The video game industry is continually growing as technology develops and with them comes a niche job market that is particularly hard to break into.

Last Thursday the first lecture in an Art New Media series took place entitled “An Aspiring Artist’s Guide Towards Preparing For A Career in the Game Industry.”

Speaker Brian Linville gave a lecture on how to break into the gaming industry and get a job designing for gaming companies.

“I will tell you how to work the system,” Linville told the audience.

The first bit of advice Linville gave out was simply “leave Sacramento.”

Linville went on to tell the 23 attendees of the lecture that Sacramento had very little gaming companies in the area, which makes the market highly competitive.

“The Bay Area is the largest game development center in the world,” Linville said.

Linville also urged students to get a LinkedIn profile and start friending gaming studio recruiters. He also told students to develop a portfolio where people can interact with the artist.

Linville said it would be an advantage because interactions show that you’re a nice person which could get you a job.

“I’ve worked with people who are a**holes and it sucked,” said Linville explaining why being nice can land you a job and being not so nice could cost you one.

Another piece of advice Linville gave to students about portfolios was to only put in their best work. Some students may try to put a little of everything and it may cost them a job because students may not be good at one thing and it could create a negative atmosphere around the whole portfolio.

Art New Media major Roxana Jonczyk was particularly motivated by Linvilles’ advice.

“I plan to create a solid portfolio,” Jonczyk said.

There is some saving grace for the Art New Media students attending American River College, however.

Linville has his own gaming studio, Stigma Games, and exclusively recruits from ARC due to the skills of students within the program.