1. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTec Level 3
Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production
Games Design
HA1 – Unit 13 – Understanding the Computer Games Industry
Professional Development Plan
Review your work to date investigating the games industry:
Organisational structure – the Value Chain
Job roles - your choice of career and feedback
Financial issues and market trends – what’s in and out and what is making money?
Contractual, legal and ethical issues – what other responsibilities will you have to consider?
You need to prepare a personal Professional Development Plan (PDP) for the next five years. Consider the job role you
have chosen to pursue and set yourself targets over the next five years that will help you get there. Use the following as
prompts, but they are not exhaustive:
What formal skills and qualifications will you need to achieve your goal?
Carry out a skills audit of what you possess now and what you will need in five years’ time to get your dream job.
This should include both academic and professional qualifications.
• Your current course, an Advanced, Level 3 BTec Extended Diploma – use the project schedule for this year
to target each assignment’s deadlines.
• Review what is required for your chosen job role on the Skillset website.
• Search for suitable courses on the UCAS site, through Skillset accredited courses and full cost provision,
like Futureworks and SSR.
What soft, transferable skills do you need to develop and how?
Problem solving Communication Commitment
Tenacity Creativity Honesty
Efficiency Innovation Trustworthiness
Teamwork Entrepreneurship Reliability
Self-presentation Punctuality Humour
Confidence Public speaking Empathy
ICT Literacy Numeracy
Professional and business considerations
Marketing – viral, face to face
Business knowledge / tax and accounting
Financial / Bank
Legal representation / contracts / IP
Insurance
Miscellaneous
Driving license
Transport – car/van
Health
Travel
2. Methods of Recruitment – How will you find out about the job you want?
Press and web
Word of mouth and personal contacts
Trade fairs and conferences
Internal promotion – via work experience / internships
Networking – IGDA
Applying for employment
Branding – logo/motion graphic
Gallery / showreel – Blog/Site(Behance)
Contact – Domain and email. Marketing literature/business cards.
Verification / References – personal and professional
Interview – Dress, language/speech and terms of address, interpersonal skills.
What will you need to stay on top once you are on your career path?
Continual Professional Development – management/administration, languages.
Self-training – hardware/software
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