INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Game Developer positions are at a 22% growth rate, which is much faster than average. With that said, there are currently 1,847,900 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 409,500 to 2,257,400 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Game Developer jobs was $110,140 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $65,210, and the highest 10% more than $170,100.
Our conclusion? The Game Developer job market is wide open for candidates.
Top game developer sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write the perfect game developer resume experience section
Game developer experience section: checklist
- List your positions in chronological or reverse-chronological order;
- Go for 4-6 bullet points;
- Add only relevant work experience;
- Include information about the challenges you’ve faced, the actions you’ve taken, and the results you’ve achieved;
- Use action verbs instead of filler words.
We’ve selected some of the top Game Developer resumes made using the Enhancv platform to illustrate what a great experience section looks like. Use them as inspiration when building your own resume:
PRO TIP
Check the Game Developer job description for inspiration. Look for similarities between your employer’s values and your experience.
Action verbs for your game developer resume
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Game developer resume: How to write a strong skills section
The ultimate game developer skills section checklist:
- Balance between all kinds of hard skills – technical, analytical, etc.
- When it comes to technical skills, match them to the job description;
- Add keywords present in the job advert to pass ATS;
- Don’t forget to list transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, work ethic, and presentation skills.
Top skills for your game developer resume
Unity / C#
Flash / AS3
Haxe / OpenFL
Android / Java
HTML5 / JS
HTML
Swift
C++
Javascript
C#
Communication
Organisation
Analytical thinking
Creativity and innovation
Accountability
Flexibility
Eager to learn
Perseverance
Problem solving
Resourcefulness
PRO TIP
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
Recommended reads:
Game Developer Resume Header: Tips, Red Flags, and Best Practices
Checklist for your game developer resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have non-discrimination policies about what kind of information can be included on your Game Developer resume. This might include a photo (which is often included in a resume header and might be on personal web pages you link to). You can always email the company’s HR department to ask about their policies before you apply.
Game developer resume summary: things to include and things to avoid
Job-winning game developer resume summary checklist:
- Mention your total years of experience in the field;
- Highlight one or two of your top achievements;
- Avoid getting into too much detail – you’ll do that in the experience section;
- Focus on short sentences that are easy to read and add value to your application.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
When writing a resume summary or objective, avoid first-person narrative.
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Highlighting education, courses, and certifications in your game developer resume
Education section checklist:
- What? Where? What’s the result? Answer these questions when mentioning education and courses on your resume;
- Give preference to courses and degrees that are relevant to the job position;
- Be honest! Some recruiters love checking with colleges and universities to see if you’ve really been enrolled in them;
- Share more about certifications that have helped you turn into a professional, and mention the bodies that have issued them.
Top certifications for your game developer resume
Complete C# Unity Game Developer 2D
Learn Unity in C# & Code Your First Five 2D Video Games for Web, Mac & PC. The Tutorials Cover Tilemap
Complete C# Unity Game Developer 3D
Design & Develop Video Games. Learn C# in Unity Engine. Code Your first 3D Unity games for web, Mac & PC.
Unity 2D Game Developer Course Farming RPG
Build the core systems for a 2D Farming RPG game using the Unity game engine and C# in this intermediate Unity course.
Unity Game Developer Masterclass 2021 (2D, 3D and FPS)
Create your first Unity Games - FruitNinja clone, Hausmeister clone, Zombie shooter etc. using Csharp
Unreal Engine Blueprint Game Developer
Code Your First Video Game in 100 minutes with Visual Scripting. Created in collaboration with Epic Games.
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PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Game developer resume format 101
If a couple of years ago Game Developer resumes could be text files with no graphic elements, today’s recruiters need a bit more to remember you.
And yet, you can still choose between three basic resume formats:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
But when it comes to choosing the right format for your Game Developer resume, there are two factors to keep in mind: your experience and whether you’re looking for an industry change.
The reverse-chronological format is the most common one. That being said, it gives recruiters exactly what they’re used to in terms of order and information. However, it’s not suitable for applicants with employment gaps or not enough experience.
We at Enhancv suggest the functional skills-based resume format for people with limited work experience who find reverse-chronological resumes irrelevant. This format showcases the applicant’s most significant accomplishments, skills, and strengths.
Don’t miss our resume format checklist:
- Go for a traditional easy-to-read resume font sized 10-12p;
- Don’t risk it: choose standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Make sure your Game Developer resume fits in one to two pages;
- Save your resume in PDF to avoid having it edited by someone else.
Looking for more tips? Check out our job-winning guide for crafting a resume that gets you remembered!
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Game Developer resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
Other sections for your game developer resume
If the position you’re applying for allows for that, you can include some non-traditional sections in your resume. This will add a bit more depth to your application and will also give the hiring manager a better idea of who you are as a person.
Some ideas include:
A game developer resume recruiters would love
You’ve drafted an amazing Game Developer resume, but are still not sure whether it will make a strong first impression? After all, recruiters go over tens of resumes each day, right?
Right! And the recipe for getting their attention includes a dash of creativity.
What’s more, a creative resume is perfect for adding your personality to the mix. For example, you could mention your favorite books, quotes, movies, or even what your day usually looks like.
Regardless of what you choose, make sure your levels of creativity match the industry, the company, and the position. Otherwise, your resume might look silly and inapt.
What makes a great game developer resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
