Getting promoted as an artist in the game industry requires more than just raw skills - it demands a strategic approach that includes mastering your craft, taking the initiative, building strong relationships, and being open about your goals with your manager. If you follow the tips I’ve outlined in this post, you’ll be a step closer to your promotion, no matter the level you’re going for!
1. Master your Craft
The first and most obvious thing you need to do is become a master of your craft. Being a solid individual contributor won’t get you the promotion by itself, but is a necessary prerequisite to even start talking about getting the level up.
Pro Tip: Work on a Personal Project, or enroll in an online class/ mentorship to significantly speed up the process.
2. Take the Initiative
Be proactive. Go above and beyond your job description. Volunteer for less exciting projects.
Pro Tip: Work on becoming a force multiplier for your team by mentoring junior artists and developing documentation that the whole team can benefit from.
3. Build Bridges, Don’t Burn Them
Networking is not only for job hunting. If you want to get promoted in your current job, your work needs to be recognized. One of the best ways for that to happen is by having people talk about how awesome you are and how much you’ve contributed to a project.
Pro Tip: Engage with your coworkers and start building those relationships. Offer to help them. Give them actionable feedback and advice, and share insights and inspirations. Attend team buildings and social gatherings to speed up the process.
4. Advocate for Yourself
Talk to your Manager. You can’t get promoted unless they know you’re going for that promotion. You should have at least 1 one-on-one every month (ideally every 2 weeks) where you can discuss your career progression and get insight into how you are doing.
Pro Tip: Ask your manager what things you are doing well - these you should continue doing; and some areas of improvement that you should work on. Ask them for any opportunities that you can volunteer for that will get you a step closer to the promotion.
5. Highlight your Achievements
Doing awesome work is NOT enough to get promoted, especially if no one knows about it. Getting recognized for your work is YOUR job, not your manager’s!
Pro Tip: Document all your achievements. Take screenshots of your in-game locations before you start working on them and then after you’ve worked on them. Include any challenges you overcame, innovations you came up with, and all types of positive feedback from peers and leads. Think of it as building a case because you’re going to court. Make sure everything is factual, well-documented, and easy to digest.
6. Develop your Soft Skills
Technical skills are only a part of the whole equation. Developing your soft skills is also as important. The further up the corporate ladder you go, the more soft skills like being proactive, communicating well, being organized, being a strong problem solver, and showing leadership skills become more and more important.
Pro Tip: Focus on developing your soft skills by seeking out leadership roles on small projects (not talking about becoming a manager here, but an owner of some small part of the game you’re developing), participating in team discussions, reading books and taking courses and workshops that develop your communication and management skills.
7. Be Flexible
The Game Development Industry is very dynamic and fast-paced. Things change all the time. From changing art direction or even game engines mid-way through the project to trying to embrace a new trend or workflow, you can expect things to change drastically even during the course of a single project.
Being flexible and rolling with the punches is an incredibly important trait for anyone who wants to have a great career in game dev.
Pro Tip: Embrace new challenges, learn new software and techniques, and try to stay ahead of the game with industry trends, so you don’t get blindsided by the new awesome software package that releases.
As always, if you feel stuck, or just want some One on One time with me, where we can go over your specific situation, feel free to book an hour with me.