Tuesday, December 11, 2012

How To Become A Video Game Tester

By Pietro T Gambini


Playing video games is your passion, it's something you love doing and spending hours playing games for money sounds like a dream job right? So is there any truth to the rumour that these jobs really exist?

The video game tester job really does exist, but maybe not on the terms you'd expect. The idea of earning a career from this hobby has been poisoned by many get rich quick online schemes.

Playing video games for a living is like many other dream roles, achievable, but only with a strong work ethic and an eyes open approach. Read on to discover what areas you need to concentrate on to give yourself the best possible chance of securing a video game tester job.

1. Don't fall for the scams that you'll find all over the internet. If you type 'video game tester' into a search engine hundreds of results will come flooding back to you, linking websites to your search term and on these websites various e-Books will promise you riches.

Obviously, not all of the online e-books are scams, some do work and you can make money from them, but many more aren't worth the money. Look for realistic earning goals.

New video game testers won't achieve much more than $7-$10 an hour when they start out in this career. Experience is counted on previous roles within the industry, not how many hours you've played COD non-stop. You'll need to graft to show willing and work hard to make opportunities your own.

2. Develop real world skills for a real world job. Video games companies make vast multi-million dollar products and as such employ real employees in office roles. You need to be able to communicate with these staff members, even if you get a rare chance to work from home. You'll need to be articulate and have a firm grasp of English, both spoken and written.

Your communication skills will come to the fore during conference calls, either in house or via Skype. It matters little how well you perform your role if you can't make valid points clearly and concisely.

3. By showing perseverance and determination in your actions you'll set yourself up for success and avoid the failure that many other people fall prey to. These factors apply to every job in the world.

Nobody will hand you a games tester job on a plate, plus you'll receive countless knock-backs and put-downs and it's how you face these and get back up which will determine whether or not you succeed.

If you want to consider a traditional way into quality assurance testing you might need to enroll in evening or night classes at a local college. Your levels of perseverance will determine whether or not you complete the learning.

4. Professionalism will set you apart from your peers, but make you ultimately more employable to companies. Don't make the mistake of thinking you can earn large amounts of money by sitting on a bean bag at home all day gaming and snacking away.

If you work from home, which is unlikely at first, you'll still be expected to work standard hours, submit timed reports and as above, communicate this in a professional and timely manner.

When you're starting out you're more likely to have to go into a place of work, which means you'll need to dress to a company standard and behave accordingly.

As with any role a quality up to date and accurate resume will elevate you above the masses, so ensure this is well written and coherent. At no part on the resume or job application should you mention video game tester - you're now looking to become a quality assurance employee.

5. Realism plays a key part in keeping the other four points tight and you sane. This is a highly sought after role in a cut-throat and competitive industry.

Many factors will come into play, including experience, how you present yourself and even luck. It might take much longer than you expected to secure that first illusive video game role, so be patient and grab any chance that arises firmly with both hands.

E-books are not the devil, some of these products will make you money, but go in with your eyes open and be prepared to make small amounts at first.

Most importantly be realistic about the actual role. Playing video games for money won't necessarily involve hitting COD for 6 hours every day. It's more likely you'll be playing certain parts of a game over and over again, type testing, looking for a bug to repeat itself.

Quality assurance testing is a job not a hobby. Keep this thought in your mind and every action and you'll avoid the pitfalls of your peers who expect an easy ride.




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