作者：Will Freeman

以下是游戏行业目前就业机会最多的10种职业，由OPM Recruitment常驻专家和所有者Kim Parker Adcock推荐：

recruitment-in-game-industry(from scriptmx.com)

1、UI美术师。用户界面美术之前属于2D美术师的工作，现在已经涉及到创新艺术方法，简化游戏期间的角色或随从控制。优秀的UI美术元素是显而易见的内容，会对玩家的游戏体验产生影响，成为游戏的特征之一。对从业者来说，专家级的Photoshop技术是必要条件，同时还要具备发现细节的能力和足够的工作热情。

2、工具程序员。能够创造供其他程序员制作游戏的工具程序员目前非常稀少。目前这一领域缺乏拥有行业经验和相关技能的在职人员。普通的此类程序员原本就比较少，高级且具有领导和管理经验的程序员则更为稀少。所以，如果你属于这类人群，那么完全可以精心挑选最喜欢的工作室。

3、云工程师。电脑在不断改变，如果要说未来游戏的发展方向，那无疑是云计算。任何足以在产品中构建此技术的人都很容易找到工作，因而通过这个方面的训练，你可以让自己变得更受众工作室青睐。在游戏开发等飞速成长的行业中，云计算属于新的技术潮流。

4、社交游戏制作人。如果云计算是行业未来潮流的话，那么当前潮流便是社交游戏。随着该行业近几年的不断成长，拥有丰富的社交游戏（游戏邦注：包括facebook和其他社交游戏平台上的游戏）制作管理经验的人需求量很大。开发原创内容或将现有IP转变成社交游戏，这都只是该领域内的一小部分。如果你有丰富的经验，那么就有更多选择的机会。

5、VFX美术师。创建游戏内的视觉效果已经成为游戏行业内最广受欢迎的技能之一，工作室需要制作出最佳的爆炸、自然效果和幻想，让他们的游戏更加逼真。游戏行业内的VFX美术师很缺乏，各工作室正在考虑选择那些拥有其他领域（游戏邦注：如电影或电视）设计经验的人，所以这是个选择该职业的较好时机。

6、关卡设计师。关卡设计师的需求量向来较高，游戏团队尤其缺乏能够设计游戏世界地图的人。这个岗位需要同美术和编程团队紧密合作，需要卓越的技术才能以及创意眼光，能够把项目主管的美术愿景变为现实。

7、音频程序员。程序与音频的完美融合对每款游戏都至关重要，音频可以塑造紧张感和气氛。从职人员需要精通音频，而且通常需要获得计算机科学研究方面的认证。这个岗位与游戏玩法编程有紧密的联系，是游戏开发工作室的必要组成部分。高级音频程序员能够吸引众多工作室的眼光。

8、数据分析师。这是个游戏行业需求的新技能，随着越来越多的工作室雇佣数据分析师来研究他们游戏所处的市场，这个岗位的需求量也逐步上升。从职人员也要开展战略性计划活动，将有效的数据转变为图表。这个岗位适合那些数学能力较强且具有分析思维的人，它的工作经验要求甚于资格证书。

9、品牌经理。塑造工作室品牌是任何游戏销售的关键，富有创意的品牌经理能够确保让所有的产品广为流传。通过在线和其他营销活动来让工作室的名声和荣誉不断成长，从业人员需要从事至终地监管整个过程。

10、技术动画师。技术动画师在动画团队中居于关键的位置。理想情况下，技术动画师应具有丰富的C++经验，同时能够以敏锐的眼光观察游戏内角色的移动，将编程和美术两个领域有效地结合起来。流畅和贴近现实的动画能够提升任何产品的可玩性，这也是近期所有成功电脑游戏的共同特点。

游戏邦注：本文发稿于2012年1月16日，所涉时间、事件和数据均以此为准。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

NEW YEAR, NEW JOB: The 10 easiest jobs to find

Will Freeman

Every day in January we’re helping job-hunters and employers with advice and tips from the industry’s finest developers, experts, HR specialists and recruitment execs on a range of topics.

Today we bring you a guide to the 10 games industry specialties that currently offer the most employment opportunities, as selected by OPM Recruitment’s resident expert and owner Kim Parker Adcock

OPM’S 10 DISCIPLINES THAT OFFER THE MOST OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOB-HUNTERS

• UI Artist – User interface artwork, previously part of a 2D artist’s role, now incorporates genuinely innovative artistic methods to facilitate character or ancillary controls during gameplay. The best UI artwork is barely noticeable, functioning so naturally to the player that it becomes part of the games identity. Expert-level Photoshop skills are essential, along with an eye for detail and passion for this niche role.

• Tools Programmer – Creating the tools that other coders use to make the game, tools programmers are very rare at present. Working on pipeline content, experience in the games industry is lacking, with a general skill shortage across the discipline. Programmers in general are thin on the ground and senior and lead level programmers with managerial experience particularly scarce, so if you fit the mould you’ll likely have your pick of studios to work for.

• Cloud Engineer – Computers are ever-changing and if anything was hailed as the future of gaming in 2011, it was cloud computing. Anyone with the skills in place to build this technology into products is going to be in high demand, so by training in this area, you’ll be making yourself highly employable. Few jobs are future-proof, but in a rapidly growing industry such as games development, the new technological wave is a cloud.

• Social Games Producer – If cloud computing is the long-term future, then the present is very much about social gaming. Growing year-on-year consistently in recent times, experienced production management of social games (for facebook or other social gaming platforms) is in huge demand. Developing either original content or transferring existing IPs into the social gaming arena is a rare quality to have, and you’ll have many great opportunities to choose from if you have experience.

• VFX Artist – Creating the in-game visual effects has become one of the most sought-after skills in the games industry, with studios demanding the very best explosions, elemental effects and illusions to bring their game to life. With VFX Artists in the games industry in short supply, studios are considering those with experience in another field such as film or television, so there has never been a better time to get involved in this exciting area of work.

• Level Designer – Level Designers have long been in very high demand, with those designing the map of a game world one of the key hires for any team. Working very closely with both the art and programming teams, this position demands excellent technical skills, combined with a creative eye that is able to bring to fruition the artistic vision of the project director.

• Audio Programmer – Programming seamless audio is crucial to the enjoyment of every game, with tension, atmosphere and tone all held together by this dedicated skill. Specialising within audio, commonly following qualification in computer science studies, the role has a close link to gameplay programming and is an integral part of a games development studio. Senior audio programmers who are open on location would attract interest from numerous studios.

• Data Analyst – A new skill to the games industry, this role is coming up more and more, with a lot of studios employing data analysts to research the market for their games. Also conducting strategic planning exercises and working data into influential figures, the role appeals to those who are strong in mathematics but with an analytical mindset, with experience is more important than specific qualifications.

• Brand Manager. Growing a studio brand is key to the sale of any game, and with clients focused on product management for many years, a creative brand manager will ensure all their products are widely known. Growing the studio’s name and reputation by running online and other marketing campaigns, this idea-driven employee will oversee that process from start to finish.

• Technical Animators – One of the key personnel in the animation team is the technical animator. Ideally experienced in C++ and with a keen eye for the movement of the in-game characters, technical animators provide the link between programming and art. Fluid, realistic animation boosts any products gameplay and has been present in every successful computer game in recent history.

Our daily ‘New Year, New Jobs’ series of articles are extracted from the forthcoming February issue of Develop magazine, which boasts an essential compendium of advice, tips and tricks on getting a new job and improving your employment prospects. The same issue will bring you all the results from our sweeping games industry Salary Survey. Check back with Develop Online every day this month for more. (Source: Develop)