Dear Escapist Magazine,


Nearly three years ago I was completely blindsided by the death of one of my closest friends. While on his way to class one morning, he was involved in a fatal car accident. As an 18 year-old kid who had just started college it was the first time I faced the stark realities of life, but it would not be the last. This past May, another one of my closest friends passed away after struggling with cancer for roughly six months. Once again I was tossed into a sea of misery. Even with my previous experience, nothing I did felt quite right. Well, except one familiar pastime of mine that had helped me the deal with death the first time around: video games.


Mainstream media has not been kind to games or gamers over the course of their existence. Even with the medium becoming more and more accepted by society, recent events have only spurred more talk about games and their effects on the psyche. As someone who has had gaming help him come back to the real world on two separate occasions, I can’t help but be offended by the vitriolic comments. Without the help of video games, I’m not sure where I would be today.


What I’m proposing, is a feature on my experiences with death and how games helped me come to terms with not only the passing of two close friends, but with my own mortality. I want to show how games can have a significant positive effect despite of all the supposed negatives. I intend to do this by discussing how I felt during these traumatic times and then explaining how specific titles helped me overcome. For example, I had been nagged into buying Fable III just a couple weeks before his passing, but we never had a chance to play it. When finishing it a few days after his funeral it was a surprisingly cathartic experience.


I feel my personal insights, like the one I just briefly described can help shed light on the many benefits of gaming and I hope to aid in helping the industry get the respect it deserves.


Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope to hear back from you soon.


Sincerly,


Jamison Miller

Dear Mr. Hsu,   


I am deeply interested in the freelance writer position for GamesBeat.com. I've written for several smaller gaming blogs over the course of the past few years. During that time I’ve honed my skills as a writer and game journalist a fair bit. For the past ten months now I’ve been working for a site known as Plus10Damage.com. I’ve acquired a diverse skill set in my time working there. Not only have I written numerous reviews, news pieces, interviews, and opinion pieces, but I’ve also managed weekly features, created/edited video content, and participated in multiple podcasts. Obviously this means I’m your guy for just about anything you want to throw my way.


Another key experience I’ve taken from my time at Plus 10 would be learning how to receive criticism. Not just from readers, because I know there can be plenty of that from time to time, but also from my editors. At Plus 10 we worked together to improve each other’s work. Even the best writer needs an editor and I am more than willing to team up and take a fine-tooth comb to any of my writing. After all, it’s a win-win situation. Not only am I able to grow as a writer, but it ensures quality content for GamesBeat.


In the nearly two decades I’ve been gaming, I’ve grown quite the collection of titles and platforms. I’m open to playing just about anything on any platform. Hopefully this furthest illustrates my flexibility and openness to all sorts of work.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this, I hope to hear back from you soon. I’m available most of the time besides Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:45- 3p.m. PT, Tuesdays from 9a.m-6p.m., and Thursdays from 9a.m.- 1:45p.m..


Sincerely,


Jamison Miller

I think there are people out there who severely underestimate the professional and potentially career advancing uses of social media. Sites like Facebook and Twitter aren’t perfect but they’re a way of reaching out into the world, just the same as a telephone call or interview. In fact, in some ways they are better. So long as you use them appropriately, they’re an ever-perpetuating means of communication. I’ve heard about several people getting jobs with the help of Twitter


There’s also the simple fact that the world we live in is constantly connected to the internet. It serves any publication, blog, news site, or whatever platform to be in the thick of it. Many of the places I could potentially end up working for in the future have a very active online presence.  The more active you are on Twitter, the more of a presence you are in the lives of your audience.


With this is mind it’s no wonder so many place now as for your Twitter. Not because they want to dig up dirt on you. No, they want to get to know the social media you. How do you interact with readers? Will you be a valuable asset or a timebomb waiting to explode?

I found that I completely agree with the article Why ‘Optional’ Cover Letters Aren’t Really Optional. Resumes and CVs are hardly enough to sell yourself as a potential employee anymore. They fell cold and dry. So many of them read the same anymore. What really matters is selling yourself in the cover letter.  That’s how you let your desired employers know who you are and what you bring to the table.


It’s also important to show that you are more than willing to go beyond the minimum requirement. With a cover letter you can really show any potential employers how passionate you are. How you are willing to do more than what will be required of you.


Another problem with a resume or CV is that they are so formulaic. They’re designed to get certain information out of you and that’s it. Many applicant will have very similar information, making it difficult to stand out amongst the crowd. How are you to get the vital information that will help you make employers aware of your talents. Well this is another place where a cover letter comes in. I know I’ve done it.

1. Do I find myself satisfied and challenged by my current projects? The thing is, I’m the one deciding on what work I’ll be doing. I do as much work as I can handle.


2. Where do I see myself in two years. With a degree in hand I’ve hopefully landed a full-time gig somewhere. I’m well aware that may not be the case, so at the very least I expect to be doing plenty of freelance work.


3.What are my long-term career goals. Well I’d like to work my way up from a freelance writer to a salaried role as an editor. To be honest, I’m not all that interested in becoming an E.I.C. anywhere. I’d much rather focus specifically on content creation. Ideally reviews, opinion pieces,and video content. With that said, I do have some dreams outside of being a video game blogger. While that’s where I see myself permanently, I would love to branch out to actually write some games or T.V. shows.


4.What readings will or have helped me branch out? Well, I’ve read a couple books about how to be a video game blogger. There’s a ton of quality advice out there in the internet from people who already posses a job in my desired field. In actuality, the internet has made my career field not only easier to get into, but a much more viable means to supporting yourself.


5.Who do I know that could help me. Well I’ve made contacts within the industry for starters. There are also my fellow writers who have already helped me advance my skills.