Game Design Resume Examples: With & without Experience

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Explore our complete resume examples selection for tips and resources tailored to every career path.

What to highlight in a game design resume

Any recruiter for the gaming industry wants to see evidence of technical expertise shown through either your previous work experiences or the skills you possess. You must establish your credibility to show the hiring manager that you can perform the duties outlined in the job description.
 
However, it’s also essential to highlight your interpersonal skills. Teamwork is critical in game design, so you need to show you can collaborate with team members effectively.

How to write your game design resume

Your resume comprises different sections, including the header, the resume summary or objective, and sections outlining your skills, work experience and education. You can arrange your resume according to one of three different resume formats: the chronological resume format, which emphasizes work history, the functional resume format, which emphasizes skills, and the combination resume format, which stresses both. Choose a format that puts your strengths first, whether it’s skills or extensive work experience.
 

Header

 
You must make it easy for the hiring manager to contact you. You do this by putting your full name and contact information at the top of the page in your header. For a game designer resume, you should put any portfolio links and your LinkedIn profile into the header too. This allows the recruiter to check out your work if they wish.
 

Resume summary or objective

 
The resume summary or resume objective lays out how your relevant experience impacts what you can do for the company. It’s a two to three-sentence paragraph that introduces your career background and lists some of your specialties. Check out the links above to explore the differences between them.
 

Skills

You’ll need to reference both soft and hard skills to land your dream job in game design. Check the job posting for clues as to what the hiring manager is looking for, and use this to frame the skills you advertise in your skills section. Employers are looking for the following job skills for a resume:

• Communication skills
• Creativity 
• Knowledge of specific programs like Unreal Engine, Maya and Unity
• Specialist knowledge in programming languages for scripting, like Lua and Python
• Project management skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Other specialist program knowledge, like Adobe Photoshop

Work history 

 
In reverse chronological order (most recent job first), list your previous relevant professional work experience in this section. Experience may be challenging to evaluate. Many game designers spent years as a programmer or in quality assurance testing before entering game design. Some may have worked on mobile games or may have contributed in some way to AAA games. Others may be entry-level. Depending on where you are with your journey in game design, you need to choose roles that are relevant to the job you are applying for. There can be various job titles within game design that incorporate different duties, so be sure to check the job description fully.
 
A professional resume helps draw the line between your previous roles and the job advertised. Make sure to outline duties and responsibilities with action words (e.g., “Managed,” “Oversaw”) to give agency to your achievements.
 

Education

Your education section should highlight any certifications you have that show your expertise in game design. Many candidates now enter the field with a bachelor’s degree in game design, computer science, or a related degree. While not always a necessary qualification, you should include it in your resume if you have it. Technical certificates in specific programming languages or software applications should also be featured here as evidence of your skills.