Post Digital GDC

Hello everyone!

I hope you all have been doing well. These past few weeks have been really busy for me and have kept me active. Two weeks ago, I served as a Conference Associate at GDC (Game Developer’s Conference). I was also able to spend the last week working on finishing various projects, including a short project that I started at GDC. I made this short project in Twine as part of a writing exercise. It was a lot of fun to be a part of this exercise. I love seeing how different writers work and discussing their techniques is a lot of fun. This week I was also able to continue my run through of Curse of Strahd. The players all seemed to have a lot of fun last week so I’m looking forward to our next session. We’ll be doing one of my favorite aspects of the campaign in the next session.

GDC this year was a lot of fun. It was all online this year which meant my job was all about monitoring chats and zoom calls. This was also the first year that I was able to do the job of a floater. At a normal GDC floaters monitor and check in on other CA’s. This is to help make sure that they have everything they need and if things get too uncomfortable, they have someone to get help. In the digital format the floater served in this way still, but it was much easier. We were able to have multiple windows open at once allowing us to monitor the sessions directly. It was also nice to be back at GDC with the other Conference Associates, even if it wasn’t in person. It was a blast to just talk with them and play some games together. I look forward to the next GDC.

Well till next time you guys. I hope you have a wonderful week and that I have some exciting news soon.

The Power of Networking

Hello Everybody,

I hope you all had a good week. Mine was hectic, but good. One of the other managers was out of town for the week. This meant another manager and I had to step in and take care of his team. It made my life a lot busier, but in a good way. I enjoy working with different people and seeing how they react to different management styles. It was also interesting to see how that manager handled his team and kept them moving. Each team and person is like a puzzle. I love to figure out how to solve puzzle to increase productivity and get to know each member.

This brings us to the act of networking and its importance. If you aren’t familiar with the term “networking” it’s the act of meeting new people and connecting with them. However, to truly network with someone you have to do more than exchange names and business cards. You want to leave a lasting good impression on them. This can be done in many ways. For example, the last two years I worked at GDC as a part of the Conference Associates. This meant I met a lot of people and we worked together. My goal was to show my work ethic and then also connect with people and be friends. I met so many amazing people and each one has improved or helped me in some way. This is why networking is so important and necessary to your life in the industry.

Well till next time you guys. I hope you have a good week, and I hope to have a good story for you next week.

Post the GDC Craziness

Hello my friends!

I hope you guys had an awesome week. My week went extremely well, I had a lot of fun at GDC and working as a Conference Associate. I got to meet a ton of new people and make new friends. I also got to try out a ton of new games. I also got to take part in the CA tradition of Witch Hunt. There were a few games I played that really stuck out. Those games were Cobra Paw, 5-Minute Dungeon, and The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls. All of these games were a lot of fun to play and learn. Cobra Paw and 5-Minute Dungeon were quick to learn and play. They made playing them with new people great and they’re a ton of fun. The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls was a lot of fun but is a bit complex and is a longer game. It plays a lot like Munchkin but it has a bit more to it. The rest of GDC was also fantastic.

This week was an amazing experience. I was able to have my first interview out of school. It was awesome to finally learn more about my prospects when going into an interview. I learned that my resume is good and that I have the proper skills and experience to perform in the jobs I’ve applied for. This means that the jobs I’ve applied to my reason for being denied could be due to my portfolio, cover letter, and/or the company chose someone else. I won’t ever truly know but at least it was a step. The other aspects of GDC were fantastic as I’ve said. I got to see a ton of my friends from last year which is my favorite part while also happy to meet new people. It’s great to have a family that continuously grows and is making new connections.

Well till next week all of you! I look forward to delivering any news to you all next week. I hope you guys have an awesome week!

The Week before GDC

Hello my friends!

I hope you guys have had a lovely week. My week was pretty typical and I spent a lot of time on some side projects. I did do something very exciting this week. I went to a recruiting fair at the local Art Institute that was hosted by the IGDA. It was a lot of fun and I met a lot of cool people. Recruiting fairs are always interesting because some conversations are good while some are barely conversations. It’s also weird as I find it’s hard to talk to some recruiters. I personally am just unsure of what to discuss with recruiters while some recruiters don’t actually even seem interested in talking with me. I did have some really good conversations and I’m hoping to hear back from some of them.

This Saturday I’ll be leaving for GDC and I’m super excited for it. This does mean that I won’t be posting next week as I’ll be too busy. I look forward to telling you guys all about it and the good stories that’ll come from it. This week though I’ll be relaxing for the most part and spending time working on side projects. Later this week I’m planning on watching Captain Marvel. I’m looking forward to seeing it. I’ve heard mixed things about the movie, but I still look forward to seeing how it works within the Marvel Universe. It will be a very interesting week.

Well till after GDC my friends. I look forward to sharing the good news with you all next week.

Continued Career Coordination

Hello everybody!

I hope you guys had a great week. My week went pretty well and was relaxing. I spent the week working on my resume and applying to various jobs. So far I’ve heard back from one company asking me to fill out a test. I did the test and sent it back so I’m hoping to hear from them soon. I’ve also seen more writing jobs which is very exciting so I’ve been applying to those as well. I’m just so excited for everything coming up. All these jobs that could be my next steps and GDC coming up. I’m hoping that nothing comes up that may set me back.

I’ve started trying to work around some of these set backs. I’ve begun using new things to help me stay on track. Such as Screen Time on my phone. This app is helping greatly. Often times when I’m supposed to be working I find myself getting distracted by my phone and having Screen Time on while working has been huge. This has also helped me finish tasks faster so I can spend more time job hunting or working on side projects. I’m hoping to find more solutions to set backs and issues I face.

Well till next week you guys! I hope that I’ll have some really good news for you, and that you guys have a great week.

Events and Networking

Hello everybody!

I hope you all had a good week. My last week was actually very exciting. I received an email saying that I was accepted to be a Conference Associate for GDC again and I went to a networking event last night. The networking event went well. I wasn’t there for very long but I met a few interesting people. I also got my resume reviewed by a gentleman there who was very helpful. I’ll be reworking my resume a bit around his feedback and other feedback I got. Hopefully, with those changes I’ll be in a better place.

As for being accepted as a Conference Associate I’m super excited to be going down again. GDC, or the Game Developers Conference, is an amazing event filled with all sorts of awesome people. My first time as a CA was last year. It was a blast, I joined a whole new family of extraordinary proportions. It’s also going to be a great place for me to network and possibly get some interviews. I’m so excited for the event I can’t wait for it. For anyone in the gaming industry I recommend it. Last time I wasn’t 21 so I couldn’t attend any of the mixers but now I can. The mixers are the best places to network and meet all sorts of new people. So I believe I’ll go down at and come back revamped and even more excited.

Well till next week you guys. I hope you guys have a great week and maybe next week I’ll have more exciting news.

Rejection and Growth

Hello Everybody!

I hope you all have had a good week. My week has been a little interesting. I have had various ups and downs throughout the week. I continued to spend time as the Dungeon Master for my family. This means I’ve been able to further expand the story bible for my campaign. I’m hoping to finish at least the bulk of it soon enough so that I can share it with you all. It’s been very exciting for me to be working on this and I’m hoping to make a well informed and written story bible. The week also contained some sad moments.

I received two emails from companies I applied to, both were the companies saying no. Both were for jobs I was excited about. I was sad to see the emails. However, I’m not about to give up on getting one of my dream jobs. I’m going to keep pushing forward and trying to get a job. I’ve reached out to the other Conference Associates of GDC for extra guidance. After reading the feedback I’ve received I’m going to try making these changes. I’m also going to try focusing on more ways to improve my portfolio. I’m also going to try getting back into writing reviews and other short stories. I just need to better distribute my time.

Till next week my friends. I hope to deliver good news and I hope you all have a very good week.