Tips for Professional Networking in the Games Industry

Human Head Studios celebrated our 20th anniversary this year, so we have a lot of veteran staff on board. In their years of experience, our developers have attended countless conventions, conferences, and panels. Last year, studio developers attended E3, PAX West, TwitchCon 2017, and M+DEV; just to name a few!

With Game Developer’s Conference 2018 (GDC) quickly approaching, we asked our staff for their best advice on how to effectively network with professional game developers:

1. Less is more, only show off your best work.
2. Being personable and inquisitive is better than leading with a business card and a firm handshake.
3. Attend conference parties and events if you can, sometimes the best experiences happen outside of the convention center! Just remember - while everyone likes to unwind and relax at the events, limit your alcohol intake appropriately. This is still a professional event, even if it’s at a casual venue.
4. If you’re not at a booth showing off your game, you’re probably talking to people in some casual capacity (waiting, drinking, or playing games). Don’t think of this as “networking”, or else you’ll get stiff - try to have fun!
5. Never badmouth other games, studios, or developers. You never know how people may be connected.
6. Without a doubt, if you are a digital artist, your portfolio should be on ArtStation. It’s the social network for artists and the amount of traffic of studio recruiters is insane! (Check out our blog on how to create an awesome art portfolio for more tips!)
7. Being casual is excellent, but always lean towards “business casual.” Remain professional and keep your composure.
8. The more people you connect with, the more you can learn and grow your career.
9. Make sure that your website loads images quickly and that your work is easily accessible.
10. Bring a pen and something to write on - it’s also a great idea to have a portion of your business card with extra space where you can write additional notes if needed.

Whether you’re a newcomer to the industry or a seasoned developer, it never hurts to brush up on your networking skills. Do you have any advice of your own? Let us know in the comments!

Be sure to keep an eye on our Instagram and Twitter for updates as some of Human Head Studios’ developers travel to GDC next week. Many of us will be wearing our Human Head shirts - don’t be afraid to say hello!