-you notes to. My interview prep also lived in the same spot, where I had practice questions as well as what questions I wanted to ask. Going back to my previous point, tracking my applications kept me busy and made me feel accomplished. It was also insightful to quantify my applications to see what resumes were successful, what roles I was hearing back on vs not, and other data points. Here’s the template I used as a starting point from Javiera Cordera that I found very helpful. You can simulate tracking in Excel or other tools you are comfortable with, too!
To Recap
getting laid off is stinky, but it’s not your fault. know your rights before you sign anything!
take the time to heal. listen to your brain and your body
tailor your resume for the role you want, but keep it simple and concise
there’s a few different resources to look for job postings, use what you find most effective
doom-scrolling is not helpful for you, your eyes, and your brain
Hopefully this was helpful? It is never fun to be in this situation, but you are not alone. Don’t suffer in silence, as my coworker Jared says. There are people out here, like myself, that are here to help! If you have questions or other tips you’d like to share, comment below! I will try my best to respond at a reasonable time, now that I realized how to get notifications for comments.
Other (more positive) things I did after I got laid off:
played a few games from my backlog
read a book
repotted my monstera plant (it is THRIVING)
watched lots of movies (The Iron Claw is amazing)
What other topics are people interested in hearing about? I might write about interview tips, I feel like that makes the most sense to follow this blog, but would love to hear from you!
Take care 💖
