GDC postmortem

So I went to GDC last week and after a having some time to catch up on all my work I thought I would post about my thoughts on the convention and what you should do if you go in the future.  I think I learned 3 lessons from my first GDC, and if I go again I will definitely follow these rules.


1.  Forgo HR, find the developers
If you are looking for a job find a developer and talk to them.  95% of the HR people will take your resume and just tell you to apply online.  If you are too afraid to talk to developers then you might as well not spend the money to go to GDC.  You will be just as likely to get the job applying online.  Making a good impression with a developer can get you on the inside track for an interview so make use of that resource.

2.  Go to the parties
Find the parties, when you talk to developers ask where they are going to be that night and see if they can get you in.  I had a good night of networking the first night at the bar designated as overflow for a party, but the all the other public parties were a complete bust.  Devs are even more willing to hand out business cards after they have had a few drinks.  So have some conversations, get some cards, and make sure to find them the next day and follow up.

3.  Don't go for the expo floor
Honestly there isn't anything that exciting to see on the expo floor.  It is a game developers conference meaning that the expo floor is 75% companies trying to sell their hardware or services to a game company.  From a consumer standpoint it is a very boring expo, but that is okay because you are going to look for a job right?