Introduction
During the last time, I’m frequently asked to check the 3D artist’s CV and provide recommendations, so I decided to summarize common questions, write general recommendations and provide some tips.
As a game artist, creating a strong and memorable CV is essential in order to stand out from the competition and get the position you wanted so badly, especially in game development and especially when you don’t have (or think you don’t) enough production experience.
General CV recommendations
CV stands for Curriculum Vitae or Resume, which is a document that summarizes an individual’s education, work experience, skills, and other relevant information. It is typically used when applying for jobs or academic positions. In this context, a strong and memorable CV is essential in order to stand out from the competition and secure the position you want.
In simpler terms, a CV is a short document that describes who you are, what you have done, and how you match the position you are applying for.
Tailor your CV to the job you’re applying for
A great CV should be tailored to the specific job you are applying for. This means highlighting the skills, experience, and qualifications that are most relevant to the position. Make sure to list the most relevant skills and experience for the position first.
While it’s definitely a bonus if you speak three or more languages and can drive a tractor, remember that these are just added perks. First, you have to meet the initial requirements.
Use a clear and easy-to-read format
When creating your CV, it is essential that you choose a clear and professional font that is easily legible. To make it easier for hiring managers to read, consider breaking up your CV into sections using headings. Additionally, using bullet points to highlight key information can help to make your CV more concise and easy to read. To make your CV even more appealing to potential employers, make sure that there is plenty of white space, as a cluttered CV can be difficult to scan quickly.
Keep it concise
Each review is conducted by a person who likely has dozens of CVs to review in addition to their daily workload. Initial scans may take mere seconds to determine whether to take a closer look or discard it. Therefore, the more clearly required keywords are written and highlighted, the greater the chance of being selected for an interview.
A great CV should be no longer than two pages. Its main goal is to be an initial step in the conversation. Additional information and details can be discussed later on a call. Please shorten your CV accordingly.
Highlight your achievements
When creating your CV, focus on highlighting your achievements rather than simply listing your responsibilities. Use specific examples to demonstrate how you added value in previous roles.
Having a lot of responsibilities doesn’t necessarily mean you performed them well. What teams are often looking for are specific examples of how you contributed to the success of a project or organization. Similarly, if a team, company, or project you worked for failed, it doesn’t necessarily mean you did your job poorly.
Check grammar.
It’s not just about grammar and readability. Sending texts that contain errors displays chronic inattention or neglect of the recruitment process itself. It is important to check your text before sending it to important people, especially when writing in a foreign language. There are many tools available to help you with this starting from Word’s spellchecking to Grammarly plugin for better phrase building.
Art-positions features
We’ve listed general CV tips, now let’s focus on the considerations you should keep in mind when applying for a job as an artist for a video game company.
You must have a portfolio
… and it must be good.
It might sound obvious, but in practice, it’s not. In the art industry, having a portfolio is the most crucial thing for an artist. It’s not just an addition to your CV; it’s a necessary part of it. In practice, a portfolio is even more important because it says much more than any written word in your CV.
No portfolio – nothing to talk about, sorry.
Helpful tip: even though common works are great to see, the main goal is to make your work to be remembered. The easiest way to do so is to add context to it. Put your character in a pose. Place your weapon in the gift case or on the stand. Make a diorama with your props. Add a piece of ground under your vehicle. It will not take a lot of time, but greatly stand you up across “default” works.
Tailor your portfolio to the position you’re applying to.
Basically, the approach is the same as with a CV. You may have the ability to do all kinds of work, but if the company is specifically seeking someone experienced in creating 3D foliage, or character technical concept art, then make sure to filter your portfolio accordingly. The first step is always to match the requirements, and only then can you showcase everything else.
My recommendation is to form a position-specific bundle and also have a link for all of your other works without big attention to it. You never know – you could get an offer for another position just based on your other projects.
List used software and tools
Sometimes it may not be crucial, but other times it is. It’s always better to list the tools you’re proficient in rather than not. The company you’re applying to might have an established workflow based on specific tools, or forming a new team based on the toolset. So it’s best to know in advance. Include a list of all tools you’re able to operate in your CV and list the tools you used in your portfolio work description.
Accessibility
Make sure that the person you want to show your images to can access them. Use your website or online platforms such as ArtStation to store all the necessary work, ArtStation preferably — it’s well-known by everyone in the industry and a stable platform.
Additionally, create a PDF with the same images and include commentaries. Attach this to your message or CV in case of any technical issues that may prevent your images from being accessed. Make sure to lay it out in a way that highlights the best aspects of your picture, model, or game level.
Make it clear
When someone reviews your portfolio, they should be able to easily understand what it’s about. I mean not the art itself, but the processes you’ve used for creating it. To achieve this, add a short description of your work and list the software you used, its purpose, and any challenges you faced while working on it. This is especially important if you worked on a part of a big project.
Avoid including hundreds of shots from different angles, as it can blur the attention from the work itself. Instead, choose up to 5 best shots and leave the rest.
The worst thing you can do is send a *.rar archive with a bunch of folders containing all your work from the past 10 years without any comments. The reviewer may not have the right program to unarchive it and must spend a lot of time figuring things out by themselves.
Taking a little extra time to provide a clear and concise portfolio will greatly affect the review process.
Make it fancy
Surprisingly, unlike a CV, your portfolio needs to look visually appealing and grab the viewer’s interest. Your ability to showcase your work reflects your ability to distinguish the beautiful from the ugly. As an artist, you often need to create beautiful things that excite and inspire others. If your best portfolio work looks unattractive and you don’t notice it, that’s a red flag. The best way to improve is to learn from others. Check out portfolios of your favorite artists and create something similar.
Common questions
What if you just started learning new software, like sculpting in Zbrush – should I point it in my software list?
Yes, list it.
It’s common to feel impostor syndrome and believe that you need to know everything before listing it, but it’s not necessary. You only need to have basic knowledge and can learn more as you go. No one expects a candidate to know every small feature or be able to produce AAAA content using it. If the company needs someone with those skills, it will be specified in the job description.
The position says that they use 3D Max, but I work only in Blender. I can do anything in Blender, I can prove it!
Software requirements are listed for a reason. The company or team likely has a complex workflow that involves multiple people across different divisions. As a team member, you will need to adapt to this workflow.
These requirements are typically focused on animation rather than prop creation. If the specific software used to create the final product is not important, you will often see a list of similar applications, such as Maya, Blender, 3DMax, or Modo, and the requirement to be proficient in one of them.
What if I don’t have a lot of portfolio work specific to this position?
The obvious answer is to spend some time and create some relevant work. However, it’s important to avoid adding irrelevant items just to make your portfolio appear more substantial. You don’t need a large amount of work to demonstrate your skills. In many cases, just 2-3 high-quality portfolio pieces can be sufficient.
I’m a very creative person and I want to do everything as I want! I want to make a colorful CV and showcase all of my work from school time!
While it’s important to showcase your creativity and individuality, it’s also important that it’s clear and organized — teams are often looking for a person, who can fit their team. I’m providing a general approach that works for most people, but it doesn’t mean you have to follow it 100%. In rare cases, breaking all the rules might work great. If you have a unique idea that you’re passionate about, go for it!
I haven’t worked at a game company, but I have some personal projects. Would these count?
Yes, they would! It may surprise you, but only a small portion of game artists were trained to become game artists. Many others are self-taught persons who just started to work on projects they love.
However, please be sure to provide working links and descriptions for those projects.
All of my work for the past few years is under NDA. Can I show it in private?
Yes, you can if your NDA allows it. However, please be sure to ask about it in advance.
If you cannot show your NDA-protected work, you can still showcase your skills by planning and realizing a personal project.
Common issues
No CV, no portfolio
Without a CV or portfolio, it’s difficult to assess your work. So, make sure you have both before applying for jobs. Just make it!
Bad work quality
If you’re producing work of poor quality, keep learning and improving. There’s nothing else to fix it.
A lot of unnecessary and irrelevant images.
Avoid using too many unnecessary or irrelevant images. Less is more — pick the top five and hide the rest.
General obscurity — unclear where to download, how to open it, what is work about, where to look, etc.
It’s not a good thing to be noticed because your work was painful to review, rather than because it’s awesome. Ask a friend or family member to check it and give you feedback. Art feedback is not important here, but you’ll see a lot of issues they could face during this process.
No relevant experience.
If you don’t have relevant experience, don’t worry. If you’re passionate and working on personal projects to improve your skills, that might be enough to get an offer, especially for junior positions.
Basically, if nothing from this list was noticed during the CV/portfolio review — it’s a good chance to proceed to the interview and talk about details.
Conclusion
Here are talked about the common things hiring persons and teams value the most. Remember – you’re a person working with other people, so the most important thing is not to be insanely skilled in a specific zone. It’s much more valuable to be a team member with whom others feel comfortable working.
By following these recommendations and avoiding common issues, you can increase your chances of getting the position you want in the gaming industry.
I hope this article helps you secure a spot on an amazing team!