Each month, Digital Schoolhouse welcomes you to The Playful Classroom,
where we'll explore the challenges and opportunities shaping computing education today.
Shahneila Saeed is Head of Education at Ukie and the Director of Digital Schoolhouse. She served as Head of Computing at an Inner London school for over 15 years before joining Ukie, where she spearheaded the creation of the Digital Schoolhouse Programme.
She is a prolific author, having penned books like "Hacking the Curriculum: Creative Computing & the Power of Play", "How to Raise a Tech Genius" and the forthcoming “Max Computing” series. She actively contributes to the field as a board member, trustee, and advisor for organisations including NCCE, Digit<all>, and Into Games.
Video Games, as the youngest of the creative industries, suffers from some pretty stubborn myths. In this month’s Playful Classroom, I’ll be tackling those myths and looking at how Video Games should be absolutely promoted as a viable career path for our pupils.
Myth:
“It’s a hobby, not a profession…you can’t make a living out of making games”
Truth:
The Video Game industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors globally.
- In the UK, people spent over £7.82 billion on video games in 2023
- 60% of adults play video games in the UK
- 91% of 3 to 15-year-olds play video games in the UK
While the playing of games (for the vast majority of people) is a pastime, the business of games is certainly not.
Video Games are a growing industry with the UK at the very cutting edge of it.
Myth:
“In order to work in the games industry, I need to be a great coder”
Truth:
The Video Game industry needs a vast range of skills far beyond coding – for example, if you are good at organizing yourself and others, generating great ideas, or are a talented artist or musician, there are roles for you:
And, of course, if you do happen to be good at coding or programming, there are roles for you:
If any of your pupils fit those descriptions, you can find out more details about these roles and what they entail at https://www.screenskills.com/
Myth:
“In order to work in the games industry I need to be great at playing games.”
Truth:
Is everyone who works in book publishing a great writer? Are all the people in the music industry incredible musicians? Of course not, and games are exactly the same.
While being passionate about games is obviously a bonus, there are lots of people working in games who are not avid gamers. The job opportunities are so varied that it is certainly not a necessity.
But how do your pupils go about starting out in the Video Game industry? Here are my tips on what they can do to narrow their search down:
Tip 1 - Find your passion
While passion for games isn’t a necessity, passion for your job is. So, what gets you the most excited? What could you do all the time?
Spend time exploring a range of activities until you work out what your passion is.
Then, develop it. Spend time nurturing your passion and getting better at it. If you love drawing, then draw; if you love music, then make more music; if you love puzzles, then why not make your own?
Tip 2 - Turn It Into A Career
Working in an area that you are passionate about means that it’s likely that you will succeed no matter what you do.
Do your research, find out what the career opportunities are and where your skills can become useful.
If you like telling stories, you could do anything from becoming an English Teacher to a famous novelist, journalist or even a game narrative designer. The same skills can fit across multiple roles.
Tip 3 – Practice, Practice, Practice
Hone your skills and spend time perfecting them. If it's art, then draw; if it's music, then compose.
Mastery of skills can take years to refine so start now and seek advice. Anything from YouTube videos to classes and events.
Also, don’t overlook the basic fundamentals. Art isn’t all about Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator - it's about pencil on paper and practicing your fine art skills. The software is easy, the mastery of hand and eye coordination is not.
Tip 4 – Build a Portfolio
Gather a collection of examples of your work and build a digital and/or physical portfolio. Your portfolio will demonstrate your creativity and your talent, so it is worth adding a variety of examples to this over time.
Select work where you have tried something new and been creative as well as your best work. You will need it to show prospective employers and possibly places where you go for further studies.
Remember, it is your talent, skills and creativity that will help you secure your dream job.
Tip 5 – Showcase Your Work
Start to publish your work online. Find ways to show off your work, capture feedback and learn from peers and professionals.
For example, you could create an Instagram account of your artwork or put your projects on itch.io or GitHub. Make the work, share it and get feedback and you are sure to improve and catch people’s eye.
Tip 6 - Network
The right conversation at the right time can work wonders for your career.
Attend events and speak to professionals within the industry and others trying to get into it.
Be aware of opportunities, entry routes and pathways into the career you want.
Tip 7 - Communicate Effectively
Develop your communication and soft skills – you should be able to explain your work to a layperson.
Put yourself into situations where you can develop teamwork and collaboration - these are highly sought after, and not all graduates have them.
So there you have it, myths busted, tips given and hopefully you now have the power to pass the message on to your pupils that there is a world of opportunities in the Video Game industry – the door is open, they just need to step through it.
If you want to learn more about Careers Advice for breaking into the Video Game Industry, it’s one of the strands for our Playful Computing Conference, which takes place on 24th June at the University of Westminster – Harrow Campus.
There will be Careers talks from Stefan McGarry of Ubisoft, John Dower, the Director of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and others. Find more information and buy tickets by using the button below.
