What do you want to be/do when you grow up?

[Meiun]

Also, realize that while you do enjoy gaming, and you would LOVE to be a programmer or game designer, it's unrealistic. Do you realize the influx of people that go to school to become that now of days? There are simply to many people trying to get into the market, and nowhere near as many jobs available. Yes, we all have a dream job, but is wasting four years of school for an education you can never get a job in worth it?

I don't know about the gaming industry specifically. But just in terms of jobs as a programmer in general there actually has been quite a high demand (at least in terms of people who have an actual degree for it, such as Computer Science majors). Up until a decade or two ago all the people doing stuff like that had degrees in stuff like engineering, etc. with little to no formal training to be a programmer. This is still somewhat of a common trend from what I understand, as I am pretty certain not enough people actually go through with getting a degree in Computer Science nowadays. There are plenty of people who get degrees in things such as Information Technology and other computer related fields, but those arnt typically as good. Just google "top paying degrees" and you will see that having a degree in Computer Science (which is as much about computer programming and the related matters that you can get), and you will see that it ranks in at the #4 highest paying (bachelors) degree you can have on average.

[Scotty]

The biggest thing I've noticed is experience, especially in the IT field.  People want experience.  If you have a Masters Degree in Computer Science, and are certified in every system under the sun, it doesn't mean jack squat if you don't have the experience.  Sure, having the degree helps, but it alone won't get you the high paying jobs if you don't have time on the books doing the job.

[Meiun]

The biggest thing I've noticed is experience, especially in the IT field.  People want experience.  If you have a Masters Degree in Computer Science, and are certified in every system under the sun, it doesn't mean jack squat if you don't have the experience.  Sure, having the degree helps, but it alone won't get you the high paying jobs if you don't have time on the books doing the job.

To some extent I'm sure (also depending on the job itself too of course). However, you really can't talk about CS and IT interchangeably for stuff like this in most cases, as there really is a pretty big difference when it comes to this sort of situation.

[Scotty]

I was just making a rather general statement with regards to anything information technology (if it's CS related, CE, EE, anything).

[Lingus]

I was just making a rather general statement with regards to anything information technology (if it's CS related, CE, EE, anything).

Actually, what you said applies to almost every job there is in any industry... besides entry level. Someone with experience (with the minimum requirements of education for the job) will be picked over someone with credentials if the person with credentials has no experience. And there are just some jobs that just will not hire you unless you have a certain amount of experience. There's someone else out there applying for the job who has the same schooling you do with the experience, so they aren't going to settle.

In general, unless you have some kind of in, some sort of high recommendation from someone who knows someone in the company, or you have somehow proven your skill (such as having successfully designed and produced a game independently that became somewhat popular and caught the eye of a developer), you are going to have to work your way up to a certain extent.

[Scotty]

I was just making a rather general statement with regards to anything information technology (if it's CS related, CE, EE, anything).

Actually, what you said applies to almost every job there is in any industry... besides entry level. Someone with experience (with the minimum requirements of education for the job) will be picked over someone with credentials if the person with credentials has no experience. And there are just some jobs that just will not hire you unless you have a certain amount of experience. There's someone else out there applying for the job who has the same schooling you do with the experience, so they aren't going to settle.

In general, unless you have some kind of in, some sort of high recommendation from someone who knows someone in the company, or you have somehow proven your skill (such as having successfully designed and produced a game independently that became somewhat popular and caught the eye of a developer), you are going to have to work your way up to a certain extent.

Which then begs the question, where does one start?  Typically recruiters look for credible experience.  So lets say we go the amateur game developer route.  Someone who has developed his own games, that's not really... Credible as much as working at an office with history.  It's no different than when I would sit through tele-conference interviews, and we'd ask a man how much Java EE experience he had.  His response went something along the lines of "Well... Uhh... There were a couple of weekends in college where I..."  And he was ex'd off the list.  The thing is, especially with a lot of these enterprise level programming platforms, where can a sole user be exposed to these sorts of experience without getting the job.  It would have to be through cheaply compensating internships, or low paying jobs, slowly coming up through the chain to eventually making half-way decent cash. 

[Seifer]

Many employers look to specifically employ fresh graduates where they can pay them less. That is where you start.

[Scotty]

Many employers look to specifically employ fresh graduates where they can pay them less. That is where you start.

Ah.  Very true!

[stick d00d]

Only a few days ago I got a job at the local Subway. It pays minimum wage of course, but it is good experience for me (being my first official job). I am also currently trying to get in shape to join the Navy/Airforce and see where my life goes from there. I would really love to be a pilot... And another plus would be to get a college education with help from the military. You really just gotta strive for what you want to do, no matter how impossible it may seem to you.

[VolcomPunk]

I've had a job in the restaurant business ever since I first turned 16. However, I do not plan on making a living out of that. I want to go to college and major in biomedical engineering, along with minoring in computer sciences. The reason I plan on doing that is because all my life I've wanted to be a veterinarian, and the chances of getting into veterinarian school are becoming slimmer and slimmer. I took a class called 'Engineering Physics', and from that class I learned that with a degree in biomedical engineering, my chances of being accepted into a veterinarian school increase greatly. And if, for some reason, none of this works out for me, I want to start my own recording studio and have my own record label. I've always loved music, and I have a good ear for talented musicians.

[xgamer]

I want to draw manga XD.

[NotoriousM4^]

Only a few days ago I got a job at the local Subway. It pays minimum wage of course, but it is good experience for me (being my first official job). I am also currently trying to get in shape to join the Navy/Airforce and see where my life goes from there. I would really love to be a pilot... And another plus would be to get a college education with help from the military. You really just gotta strive for what you want to do, no matter how impossible it may seem to you.

Don't think joining the military is going to magically solve your problems/boost and you up the workforce ladder. I've seen way too many of my friends get sucked into it believing this and end up entering a downward spiral.

[xgamer]

Only a few days ago I got a job at the local Subway. It pays minimum wage of course, but it is good experience for me (being my first official job). I am also currently trying to get in shape to join the Navy/Airforce and see where my life goes from there. I would really love to be a pilot... And another plus would be to get a college education with help from the military. You really just gotta strive for what you want to do, no matter how impossible it may seem to you.

Don't think joining the military is going to magically solve your problems/boost and you up the workforce ladder. I've seen way too many of my friends get sucked into it believing this and end up entering a downward spiral.

Example: Guy joins army gets stationed in the middle of no where.

[Scotty]

Only a few days ago I got a job at the local Subway. It pays minimum wage of course, but it is good experience for me (being my first official job). I am also currently trying to get in shape to join the Navy/Airforce and see where my life goes from there. I would really love to be a pilot... And another plus would be to get a college education with help from the military. You really just gotta strive for what you want to do, no matter how impossible it may seem to you.

Don't think joining the military is going to magically solve your problems/boost and you up the workforce ladder. I've seen way too many of my friends get sucked into it believing this and end up entering a downward spiral.

I also know a guy who entered the military, made the most out of the 5 and a half years in, voluntarily did more than most others would do in even 10 years, got out, and got a decent paying job that pays 3x as much as what the gov't. would pay him.

[xgamer]

Only a few days ago I got a job at the local Subway. It pays minimum wage of course, but it is good experience for me (being my first official job). I am also currently trying to get in shape to join the Navy/Airforce and see where my life goes from there. I would really love to be a pilot... And another plus would be to get a college education with help from the military. You really just gotta strive for what you want to do, no matter how impossible it may seem to you.

Don't think joining the military is going to magically solve your problems/boost and you up the workforce ladder. I've seen way too many of my friends get sucked into it believing this and end up entering a downward spiral.

I also know a guy who entered the military, made the most out of the 5 and a half years in, voluntarily did more than most others would do in even 10 years, got out, and got a decent paying job that pays 3x as much as what the gov't. would pay him.

Where was he stationed?