If playing video games is the love of your life and you regularly spend time doing this, then surely being paid to play would be the ideal career? The question is, do these jobs exist in the real world?
From our extended research into this topic we've found that video game testing jobs do exist, but they might not all match up to your dream expectations of this role.
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.
We don't want to rule out the e-book route into video game testing, as some of these products do work, but they're in a small minority and can usually be spotted by the more down to earth earning figures.
When you start out in the video game industry you don't have the experience to demand top dollar from companies in a freelancing role. They won't pay you anything above $7-$10 per hour. It's like any other role in the world, you must have experience to earn more money. At the start you simply have to work hard to progress further.
2. Brush up on your business skills for any possible role. The budgets that games companies work with stretch into the millions and this is reflected in the professional manner in which they are run. You'll need communicable skills to liaise with other employees and proficient skills in both spoken and written English will be required.
During conferences and meetings you'll need these communication skills to adequately make your point. It doesn't matter how good you are at finding bugs if you can't communicate this to others.
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 lack some qualifications which would make a real difference in your new career as a quality assurance tester, you can learn these at an educational institution as long as you have the willpower to succeed.
4. A professional manner is mandatory in this industry. Many websites paint a false picture of someone sitting on a bed or easy chair, playing games while stuffing food down their necks and getting paid at the same time.
Working from home will be no picnic, you'll still be expected to tow a company line and send reports, work long hours and communicate to your employers at regular intervals.
The greater likelihood will see you having to attend an office based environment for your job role and as such, you'll be expected to follow dress and behaviour standards.
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.
It could take years to land that first dream job, so be prepared for disappointment and rejection early on, but be ready to dive on any chance or foot in the door you get. They'll be plenty of opposition for every role, so do anything you can to stand out.
If you decide to give the e-book route a chance, choose wisely and don't expect too much too soon. Use intuition to avoid unlikely facts and figures.
Keep the realism point in the back of your mind at all times. Playing video games for fun won't be the same as playing them for a living. You'll be most likely testing certain parts of a game to find code anomalies and this might involve massive repetition to prove there is a fault.
As long as you go into the games industry with the right attitude and expectations you won't face as many disappointments and this in turn will keep the inner fires burning for your passion.
From our extended research into this topic we've found that video game testing jobs do exist, but they might not all match up to your dream expectations of this role.
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.
We don't want to rule out the e-book route into video game testing, as some of these products do work, but they're in a small minority and can usually be spotted by the more down to earth earning figures.
When you start out in the video game industry you don't have the experience to demand top dollar from companies in a freelancing role. They won't pay you anything above $7-$10 per hour. It's like any other role in the world, you must have experience to earn more money. At the start you simply have to work hard to progress further.
2. Brush up on your business skills for any possible role. The budgets that games companies work with stretch into the millions and this is reflected in the professional manner in which they are run. You'll need communicable skills to liaise with other employees and proficient skills in both spoken and written English will be required.
During conferences and meetings you'll need these communication skills to adequately make your point. It doesn't matter how good you are at finding bugs if you can't communicate this to others.
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 lack some qualifications which would make a real difference in your new career as a quality assurance tester, you can learn these at an educational institution as long as you have the willpower to succeed.
4. A professional manner is mandatory in this industry. Many websites paint a false picture of someone sitting on a bed or easy chair, playing games while stuffing food down their necks and getting paid at the same time.
Working from home will be no picnic, you'll still be expected to tow a company line and send reports, work long hours and communicate to your employers at regular intervals.
The greater likelihood will see you having to attend an office based environment for your job role and as such, you'll be expected to follow dress and behaviour standards.
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.
It could take years to land that first dream job, so be prepared for disappointment and rejection early on, but be ready to dive on any chance or foot in the door you get. They'll be plenty of opposition for every role, so do anything you can to stand out.
If you decide to give the e-book route a chance, choose wisely and don't expect too much too soon. Use intuition to avoid unlikely facts and figures.
Keep the realism point in the back of your mind at all times. Playing video games for fun won't be the same as playing them for a living. You'll be most likely testing certain parts of a game to find code anomalies and this might involve massive repetition to prove there is a fault.
As long as you go into the games industry with the right attitude and expectations you won't face as many disappointments and this in turn will keep the inner fires burning for your passion.
About the Author:
The video game testing community can be daunting at first, take a walk through my site and get the information you need at www.videogametesterz.com.
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