Elizabeth Harrison

• Year of graduation: 2020
• Current job title: Associate Producer and Marketplace Co-ordinator
• Current employer: Ziax, CubeCraft Games
• Industry sector: Video Games

I started at the University of Northampton studying Multimedia Journalism but had realised it wasn’t the right degree course for me. My flatmate was studying Games Art – I thought it sounded amazing and it turned out to be an unforgettable experience!

We learnt a lot of different art disciplines, including fine art, 3D and 2D. The course also taught me about the making of games from an absolute beginner standpoint – as I’d come from a fine art background and didn’t know the computer side, this was essential for my own learning and development.

As an extra-curricular activity during the course, we completed a Game Jam at another university, and I was our Team Captain. It was fun making a game in a short time frame and meeting people who have been in the industry for years, and the experience gave me contacts who I still speak with today.

My studies have helped my career as it was a University peer who put me forward for my first role at my current employer. Without the University of Northampton, I wouldn’t have met her, or had the knowledge to even think of making games for a living. I joined Ziax as a part-time contractor in 2021 and was quickly made full-time and given more responsibility. Three months later, I was promoted to Senior Designer and soon after, I became an Associate Producer. Because the career progression was very fast, it was difficult to keep up and learn the roles, but it also kept the job fun and interesting because I was being given new roles and responsibilities. After working at Ziax for almost three years now, I feel very confident and comfortable in my role, and I look forward to any new hurdles in the future to keep things interesting!

The skill I gained on my degree that’s most useful in my current role is the ability to be adaptive. Learning so many different skills at the same time at University was tough to keep up with at times, but in this industry there will always be new software, new workflows, and new teams to work with, so being adaptive and putting myself forward for new projects is essential to staying relevant.

The advice I’d give to undergraduates interested in this career path would be that a job can come from anywhere – I got my role through a friend at University. However, you should still go to conventions, meet and keep in touch with as many people as possible. Also, don’t get discouraged if you don’t get replies when you start to apply for jobs – apply even if you don’t think you fit the job brief, as they might have something else for you, or could keep your CV for a future opportunity.

When you get your first job, stand out! Make sure your boss knows how valuable you are and don’t be afraid to ask for more responsibility if you feel comfortable doing so.