Managing Your Game Industry Career, with Marc Mencher

Playmakers - The Game Industry Podcast

In this episode:

Jordan interviews Marc Mencher, a seasoned game industry recruiter and CEO of GameRecruiter. Marc’s career began as a software engineer on games like Falcon 1 and Vet. He later transitioned into recruiting, helping to staff companies such as 3DO and MicroProse, before founding GameRecruiter. He’s also the author of Get in the Game!, a guide to launching a career in the game industry. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Marc shares invaluable insights on how to break into the game industry, manage your career long-term, and navigate job hunting effectively, and more.

Topics covered:

• Marc’s journey from game developer to industry recruiter
• Key strategies for managing your game industry career over the long term
• How to network effectively and unlock the unadvertised job market
• Understanding the differences between retained vs. contingency recruiters
• The importance of customizing resumes for different roles
• Cleaning up your "internet life" to improve your chances in job applications
• How to prepare for interviews and behavioral interview techniques
• Identifying good company culture and avoiding common hiring pitfalls
• Tips for researching companies before accepting job offers
• The current hiring landscape for AAA game developers and beyond

For more game industry tips:

• Learn more about Jordan & Bright Black
• Listen on iTunes | Spotify (Support the show and leave a review)
• Visit www.playmakerspodcast.com for the full blog post and more!

Timestamps:

[02:44] Marc’s entry into the game industry: from software engineer to game recruiter

[07:00] Working at MicroProse and staffing for The 3DO Company

[10:11] Understanding how recruiters work: Retained vs. Contingency recruiters

[13:35] Career management strategies: planning five to ten years ahead

[16:06] The importance of networking and the unadvertised job market

[19:50] Cleaning up your online presence and using LinkedIn effectively

[23:30] Evaluating company cultures and making career decisions

[27:00] Behavioral interviews and how to ace them

[30:40] How to manage job searches and why recruiters are not a magic bullet

[34:00] Marc’s advice for long-term career success and building relationships in the game industry

Resources & media mentioned in this episode:

Learn more and Connect with Marc Mencher:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Get in the Game! by Marc Mencher

Learn more about GameRecruiter:

• Website
• Facebook

Games & companies mentioned:

• Falcon 1 (Spectrum Holobyte)
• Vet (Spectrum Holobyte)
• MicroProse
• 3DO
• Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals (White Birds Productions)
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward/Activision)
• Force 21 (Red Storm Entertainment)