Gabriel Cornish

A Daily Routine For Unemployed Game Developers

🕹 This year I became unemployed for the first time.

Many of us in the game industry continue to be laid off, so I wanted to share how I structured my day in order to land another job in the industry.

After the initial shock, and a bit of floundering, I decided to craft a simple daily routine that was essential for my mental well-being and productivity during the job hunt.

CREATE

This was about building skills and creative growth.

In the mornings I would explore new technologies, build small prototypes, and hone my craft.

I looked at what requirements companies were putting in their job listings and I tried to create projects around those.

CONNECT

This was about maximizing opportunities.

The job market is bleak in the game industry, so the trick here was to kick up as much dust as possible.

I reached out to my network and applied for roles. I also shared my work from my morning creative sessions. I really just tried to keep the momentum going.

I got a lot of rejections, but I treated them as badges of honor. It was proof that I was putting myself out there.

Being stubborn was actually beneficial here.

CONTRIBUTE

This was about giving back to the community.

I tried to help others in their job search. I contributed to my friends' indie projects and participated in game jams.

Plenty of my friends were also looking for work, so we needed to band together. Assisting each other was how we were going to get through this.

🌟 Here's one last bonus...

COMMUNITY

Evenings were dedicated to recharging with loved ones. It was my time to unplug, rest, and cherish moments with my friends and family.

Financially, things were tight and it was hard not to think about that. But, knowing that at night I could lean on those around me to help me get ready for the next day's fight... that was everything.

And that's about it.

It took a while to land a job, but I'm happy to say I eventually did. Stability is still not guaranteed in this industry. I don't think it ever will be. But, if I find myself on the unemployment line again, I'll be falling back to this routine.