(Photo above by Christina Morillo)

In this article:

• The games industry in Hamburg
• Education & training in Hamburg
• Finding entry-level jobs in Hamburg
• Choosing the right career path

         

Hamburg: the Perfect Place to Start Your Career in the Games Industry

Hamburg is home to a large, diverse and steadily growing games industry, with over 180 games companies employing around 2,500 games professionals. The Hanseatic city is home to some of Germany's largest and best-known game studios such as InnoGames, Goodgame Studios or Daedalic Entertainment, side by side with numerous award-winning indie developers such as Tiny Roar or THREAKS. Hamburg's games companies are known for secure jobs in sustainably successful companies - from career entry to jobs for experienced professionals and executive positions - as well as their innovative work culture, open-mindedness and numerous start-ups where you can fulfill your own potential. 

Into the Thick of it: Education & Training in the Games Industry

There are 12 universities and educational institutions in the Hanseatic city with games-related courses, so there's plenty of choice! If you want to learn Game Design from scratch, the Macromedia University of Applied Sciences might be just the right starting point for you, offering programs in Game Design or Game Design & Development. If you want to study Game Creation and make use of all your creativity, check out the htk academy. If you already have a bachelor's degree in a suitable area, we highly recommend one of the very few games-related master programs in Germany: At the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg), you can leverage your skills and study the Games Master, which is deeply connected to the local games industry, having valuable ties to some of the local companies and organisations.

If you value a strong connection to the practical side of things, there is of course also the possibility to complete an apprenticeship or a dual study program in Hamburg. Large and small companies offer apprenticeships, for example Goodgame Studios is looking for new talent for the profession of IT specialist in the application area, whereby they include all areas of game development in the training. InnoGames trains in the same area, and also offers the opportunity for dual studies.

A degree or diploma in the games sector sounds interesting? On Gamecampus.de you can find all training companies and their offers in Hamburg. 

If you're not yet sure where you want to go, you can also try an internship or start as a working student and explore your options - many companies love to hire both! If your studies and training are still a while away, it's also worth asking the companies about student internships and a trial day like Girls'n'Boys Day. The Hamburg games industry, for example, offers a cross-company internship in cooperation with the Creative Gaming Initiative. 

Your career entry into the Hamburg games industry

You've (soon) finished your studies and apprenticeship and now you want to start your professional career? Hamburg is also a good choice for this. Many of the local companies have open entry-level positions to fill or even offer a traineeship, here's a few examples:

• Bytro Labs: Junior Game Content Producer (f/m/d)
• Goodgame Studios: Junior Monetization Manager: In-Game Offer (m/f/d)
• THREAKS: Quality Assurance Tester (Games) (f/m/d)
• Daedalic Entertainment: Portfolio Producing Manager (m/f/d)
• Fishlabs: (All Levels) UI Programmer (m/f/d)
• gamigo group: (Junior) Service Agent with French and/or German and/or English (d/w/m)

Find further job openings on Games Jobs German and Games Career. 

What do these job titles mean?

But what exactly does a quality assurance tester or an UI programmer do? What does the day-to-day work of a Portfolio Producing Manager look like? What lies behind these job titles and how you can pursue this career path is the subject of our Game Starter online event series. If you're in the middle of your studies or about to start your career, these discussions about what's behind job descriptions can help you decide which career is right for you.

You'd rather be your own boss and set up a studio yourself? Gamecity Hamburg also offers support with financing options and further training programs.