"When most Recruiters hear "I just want to get my foot in the door," we lose interest. A company name won't make those hard days at work any better, it won't give you the skills that you want, and it won't give you a team that vibes with your working style. Focus on the specific responsibilities of the role, what you will learn, if the culture suits you, what exciting projects are on the horizon, what the biggest challenges are, and if the compensation is aligned with your needs. Passion for what you do day-to-day will push you forward, not a company name." - public LinkedIn post from a Activision recruiter I would like to respectfully disagree and offer a rebuttal on behalf of those who are currently in that position. It is true that there are individuals who are just looking to have a company name on their resume so they can later apply to the studio of their dreams. However, I also believe there are individuals who legitimately want the opportunity to prove their worth. It is far too common to see people applying for entry level positions that require previous industry experience. This alienates those who spent years in college, modding other games, or even attempting to create their own games because they don't have any "reputable experience" on their resume. When we ask recruiters how we should go about obtaining relevant and reputable experience, the answer is always to work on small indie games to get your name out there. The problem with that is we volunteer our time for projects that aren't even remotely successful or end up being canceled. We then continue to find small roles within the indie community that we feel are worth the gamble. During this time we flip burgers, work as cashiers, and find other irrelevant day jobs to pay off our debt and bills while trying to balance our time working on smaller projects for little to no pay. It is a recruiter's job to ensure that whoever wants the job has adequate experience, people skills, and dedication for the company. When you skim through someone's resume who has put time and money into learning how to use tools of the trade, sacrificed themselves on projects that weren't fruitful, and tell them they're not adequately suited for the role, it completely diminishes our morale. We get that you have hundreds of applicants who want the chance to prove themselves, but all we're asking for is a 5 minute phone call, low quality audio recording, or even footage of us to show you we are more than just a piece of paper. We want to tell you that we are willing to go above and beyond for you, our superiors, and your company. We are willing to continue to make sacrifices and do whatever it takes to work our way up to the ranks of the elite.
What's with the essay? TL; DR.
ProTip: Spend less time posting on Blind and more time working on your portfolio.
"We get that you have hundreds of applicants who want the chance to prove themselves, but all we're asking for is a 5 minute phone call" So, all you are asking for is 2 min skim of a resume plus a 5 min phone call for 100 applicants. So all you are asking for is 11.5 hours of time (if there is only a hundred applicants) to give a chance to folks who want to get a foot in the door at a particular company, rather than the recruiter working to find the best fit? Not sure what company would think that makes good economic sense. Good luck with that!
TL:DR version? I only have a 20 min commute
A plea to recruiters to offer an alternative method for individuals to showcase their worth, drive, and passion for the company and their desired role in addition to cover letters and resumes.
Isn't most of the hiring for digital media based around your portfolio? I remember all we needed was a reel, not a resume