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OxfordGuideToCareers2017
OxfordGuideToCareers2017
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OTHER CAREERS<br />
Joshua Baldwin<br />
Game Designer, Creative<br />
Assembly<br />
Merton College,<br />
Classical Archaeology and<br />
Ancient History, 2013<br />
WHAT: As a designer, I spend my time<br />
working out the story, rules and content<br />
of games. Our projects all revolve around<br />
history, so my time is spent working out<br />
how we can bring a specific period to life<br />
in a way that is engaging and immersive<br />
and then collaborating with coders, artists,<br />
audio designers and translators to make<br />
sure it happens.<br />
WHY: The games industry is one of the few<br />
areas that offers the chance for an entry<br />
level job that is genuinely creative. Seeing<br />
your vision turned into a finished project<br />
that is played and enjoyed by hundreds<br />
of thousands is a feeling that’s hard to<br />
beat. It’s a fresh, flourishing industry full of<br />
enthusiastic people and opportunity.<br />
HOW MY DEGREE HELPED: Analysis<br />
and articulation are crucial, so in many<br />
ways the tutorial system is the perfect<br />
preparation for the day to day work of<br />
a designer. Having to defend your ideas<br />
in front of a world class academic is only<br />
slightly less scary than convincing your<br />
team leader that you need war pigs in<br />
your next game.<br />
ADVICE: The majority of designers<br />
have degrees that are only<br />
tangentially relevant, so lack of<br />
specific qualifications won’t hold you<br />
back. What you will need to do is<br />
demonstrate a deep understanding<br />
and passion for the industry. It’s a<br />
very competitive field, so expect to<br />
spend some time on activities to<br />
set apart your CV such as: writing<br />
critiques of existing titles for blogs<br />
or websites, creating mods and<br />
practicing with industry standard<br />
tools.<br />
AVOID: Rushing. Many people feel<br />
under pressure to get straight into<br />
the perfect job when they graduate,<br />
but it took me a year or so of working<br />
freelance and odd jobs to build up<br />
the CV and portfolio to even get<br />
an internship. We are going to be<br />
working for a good 40 years, so take<br />
some time to choose something you<br />
really want to do!<br />
OTHER CAREERS<br />
Laura Hanna<br />
Actress<br />
University College,<br />
Physics, 2008<br />
WHAT: The most thrilling part of my<br />
job is also the most challenging – the<br />
variety and unpredictability. I rarely<br />
know what I will be working on more<br />
than a few months ahead, but this also<br />
means that I am constantly developing<br />
new skills, working with new people and<br />
to different timetables. And as a result,<br />
personal growth is at the centre of all I<br />
do.<br />
ADVICE: If you are resourceful, intensely<br />
focused and keen to be self-employed,<br />
this can work for you. And of course a<br />
passion for acting is a must! The lifestyle<br />
of an actor is not right for everyone<br />
though as it’s rarely constant and<br />
reliable. Some people thrive on this and if<br />
you embrace it, you can craft your life on<br />
your own terms. Others find it profoundly<br />
destabilising – financially, personally<br />
and emotionally. Several people I have<br />
worked and graduated with have<br />
switched careers – not because they<br />
stopped loving acting, but because<br />
acting itself is just one aspect of the job.<br />
EARLY CAREER: I took the drama school<br />
route, many don’t. I remember meeting<br />
a publisher at a party once who said<br />
that everyone in the world should<br />
go to drama school, just to have two<br />
or three years to really get to know<br />
themselves inside and out . Those<br />
years were precious to me for that<br />
luxury if nothing else.<br />
After graduating in 2008, I worked at<br />
a large, independent TV production<br />
company, RDF (now Zodiak), whilst<br />
applying for drama schools. I<br />
graduated from LAMDA in 2011 and<br />
have worked continuously since,<br />
predominantly in theatre.<br />
TOP SKILLS FOR SUCCESS:<br />
Be nice!<br />
Be proactive – That’s how you get<br />
work and sustain work.<br />
Memory – names and faces! You<br />
meet a lot of people…<br />
TOP TIP: Remember – it’s a marathon<br />
not a sprint.<br />
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