I’m a student in Game Programming (3 Years Advanced Diploma) in Toronto, I’m about to graduate in April 2020. However as that date gets closer I feel more and more lost on the career path. During my college years, I’ve experienced the following:
Windows App Development:
C#, Python , Java
Web Development
HTML, CSS, JavaScript/TypeScript, JQuery, ASP.NET (MVC WebApp), WordPress
Game Development
*Unity Engine, C#, Node.JS, Javascript/Typescript
Mobile App Development
*Android Studio(Java), ReactNative(JavaScript/TypeScript)
Database
*OracleSQL, SQL Server
Graphics
*Inkscape: VectorArt, 3D Modelling/Animation: Blender
Theory: IT Project Management, Methodology, Data Structure, Algorithm (Sorting, Linked List, Binary Tree, Dijikstra, A)
Unfortunately non of the above really went into any details and only would be basic levels at the best. Thus I have a dilemma in which non that I have learned will be job ready. On top of that, due to the spread of topics, I’m really unsure on what potential field I can go into and what I should focus on to get to the next level. The only thing I know so far is that I want to keep Game Programming as a hobby rather than career.
Any advice on career path and focus would be greatly appreciated!
For a lot of software jobs, especially the entry level ones, the requirements are mainly about yourself as a person and as an attitude.
Technology can be thought to the right people.
So for a lot of jobs it won’t really matter how expert are you in a particular topic (unless it’s for an expert on that topic ) because they know that you can learn almost anything on the job. So my advice is to focus more on what you can bring to the table besides the pure “technicality”, and be confident in those.
I am gonna be a bit controversial here, but I want to assure you that whatever career you pick it’s not a definitive choice.
You will always have the chance to correct your trajectory if you feel like that’s not what is making you happy.
I understand: a big part of your life is about to complete, and something new is about to begin, and that’s always scary.
Everything will be ok, because you will always be able to change.
So my advice here is just go with your guts.
What did you actually enjoy making?
What would you do for free, so that you’d be more than happy to do while being paid?
That looks like a fairly common curriculum for the computer science degrees I’m familiar with. I can relate with the frustration and the confusion of not knowing which of the careers you’re now qualified for you should pursue. My advice is to talk to a lot of recruiters and apply for a diversity of jobs. As long as it’s not a field that you know that you have no interest in, go for it. There’s nothing wrong with applying for both web development jobs and Java jobs at the same time, if you don’t have a strong feeling about one over the other.
It’s likely that your career will take all sorts of twists and turns that you can’t anticipate now. The type of work that you do is likely to change several times - either based on your interest or career necessity.
Your first job is a starting place. Talk to lots of people. Interview many places. Take the job that feels like the best fit for now.
) because they know that you can learn almost anything on the job. So my advice is to focus more on what you can bring to the table besides the pure “technicality”, and be confident in those.