Good Bye World

edited in Jobs
Good Bye World
Thanked by 3konman Trimpiece Gman

Comments

  • edited
    Have you looked here : remotegamejobs
    or here : workwithindies
    or here : twitter/gamejobs
    or here : UnityConnect
    ?
  • Don't give up, Skeleton!
  • edited
    If you're finding it really difficult to work in games, and the opportunities you have found haven't been satisfying, it's possible that it isn't for you. My impression is that you've got some tough stuff going on in your life, and something more stable may be better suited to your mental and emotional health.

    I don't know if you need to hear this, but choosing not to work in the game industry isn't a "failure". The creative industries in general (locally and internationally, and whether it's games, film, books, art) are fraught with anxieties. Sometimes the right choice is to do something else, and if you really miss making video games or art, to do that as a hobby, at least until you've got enough of a safety net (privilege) built up to be able to take the risk (and even then, you're free to choose not to).

    --
    Having said that, I've known a couple of local developers who've done really well without degrees. When I've chatted with them, I've found that they often feel some sense of inferiority because of not having some kind of formal qualification, despite their work being excellent. It's definitely not a case of no degree being insta-rejection.

    If anything, assuming you can do the work and have a good attitude, an employer may actually prefer to hire you. With no degree, they may be able to negotiate a lower salary, while potentially receiving better work. They'd likely test you for a shorter period of a few months. If you had the skill they were hoping for, a good attitude, and made for a good team mate, they might extend an offer of permanent employment. Otherwise, they'd simply not renew the contract.

    I think it's quite clear that you have skill and knowledge. You posted something a while back as a reference of tags for shader properties that I still refer to because it's more succinct and complete than any other source I've seen online (including Unity's own documentation). I don't use tags often, but when I do I tend to come back here and look for it because it was so clear and concise. (I was turned off by all of the faeces references though.)

    But you've also exhibited a number of other behaviours that feel quite unprofessional, so that I'd be nervous about hiring you -- the biggest one being your attitude. You can't go around saying your art is shit, or your employer sucks, etc. You don't actually engage with other peoples' advice. I realise that this is the internet, and it may not be possible to discern whether the advice-giver is a random noob or a seasoned veteran/potential employer, but how someone responds to feedback matters. Even if the person giving the advice is a newbie, there's still all the lurking folks who're potential employers who can see how we respond and interact. It matters to be courteous and polite, even if (or especially when!) we disagree. Doing otherwise sounds makes you look like you'd be a toxic team-mate. It's absolutely a good reason not to hire someone because you believe they'd be very difficult to work with.

    At the end of the day, being hired to make games almost always means you're working in a team. Being pleasant to work with is arguably just as important as being a skilled programmer (and sometimes arguably more important!).

    I wouldn't tell people I was self-taught. The only times I've been asked whether I have a degree have been for my very first job (and I think you're well past that), and when they've needed to apply for a work visa for me. If I were self-taught, I wouldn't mention it at all unless they asked that of me. I think you're skilled enough that being self-taught is irrelevant.

    I don't know if it'd help you necessarily, but given that you list some art tools in your skills, you might have some luck advertising yourself as a technical artist. (Bear in mind that, as a tech artist, the role itself is typically very supportive of art teams. It becomes absolutely vital that you're a nice person to work with. Enthusiastic, helpful, empathetic.) I've heard of local studios that were so starved of them that they were considering graduates with only a 1-year certificate (though it might be for cheap labour) to write shaders.

    --
    I don't think it's anyone's place to tell you to keep trying, or to do something else -- that choice is very personal and very situational. But I just thought that there was a mismatch between why you think you're not finding work and why I (as someone who's only really observed your online interactions) don't think you're finding work.

    I hope that helps you, but either way I wish you the best of luck!
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