When I went job hunting, I did a *lot* of cold-emailing - that is, reaching out to studios when they didn't have any posted job openings. The phrasing of such emails is important - you want to keep it brief so you're not demanding much of anyone's time, and also leave it with no expectation of a reply. You don't know if they're going to have an opening that isn't listed now, or if they have one later on. For candidates who genuinely are interesting, studios will usually keep a list, just in case they're still available or interested. When it comes to picking a platform, there's no catch-all answer for this, so it's important to take the time to check if there are any preferences for a given studio. They might have a contact form, or they might provide an email for inquiries (careers@whatever.com). While taking the time to find that won't necessarily get you any extra points, having people contact you in some arbitrary, irregular fashion always loses points. If nothing is listed, then try to find *any* email at which you can reach out. At that point you're getting into the territory of risking losing some points over not reaching out at all. To find studios, when I was applying I used https://gamedevmap.com to see a general list of studios. They're not going to have *all* the studios across the country, and some of those listed there have probably gone out of business, but they will give you a lot to go through before you go digging deeper. As far as the level of skill and experience, everyone's got to start somewhere. The most important thing I think one can demonstrate is the capacity to follow instructions, and adhere to a consistent brief. Try to build your portfolio based on projects with clear goals and targets. If you can present your work with the framing of a project with a brief - even if for a moment you had to put on your own art director hat to establish said brief - it gives employers an easier time envisioning how you might work in the role of one following their instructions. Of course, if you feel that you have it in you to work under the guidance of another and contribute to a studio, then I think that much is enough to send in applications. At the end of the day, it's not your job to disqualify yourself. They'll reject you if they don't feel you're ready, and then they'll forget you ever existed - leaving you free to apply again at a later date. Just make sure you're honest, and don't misrepresent what you are capable of doing for a given studio.