They say that if you find a job you love, “you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” Imagine loving games, and being paid to think about them every day! That’s what life is like for Iggy Javellana.

Ignatius Javellana — you may call him Iggy — is the head of Advergaming at Level Up! If you’re into gaming at all, you would know that Level Up! is the Philippines’ pioneering online game publisher. It brought Ragnarok, Crazy Kart, and other Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) to gamers here, and as a company it’s only getting bigger.

You may want to consider them when starting your career… that is, if you can stop yourself from being distracted by all the games and actually work!

Who gets hired at Level Up!?
“It really helps that you’re a gamer, first and foremost. But more than that, it helps that you have a passion for the work — if you want to be a community manager or brand manager for a particular game, you have to know the game (or brand) inside and out. Of course there are other requirements, but being a gamer is VERY important in this business.”

What should college students be doing while they’re still in school so that you’ll want to hire them?
“Playing games (laughs). But seriously, at least be in the know when it comes to the industry. Like for example, knowing how the market is, what games are ‘in’ with the kids, internet and online knowledge, a little bit of tech know-how… believe me, knowing how to do Powerpoint and Excel is actually a very crucial skill in the workplace (I never learned to use Powerpoint until I was already working!).

“And, of course, training your creativity. Never let mediocrity be your guide… always focus on your skills and strengths, improve on your weaknesses, and always stay professional. Sure, we have fun and play games, but when it comes to work, we deliver.”

Say someone starts in an entry-level position with your team. What does that person learn after a year?
“Internal promotions are very common here at Level Up! It all depends on how well you know the games. Under creatives you get trained by the best anime, comics, and graphic artists in the industry today, and you really learn how to create eye-catching materials for your brand.

“There’s so much to learn and depending on where you start in Level Up!, there’s so much room for improvement and growth.”

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Gaming is just one of many industries where the technical and creative merge to create products that challenge and excite people of all ages. It’s a dynamic field, and a great place to start if you’re young and have a lot of ideas and passion to share.

Iggy Javellana blogs for CNET Asia at http://asia.cnet.com/blogs/sensiblenetnonsense/.