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EV Startups vs. Gaming Studios: Entry-Level Roles London Grads Should Consider

jjoblondon

2026-02-25

9 min read

Compare EV startups and gaming studios — role maps, CV snippets and London-specific tactics for 2026 grads.

Can’t decide between EV startups and gaming studios? Here’s a fast, London-first guide for grads

Graduating in 2026 and overwhelmed by two booming but very different career tracks — electric vehicle (EV) startups or gaming studios? You’re not alone. Both industries are hiring entry-level talent in London, but they ask for different skills, timelines and mindsets. This guide cuts through the noise with practical steps, role maps, CV snippets and interview prep so you can pick the route that fits your skills, lifestyle and visa needs.

Why compare these two industries now (2026 context)

Two recent headlines sharpen this decision. Automotive giants and startups are renewing hiring as new, affordable EVs enter global markets — for example, Toyota's 2026 C-HR EV launch and wider adoption of NACS charging standards signal fresh product cycles and hardware-software integration demands across the supply chain. At the same time, gaming faces new regulatory scrutiny — such as the 2026 Italian investigations into in-game monetisation practices — pushing studios to hire compliance-savvy product designers and UX researchers alongside traditional game roles.

Quick take: EVs mean hardware-software crossover roles and longer product cycles; gaming means fast iteration, user-focused metrics and growing compliance responsibilities.

Top-level comparison: What London grads should weigh

Timescale: EV product cycles are longer (months–years). Gaming delivers frequent updates and live-ops churn (days–weeks).
Skill transferability: Software roles transfer well across both; hardware/embedded skills are more EV-specific.
Workstyle: EVs often blend lab/field work with office time; gaming is studio-based with remote/hybrid creative teams.
Career growth: EV startups can accelerate into product or operations leadership, while gaming offers rapid feature ownership and creative leadership opportunities.
Risk & reward: EV startups may offer equity and steep learning curves; gaming studios vary from indie risk to stable AAA houses.

Where London fits in each ecosystem

London is strong for software engineering, product roles, UX and business development for both industries. Hardware-heavy manufacturing for EVs usually sits outside London — but design, systems engineering, autonomy, power electronics simulation and supplier management roles are common in London-based engineering teams and remote field roles across the UK. Gaming studios cluster in East/West London tech hubs — Shoreditch, Old Street, Soho and White City — so expect local networking, studios and events.

Entry-level roles to target (practical lists)

EV startups — entry-level & internship roles

Embedded Software Intern / Junior Engineer — microcontrollers, CAN bus, firmware testing.
Hardware Prototype Technician / Lab Engineer — build and test modules, lab equipment handling.
Product Design / UX Intern (Mobility) — in-vehicle UX, telematics dashboards, service flows.
Battery Test Engineer (junior) — cycling tests, data logging, safety protocols.
Manufacturing & Supply Chain Assistant — vendor coordination, component tracking, procurement.
Data Analyst / ML Intern — telemetry, vehicle data pipelines, predictive maintenance models.
Field Service / Test Driver Assistant — on-road testing, fault reporting, OTA update validation.

Gaming studios — entry-level & internship roles

QA Tester / QA Automation Intern — functional testing, bug reporting, automation scripts.
Junior Game Programmer / Software Intern — gameplay systems, tools, scripting (Unity/Unreal).
Associate Game Designer — level design, systems tuning, player progression plans.
Live Ops / Community Coordinator — events, player support, metrics monitoring.
Monetisation & Product Analyst (junior) — A/B testing, user funnel analysis (increasingly regulated).
Junior Artist / Animator — asset creation, rigging, UI assets.
Compliance / Ethics Assistant — particularly post-2025 regulation pushes.

Skill signals recruiters in London look for (and how to demonstrate them)

Across both sectors, recruiters value tangible outputs over long resumes. Here’s how to prove fit fast.

For EV roles

Project evidence: GitHub repos with embedded firmware projects, CAN bus logs, or CAD files. Short README explaining your role.
Hardware experience: Photos or videos of prototypes, short lab reports or Jupyter notebooks analysing test data.
Cross-disciplinary communication: Show times you explained technical work to non-engineers — product meetings, design docs.
Software skills: Python for data pipelines, C/C++ for firmware, MATLAB/Simulink for modelling.

For gaming roles

Playable demos: Short prototypes or mods (itch.io links, GitHub, or video demos) — quality over quantity.
Bug reports & test cases: For QA roles, include clear bug write-ups and brief automated test scripts.
Metrics literacy: Examples of using analytics (Amplitude, GameAnalytics, Firebase) to iterate features.
Portfolio: For designers/artists, showcase process — briefs, wireframes, iterations and final assets.

CV & application templates — two short examples you can copy

1) Embedded software internship CV snippet (EV role)

Profile: BEng in Electronic Engineering (UCL), hands-on experience with STM32, CAN bus and Python data pipelines. Seeking an embedded/software internship in EV systems.

Project: Battery Module Tester — built a battery cycling rig using Raspberry Pi and INA226 sensors. Implemented data logger (Python), basic SOC estimator and automated pass/fail criteria. Delivered 30+ test runs with clear lab reports.

2) QA Tester CV snippet (Gaming studio)

Profile: BSc Computer Science (King’s), 6 months QA placement at indie studio. Skilled at regression testing, bug reporting and basic automation in Python.

Project: QA Lead for ‘Rogue Garden’ jam build — wrote 150 test cases, tracked 320 issues, and implemented a pytest-based smoke test to speed nightly builds.

Interview prep: common entry-level questions & how to answer them

EV startup interview questions

“Explain a firmware bug you fixed.” — Walk through the problem, the debugging tools, and what you learned.
“How would you validate a new battery cell?” — Outline test protocols, safety steps and data checks.
“Describe a time you coordinated with supply/manufacturing.” — Focus on communication, timelines and outcomes.

Gaming studio interview questions

“Tell us about a game mechanic you designed.” — Show iteration, player feedback and metrics if available.
“How do you prioritise bug fixes during a sprint?” — Balance player impact, severity and release timelines.
“How would you handle ethical concerns about monetisation?” — Given 2026 regulatory pressure (e.g., Italy’s investigations), explain UX alternatives and compliance-conscious design.

Compensation, hours and long-term prospects (London-specific guidance)

Entry-level pay varies widely. As a rule of thumb in London (2026):

Junior software roles and product roles: competitive with London tech market — check Glassdoor and LinkedIn for current bands.
Hardware internships & lab roles: sometimes paid at apprentice/entry bands but can include strong hands-on experience and equity in startups.
QA and junior game roles: often lower base pay than software engineering but provide quicker responsibility growth.

Hours: expect crunch periods in gaming around launches, while EV roles may demand occasional field testing or factory schedules. Remote/hybrid policies continue to vary by firm — London studios commonly offer hybrid schedules for non-lab work.

Visa sponsorship and work eligibility — what to check in 2026

Big studios and well-funded EV startups are likelier to sponsor Skilled Worker visas. Steps to confirm before you apply:

Look for “sponsor licence” or “visa sponsorship” on the company’s careers page.
Check recent hires on LinkedIn — do current employees have international backgrounds?
Ask HR early: a 1-line email asking about sponsorship is acceptable and shows you’re organised.

Where to find London internships and entry-level roles (action plan)

Targeted channels beat scrolling. Here’s a 6-step tactical plan:

Follow studio and startup careers pages — set alerts for “graduate”, “intern” and “junior” roles.
Use specialist job boards: GamesIndustry.biz jobs, UK tech meetups, and JobLondon.uk listings for local roles.
Attend London events: London Games Festival, AI & Mobility meetups in King’s Cross and TechHub events in Shoreditch.
Show up at university career fairs and alumni panels — many London studios and EV companies recruit directly.
Network on LinkedIn with thoughtful messages (1–2 lines referencing a specific project) — avoid generic DMs.
Contribute to open-source projects or game jams — these show initiative and give interview stories.

Case studies: quick real-world examples (experience & outcomes)

Case A — From London grad to EV firmware engineer

A recent graduate completed a 12-week embedded systems internship with a London-based EV software team. They shipped a CAN bus diagnostic tool, documented test suites and after 9 months were promoted to a junior firmware role. Key factors: hands-on prototype evidence, quick learning on safety requirements, and clear lab documentation.

Case B — From uni project to junior live-ops producer

A student built a multiplayer mod and published metrics from an experimental A/B test during a game jam. That portfolio piece led to a junior live-ops role at a Soho studio where they ran community events and iterated daily. Key factors: playable demo, metrics literacy and community management examples.

Advanced strategies to stand out in 2026

For EV applicants: learn cloud-based vehicle telemetry tools, OTA update concepts, and safety standards (ISO 26262 basics). Even basic certification or an online course can boost applications.
For gaming applicants: master analytics tooling and ethical monetisation frameworks; demonstrate knowledge of newer regulations and alternative monetisation models.
Cross-industry edge: show systems thinking — how hardware, firmware and UX interconnect. That makes you attractive to EV companies and tooling teams in gaming studios.

Practical checklist before you press apply

One-page CV tailored to the role (remove irrelevant modules).
2–3 portfolio links or a short GitHub/itch.io project with readme and timestamps.
One clear example story for interviews: problem, action, result (quantified where possible).
CV line showing London availability and visa status (if relevant).
Three targeted questions to ask in interviews (team structure, onboarding, product roadmaps).

Final decision framework — Which path matches you?

Answer these three quick prompts:

Do you prefer long product cycles and hands-on hardware work? — lean EV.
Do you enjoy rapid iteration, community metrics and creative features? — lean gaming.
Are you aiming for transferable software skills that open both doors? — target software/product roles in either industry.

Closing takeaways — what to do this week

Pick one role type and prepare a 1-page tailored CV and a short project demo (video/GitHub) this week.
Apply to 5 London internships or junior roles: 3 in your primary pick, 2 in the alternative.
Schedule 2 informational chats on LinkedIn with engineers/designers in London studios/startups.

Both EV startups and gaming studios are hiring entry-level talent in London in 2026 — the right choice depends on whether you want hardware depth and longer cycles or fast, creative iteration and product-driven metrics. Use the role lists, CV snippets and interview prep above to get applications in this month.

Call to action

If you want a personalised next step, we’ll review one CV or portfolio for free and recommend 5 London roles that match your profile. Email careers@joblondon.uk with your one-page CV and a 2-line note on which industry you prefer — we’ll reply within 5 working days with targeted feedback.

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