Thought that games testing was just a part time job or stepping stone?  Think again!  As this video explains, games testing can be a full career path, either within QA or moving into production, development and games design…

Whatever your aspirations, you need to get your foot in the door.  The BEST way to do that in my opinion is via a Gamer Testing Ground membership.

A peek inside the industry, this video specifically showcases testers for Acclaim, but there are hundreds of software houses out there hiring testers, both on-site and on a “work from home” basis.

If you’ve been reading my email newsletter than you probably already know that the real key to breaking into the industry is getting hold of the contact details of the decision makers in the software houses, and a list like that is like GOLD DUST!

So get ready to be happy because I have some great news for you!  The absolute number one best guide to becoming a games tester have recently updated their secret contact list only available to members.  I’ve been a member there myself for some time and I’m not allowed to share that information with you (part of their terms and conditions) but they are running a special offer at the moment so you can grab a membership dirt cheap… trust me, it will be the best $1.88 you ever spent.  Check it out

1. Contacts are the key

The old saying of “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” certainly applies to the games industry. Simply writing a letter or email to a development company, or calling them on the telephone will rarely get you so much as an interview. Knowing exactly who to contact at a company, and their preferred methods of contact is essential. Getting that contact information from an inside source, such as an existing games tester or developer will have the single biggest effect on your chances of becoming a games tester yourself.

2. Sell yourself

What differentiates you from every other applicant? In order to get your “foot in the door” you need to sell yourself, show off your potential and explain why you’re the best person for the job. The way to do that is with a well written resume. A resume for a games tester job is different to a resume for a typical office job, and more focus should be on your enthusiasm and ability to put in long hours playing difficult and frustrating games, and your ability to communicate the bugs you find, than on more traditional business attributes. Again, finding a games tester, or developer who can share their inside knowledge with you is your best chance at success, but failing that take advice from anyone in business or management and ask what they would want to see in a resume. Just make sure you get three key points across – your versatility, your creativity, and your burning passion to play games!

3. Be flexible

If you want to work as a games tester you’ll need to be flexible. That means testing whatever games the company is currently developing, and that won’t always be the ones you enjoy playing. You’ll need to stay focussed, and put as much effort in when given an assignment to test a puzzle game or a word game as when you’re testing the latest and greatest FPS or RPG.

4. Work on your communication skills

Even more important than your ability to play games and find bugs, is your skill in communicating what you found to the development team. That means carefully logging your play and the bugs you find, and clearly and specifically telling the developers where you find those bugs. While you don’t need to be a word class writer, being able to get your message across is essential so work on your writing and typing skills to prove to your potential employer that you can be taken seriously! If working from home you’ll be communicating via email so it’s essential that your writing is clear and won’t be misunderstood by the developers.

5. Get educated

Game testing is one of the only ways to get your “foot in the door” of the games industry without a college degree. Enthusiasm, good communication skills and an ability to work long hours is more important than a formal education, but that doesn’t mean a lack of education is a positive thing. It’s always good to get more education, whether it’s a college degree or an evening course. Even a part time or evening course will show to your potential employer that you’re serious about personal development and commitment.

Testing games really is a dream job. Whether you’re working on site at a development company, or working from home and getting paid to play games in your spare time, it’s a great way to make a living. Getting started is the hardest part, but by following these tips you’ll give yourself the best chance of getting accepted as a games tester.

A common and idealistic misconception about game testing is that the tester will do little else other than playing games 24/7. Whilst there can be no denying that this is a part of the process, it is by no means the only part of the puzzle.

Testing a game is exactly that: the tester will be required to repeatedly play through the same few segments of the game time and time again, usually without a break until they unearth any and all bugs they can find. The tester must keep their eyes open for these bugs and then record their findings.

The tester will also need to ensure that they record and note their findings carefully in order to then pass on the relevant details to the game development department who will then seek to remove the bugs and fix the errors. The tester will need to be very explicit and thorough as to the level of detail they submit, in order to help expedite the process.

Now that we have cleared up the issue of what a video game tester will actually involve, the next burning issue that we will need to look at is the issue of pay, i.e. how much money does the average tester get for their efforts?

It is not really possible to simply provide a round figure or a precise prediction and this is because there are a number of variables that will affect the final salary. Not surprisingly, the level of experience the tester has will count heavily in their favour and so a tester who has a clearly established work portfolio with a number of provable successful projects will command a higher fee than a rank novice. The salary offered can and will differ between different companies although irrespective of how much they happen to pay for your work you can be rest assured of one thing – the work you do will be a major feather in your cap, and the experience you’ll gain gives you a big advantage when going for other games related jobs.

A common and idealistic misconception about game testing is that the tester will do little else other than playing games 24/7. Whilst there can be no denying that this is a part of the process, it is by no means the only part of the puzzle.

Testing a game is often a tedious, dull, time consuming affair because the tester will be playing through the same segment of the game over and over in an attempt to remove any bugs, glitches and technical issues that may decide to rear their ugly heads. The process is an intricate and pain-staking one, and doing the same thing over and over can really take its toll.

The tester will also need to ensure that they record and note their findings carefully in order to then pass on the relevant details to the game development department who will then seek to remove the bugs and fix the errors. The tester will need to be very explicit and thorough as to the level of detail they submit, in order to help expedite the process.

Now that we have cleared up the issue of what a video game tester will actually involve, the next burning issue that we will need to look at is the issue of pay, i.e. how much money does the average tester get for their efforts… how much is an average game tester salary?

First and foremost, it is important to appreciate that there are a number of different factors that come into play when it comes to this issue, although by far, the two most important and obvious of these are time involved and the level of experience of the tester. When you compare the typical salary of a video games tester to those of other personnel involved in the game production process, it deosn’t look great in comparison, but then it’s one of the few positions in the industry available to someone without a college degree. Another key variable is the quality of work of the tester, i.e. how accurate they are with their reports, how well they spot bugs, how effectively they communicate their findings. Roughly speaking, the typical average rate clocks in at the 20-30 dollars per hour mark, and it provides the tester with something much more valuable than just money – experience, and a “foot in the door” of the games industry.

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The idea of getting paid to play games all day is extremely appealing to most gamers, but in reality the job of games tester is a little less glamerous than the title might lead you to believe. Long hours, repetitive gameplay and having to work on titles which you may have no interest in playing are some of the pitfalls, but if you can get past that then a games tester job certainly has it’s perks.

Click to become a games tester

Apart from the obvious advantages of getting paid to play games, having access to the latest games and systems months before anyone else, and being the envy of your mates, a games testing job can also be a “foot in the door” to other positions in the games industry, such as designers, developers and artists.

Typically a games tester will begin working on a title when it’s at least 60 – 70% complete and the work involves a lot of repetition, playing specific levels or features over and over, logging bugs and anomolies and reporting those back to the development team. It can be a full time position, working alongside the development team at their offices, or it can be a part time job from home.

It’s certainly not for everyone. Games testing is certainly harder work than many people think but it’s also a lot of fun, so if you want a way into the games industry, or you simply like the idea of getting paid to play games all day then download the free report How To Become A Game Tester

Download the Game Tester Guide

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In theory all you need to do in order to land a game testing job is to contact a game developer and let them know that you’re interested, but in reality there are very specific ways to go about that and stand any real chance of a job offer.

The best way to learn exactly what you need to do in order to become a game tester is to join a game tester membership program.

For a small fee you’ll not only get access to over 54 games companies, with the correct contact details for how each company prefer to be contacted, what they’re looking for, and how to apply. The list is constantly being updated, so you can rest assured that you have the most up to date information available.

In addition to the game company contact details you’ll get expert guidance from an experience games tester, teaching you exactly how to approach the games companies, how to quickly and easily put together a resume which the games companies will be interested in, what qualities they are specifically looking for, and what you can do to maximise your chances of getting accepted as a games tester.

Click here to get access to a list of 54 games company test application contacts, hints on getting accepted, detailed information on putting together a resume that will help you get a game tester job, plus lots, lots more useful information from an experienced games tester!