If you love tech but don’t know how to turn a fascination with gadgets or a gaming hobby into a career, there are a number of options available; and it turns out successful tech specialists have used different methods to achieve personal success. Let’s take a look at possible ways forward.
Qualifications and experience
Some tech positions require a certain level of academic achievement in order for candidates to be considered, while others are centred on relevant experience and skills sets. Possibilities for degrees in IT at Bolton University, for example, encompass gaming, creative technologies and computing skills. There is an opportunity to focus on particular areas of interest with supervisory support and specialist guidance. Progress is monitored every year so that students can identify further options as they proceed. The university partners with leading companies in the tech industry and selected creative partners.
Career opportunities
Where a tech fan has already identified a dream job, it’s important that they analyse their skills set and qualifications to make sure they’re equipped for the position they seek. For example, many gaming design specialists begin by writing code and gaming at home, often before going on to university, and some experts agree that this is a useful extra in order to build up experience and to learn from mistakes.
If the development of games is a particular interest, then knowledge of programming is essential. Aspiring game development professionals often create an online portfolio to showcase their work. Normally, this will include a website, and gamers who are serious about developing a tech career can then contact games companies to enquire about internships or part-time roles initially – it can be too big a leap to expect to get a job offer right away.
Going large
There seem to be mixed results when comparing smaller and larger organisations. A smaller company can often offer experience in more than one role so that layers of knowledge and ability are increased. In a larger company, job security is usually better; however, paradoxically, opportunities to learn can become more limited.
Regulations are often attached to applications for potential posts – such as a minimum number of years’ experience. However, some industry commentators advise that if a gaming design portfolio is strong enough, then a requirement for having spent one or two years in the business may well be waived.
Being a professional gamer
It might be an obvious point, or perhaps a surprising one, but being familiar with and confident about using common terms in the gaming business can make a difference to first impressions if you want slide into the world of being a gaming expert. Certain games have their own jargon, and it’s as well to be sure of the differences between them.
Watching professional gamers play against bots will help build expertise and enhance skills. In this way, aspiring gaming professionals can build their own experience and confidence before taking on the competition.
In the end, as with any other career, getting into tech requires a certain amount of hard work, dedication, knowledge and skill, as well as a love of the gaming choices available.
