Does Australia offer internships like America does? Or is it called work experience?
I'm in my final year of my Bachelor of Fine Arts course and I'm curious, can I do anything like an internship over my mid year break (mid June to mid July)? Is this a question I should really be asking the computer game companies?
I know that I'm not that far away from graduating but to be able to get my name out there early would be a good thing.
Does Australia offer internships like America does? Or is it called work experience?
I'm in my final year of my Bachelor of Fine Arts course and I'm curious, can I do anything like an internship over my mid year break (mid June to mid July)? Is this a question I should really be asking the computer game companies?
I know that I'm not that far away from graduating but to be able to get my name out there early would be a good thing.
Hi Tooner Fish,
The good news is that there ARE internships available in Australia. I know because I started out with one.
The bad news however, is that most studios don't offer any internships/work experience. Interns use resources such as staff time and they may not contribute anything helpful to justify the cost of having them around. There are also the added risks (that some companies have suffered the consequences of before) where Interns breach the NDA and share confidential information.
If you are really keen to find an internship, your best bet is to contact game dev companies directly and find out if they offer any internship programs. If so, find out what their expectations of an intern are - it'll help you know what you're getting yourself into and you'll also know what they're looking for which will help you tailor your application to their needs. Let them know why you're worth the chance... Let them know what you can do for them.
I got my internship by networking, which may be a good option for you too. Go to any local game developer meetups that you can find, like IGDA meetings.. and don't be shy, go and talk to everyone that you can - it really helps in the long run. For one, you'll gain confidence and it'll improve your communication skills.. and two, you'll meet industry people that could be key to your success in the future.
Hi Tooner Fish,
The good news is that there ARE internships available in Australia. I know because I started out with one.
The bad news however, is that most studios don't offer any internships/work experience. Interns use resources such as staff time and they may not contribute anything helpful to justify the cost of having them around. There are also the added risks (that some companies have suffered the consequences of before) where Interns breach the NDA and share confidential information.
If you are really keen to find an internship, your best bet is to contact game dev companies directly and find out if they offer any internship programs. If so, find out what their expectations of an intern are - it'll help you know what you're getting yourself into and you'll also know what they're looking for which will help you tailor your application to their needs. Let them know why you're worth the chance... Let them know what you can do for them.
I got my internship by networking, which may be a good option for you too. Go to any local game developer meetups that you can find, like IGDA meetings.. and don't be shy, go and talk to everyone that you can - it really helps in the long run. For one, you'll gain confidence and it'll improve your communication skills.. and two, you'll meet industry people that could be key to your success in the future.