Applying for work in a creative field is a stressful, intimidating process. There is an insane amount of competition for the relatively minuscule amount of work (which is a good thing for you content producers!); some applicants are highly-skilled and talented, while others will be weeded out early but still add dead weight and noise to the already-bloated pool.
Ariel Gross, Studio Audio Director at Volition, Inc., a sonic branding company, sheds some light on his hiring process and has some great advice in bettering one's chances at landing the dream job:
First of all, I want to see that you have a purpose for wanting this job. Not what you’re doing (e.g. your resume and demo). Not how you’re doing it (e.g. your web site or blogs that show how you do what you do). But why you’re doing it...
Secondly, I want to see the potential for growth. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been around the block, either. There are as many titans of the game audio industry as there are newbies who realize that this field changes so quickly that you still need to be able to grow and change...
And thirdly, I want to see that there’s more to you than audio...There’s so much more to being part of [a] game development team than being a good audio designer or than knowing how to make things sound right in Wwise. Maybe you have some game design sensibilities. Maybe you’re able to make people laugh. Maybe you play an instrument... I’m not just trying to look at you as an audio designer, I’m trying to look at you as a complete human being. The bigger picture I can see, the most interested I may become [emphasis my own].
In audio (and elsewhere), we often talk about the 'signal to noise ratio', or the amount of desired audio signal compared to the level of background noise. I like to use the same analogy when I'm critiquing my own reel and cover letter. "Will this stick out above the noise of the other applicants? How can I ensure that it does?"
While Gross writes from the perspective of in-house audio (the rarest of birds), his advice holds true for music contractors and everyone looking for work in a creative field. He confirms what we hear so many times: make sure your work is the best it can possibly be, approach it with openness and curiosity, and treat your personality and interests as your greatest assets.
Read Gross's full post here