Dream Big! A Guide to Launching a Career in Games.

At Code Wizards we're always on the lookout for talented individuals to join us, and help us continue to improve and deliver high quality services for our customers. Recently I've been reflecting on my own journey, how I've ended up here and the lessons I learned along the way and thought I'd share that with you.

Hello, I'm Ian Thomson . I'm a 32-year-old guy who grew up, and still lives, in the far North East of Scotland in a small town (the locals would say it's a city, don't let them know I said otherwise) called Elgin and I'm a Lead Game Tech Engineer for Code Wizards in the "Code Wizards North" studio.

Where it all began.

I've always loved video games. Some of my earliest memories involve me playing Eternal Champions on the Sega Megadrive up at my grandparents’ house, but the real love came when my dad bought a PlayStation, along with Crash Bandicoot 2, when I was 5 years old. That console sealed my fate and video games have had their tendrils wrapped around me ever since.

For most of my school career, I didn't realise that working in the games industry was an achievable dream though. It wasn't until I was around 16 and read a prospectus for the University of Abertay Dundee and discovered their Computer Games Technology degree that I finally found what I wanted to do in life. I spent the next few years really enjoying university, and had several fantastic moments – including being shortlisted for Best Student Game at the TIGA Awards –

but it wasn't until I left that I realised that I hadn't really taken full advantage of the opportunities I'd had.

I'd remained sheltered, never got involved in clubs, hadn't looked for internship opportunities and didn't take advantage of the immense amount of free time I had to hone my craft outside of a uni lab.

Life after Uni.

Upon graduation, I got straight to work trying to find myself a job. Boy, was it difficult! The games industry is competitive. There are so many people out there who are desperate to work in the field because games are awesome and being able to say, "I worked on that game!" is an amazing feeling. But in order to get to that point, you really need to make yourself stand out.

I spent the next 6 months facing rejection after rejection until I finally said to myself,

"I can't do this anymore,"

and headed back to my hometown. Where, remarkably, I landed myself a job as a web engineer.

This was an incredibly tough time for me, and a lot of the optimism I had at the end of university was completely eroded. I was very much thinking that the dream was over. Whilst I was very happy to be working in web development, I always had a nagging feeling in the back of my head that one day I needed make it into the games industry. I spent 6 years working in web development, across 3 different jobs. Each one was unique and had its ups and downs, but it turned out the experience and connections I gained across these roles were pivotal in me eventually landing my current job.

In November 2021, I was approached by a former colleague to tell me that Code Wizards were opening an office right here in Elgin – it seemed like the most unlikeliest of places! – and would I be interested in applying for a position. I was over the moon to join and we've since grown massively (and are still looking to grow further, if you’re interested). It's one of the best decisions I ever made and I'm so happy when I get to tell people that I finally have achieved my dream of working in the games industry.

So, if you are considering a career in games, what can you do to help yourself stand out and make that dream come true? Here are my...

Tips for Entering the Games Industry

Get a formal education

Is it an absolute requirement? No, but in a world where there are a hundreds if not thousands of CVs for a single job, having some formal education, whether that be a degree, AWS or Azure certifications, having something on there to show you have more than a passing interest in the area can be the difference maker in landing an interview.

Create stuff

I was incredibly fortunate that in my small area of the northeast there is an incredible game jam event called the Moray Game Jam (registration for 2025 is now open!). I attended this every year and made some great friends; some of whom are now colleagues. Keeping your oar in with games in your spare time is hugely important. It gives you something to put on your CV as well as the vital skills and experience that you can take into a career. Never in our history has creating your own video games been more accessible with a whole suite of tools and game engines freely accessible for hobbyists.

Make connections

As I alluded to above, making connections in the industry can be a huge asset to you in your quest to enter any industry. Attending events and most importantly speaking to people can be massive, you never know where you might bump into someone again and doors can be unlocked by someone simply being able to put a name to a face.

Be inquisitive

One thing that I always love is when someone asks me about what I do or how I have achieved something. Showing that you have desire to learn is, in my opinion, the biggest asset that anybody can have. Whether it's people who have nothing to do with games or a junior that's just joined the company, I always tell people that there is never a stupid question, we've all been in the situation where we don't know the answer to what may seem like the most basic thing. I still constantly pester my colleagues to gather their opinions on what may be the right or wrong way to approach a problem.

I always am very nervous to put stuff out there, but I hope that this has been helpful or at least mildly interesting to you if you've stuck it out this long!

We're always looking for interesting and talented people at Code Wizards with all levels of experience, we are a company built on karma – we love to give back to the community and are more than happy to chat about what we do and what it would take to become a Wizard.

If we sound like the kind of place for you to take the next step in your career but don't see the ideal role for you, get in touch with our Talent Acquisition Wizard, Daniel Fox 🔜 PGC London !