How to Become a Game Programmer

A great career option for anyone who is a huge computer or video game fan is to become a game programmer. A game programmer takes the design and instructions from a game designer and makes those instructions come alive by programming them as code in the video game itself. A programmer is not the same person who develops game ideas. Rather, he is the one who makes the design come alive. This type of field requires a lot of hard work, time and money. You must be extremely dedicated and have a love for the work you do in order to be a successful game programmer.

Things You'll Need

• Degree in computer science Portfolio Resume

Instructions

1. Assess whether or not this type of career is actually right for you. Being a game programmer requires you to be gifted in certain areas such as math and computers, and requires you to have a certain set of skills. If you are not gifted in those areas, you may want to reconsider your career path. The reason you should do an assessment to see if this is something you really want is because you will need a degree in order to land a job, so it will require a lot of time, energy, and money to get your career going. You want to be sure this is what you want before you make the investment.

2. Scout out some colleges that specialize in computer science or that offer a computer science program. In order to program games, you will need to understand how to read and write computer code languages. You will learn these and other essential skills when you attend a college that offers courses in computer science. You will also need to take a lot of advanced math courses to help you understand the code languages. ITT Technical Institute offers this type of program. Also check your state colleges, as they often have entire departments dedicated to this field.

3. Get an internship with a game or software company while you are attending school. Having an internship will allow you to gain useful, hands-on experience in game programming and practice that will allow you to use what you are learning in school. Most internships do not pay, so realize that you will probably be working for free. Although you are working for free, you will be building up your portfolio of work experience, which is extremely important and valuable when searching for a job with a company.

4. Create your resume and begin searching for work as a game programmer. After getting your degree, you are ready to prepare your resume of work experience and your portfolio and hit the job market. The market can be very competitive, especially in fields dealing with technology and computers. Send applications to as many companies as possible, and be very professional in your presentation of your skills and abilities during job interviews.

5. Start your new job and continue to grow in your field of expertise. As you continue to learn and grow on the job, you will be given opportunities to work on a variety of different game programming projects. The more you strive for perfection and do your best work, the more likelihood you will receive raises and promotions doing what you love to do.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Information About Game Programming
• Game Programmind Degree Information
• ITT Technical Institute