How Can i prepare For a job in the Video game Industry?

If I live in the Midwest, what is the best way to make connections in the video game industry in California?

• I have a degree in journalism and I am studying to get my master's degree in strategic communications. When I graduate next spring, I will have 3 years of writing internal communications for an unrelated industry and 2 years of external communications (on a volunteer basis) for an unrelated nonprofit. I would like to get a job as a social media or public relations manager for a video game publisher or designer after graduation. Ideally, I would like to get a job offer before I move. At the very least, I want to develop some connections. How can I begin networking from the Midwest? I want to start interviewing different professionals about their jobs and create a blog to write about the industry. Will that help? If you were a recruiter, would you consider applicants that live a thousand miles away for nontechnical positions? My master's program requires a capstone. I want to do something related to video games. Do you have any suggestions that might help me land a job?

• Answer:

  Go to GDC, Casual Connect or one if the other conferences in CA. You don't have to do more than get an expo pass and go to as many mixers as possible. Use linkedin to make connections. Join active forums involving game dev or game engines. If you are a student or willing to work for peanuts you could try the intern route.