The modern phenomenon of playing video games all day might not seem like a career to many, but maybe it's closer to the truth than you think. Can you really earn money doing something you love?
Well the plain truth is that these jobs really do exist, but the definition of dream job might have been stretched somewhat by unscrupulous online retailers trying to make a fast buck.
If you're going to secure one of these dream roles, you need to have your facts straight, your expectations tempered and your hard work boots on. Then if you take into account the five points below, you'll put yourself in a strong position to make money playing video games.
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. You need to hone your communication skills so that you can articulate your findings to other employees and games designers. Whether you work in a building or from home, you must be able to make your points clear on issues within a game, as million dollar budgets ride on these. Being able to read, write and speak English is a must.
Communicable skills are vital so that you can get across your point of view in meetings, conferences and tester sessions. There's little benefit in finding game problems if you can't communicate this to the developers.
3. Determination and perseverance sounds like something a teacher would've said to you at school to make you try harder, but a lack of this remains a common reason why people fail to achieve their dreams.
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.
If you're lucky enough to work from home you'll still need to follow the rules, regulations and working practices of a normal job, which is to say working hours, reporting and regular communication.
More over the likelihood is that you'll be going to a workplace, in which case you'll need to adhere to possible dress codes and behavioural standards.
To even get a job role in the first place you'll require a relevant, stand-out, up-to-date resume, with accurate experience, qualifications and references detailed on the page. And don't forget that you'll be applying for quality assurance roles, not video games tester jobs!
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.
The realistic nature of a games tester is repetition, repetition, repetition. You won't be blasting through COD or Uncharted for eight hours a day every day. You'll be purposely looking for bugs and looking how to effectively break games, so that developers can implement bug fixes on future builds.
If you approach the whole idea of playing games for money as a job, not a hobby with rewards, you'll keep your expectations grounded and your morale high.
Well the plain truth is that these jobs really do exist, but the definition of dream job might have been stretched somewhat by unscrupulous online retailers trying to make a fast buck.
If you're going to secure one of these dream roles, you need to have your facts straight, your expectations tempered and your hard work boots on. Then if you take into account the five points below, you'll put yourself in a strong position to make money playing video games.
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. You need to hone your communication skills so that you can articulate your findings to other employees and games designers. Whether you work in a building or from home, you must be able to make your points clear on issues within a game, as million dollar budgets ride on these. Being able to read, write and speak English is a must.
Communicable skills are vital so that you can get across your point of view in meetings, conferences and tester sessions. There's little benefit in finding game problems if you can't communicate this to the developers.
3. Determination and perseverance sounds like something a teacher would've said to you at school to make you try harder, but a lack of this remains a common reason why people fail to achieve their dreams.
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.
If you're lucky enough to work from home you'll still need to follow the rules, regulations and working practices of a normal job, which is to say working hours, reporting and regular communication.
More over the likelihood is that you'll be going to a workplace, in which case you'll need to adhere to possible dress codes and behavioural standards.
To even get a job role in the first place you'll require a relevant, stand-out, up-to-date resume, with accurate experience, qualifications and references detailed on the page. And don't forget that you'll be applying for quality assurance roles, not video games tester jobs!
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.
The realistic nature of a games tester is repetition, repetition, repetition. You won't be blasting through COD or Uncharted for eight hours a day every day. You'll be purposely looking for bugs and looking how to effectively break games, so that developers can implement bug fixes on future builds.
If you approach the whole idea of playing games for money as a job, not a hobby with rewards, you'll keep your expectations grounded and your morale high.
About the Author:
Looking to find the best advice on a career as a video game tester, then visit www.videogametesterz.com to find the best advice on video game tester roles.
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