Application Programmer wanted!

Discussion in 'Developer Services and Trade' started by Tom Aherne, Mar 25, 2014.

  1. Tom Aherne

    Tom Aherne New Member

    Mar 25, 2014
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    Finance Manager
    Leamington Spa
  2. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    I am always curious why you (and similar) don't put a salary range on ads. It seems fairly unprofessional.
     
  3. Rubicon

    Rubicon Well-Known Member

    Feb 22, 2011
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    Lead Programmer, Chief Bottlewasher
    Isle of Wight, UK
    #3 Rubicon, Mar 26, 2014
    Last edited: Mar 26, 2014
    They think a comp/sci degree is important so I'd suggest avoiding like the plague - the place can't be run by game devs and Darling should know that too.

    All the best game developers I know (which is a lot) taught themselves, even if they happened to do that degree just to get the bit of paper. The very best you'll find in the industry didn't want to waste three years going to school, instead spending that time learning to write games.

    I for instance have written about forty games and now run a mobile game dev company as lead programmer. But I wouldn't qualify for this job. Ridiculous.
     
  4. Red1

    Red1 Moderator
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    Nov 26, 2010
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    It's a shame that someone can't even post a development opportunity on TA without responses like the two above. Being called unprofessional and people being advised to avoid the job opportunity like the plague. Sigh.
     
  5. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    #5 Destined, Mar 26, 2014
    Last edited: Mar 26, 2014
    I disagree, it is a fairly standard qualification.

    While a degree is just sometimes getting the piece of paper but it is really important especially for related industries. While my job isn't straight game dev it is a related industry which involves a lot of game like development and it requires it.

    The fact you have written 40 games doesn't say much. It is awesome you run your own game dev, but doesn't mean you wouldn't be overlooked for someone more qualified but different companies. With the qualification usually comes higher pay. Often organisations pay people to do the same job and the one with the official qualification gets significantly more. Most reasonably paid jobs (70K+) will require it.
     
  6. Rubicon

    Rubicon Well-Known Member

    Feb 22, 2011
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    Lead Programmer, Chief Bottlewasher
    Isle of Wight, UK
    I think that does it for this conversation.
     
  7. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    One the students we have regularly. She has written a similar number :) (mainly in scratch).

    I am sure you have a higher degree of skill than her although you have a similar number of games.
     
  8. ThreeCubes

    ThreeCubes Well-Known Member

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    #8 ThreeCubes, Mar 26, 2014
    Last edited: Mar 26, 2014
    I think its right to be a bit sceptical about job posts on here as a lot of freelance programmers can get a raw deal with worthless profit sharing deals. Having said that I have heard of a few of the people involved in this company and they are legit.

    I do agree with Rubicon that judging somebody's programming skill on whether they have a degree is short sighted. Good programmers could program when they were 12. It would be a shame to exclude some of the counties best programmers.
     
  9. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    They are also taking significantly more risk by hiring based just on experience. However experience often counts for a lot too (it is why you can do a masters degree based on work experience as well as an undergraduate degree).

    My actual point was to not diminish the value of a degree, which is significant. I often see people do degrees just so they can progress in their field of work because they hit a ceiling without it.

    Most places if they had 2 similar workers would take the one with the degree over the one without.

    If you have a strong portfolio for some things it is the most important thing. Often the degree is what gets your foot in the door but the portfolio is what gets you the position. I agree that sometimes that can be a shame and frustrating.
     
  10. mr.Ugly

    mr.Ugly Well-Known Member

    Dec 1, 2009
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    not sure at what company size a degree is actualy worth anything , maybe something zyngaish but over here in germany no game developer cares about your degree if you have a lengthy record of released games under your belt.

    at least over here there are no practical relations to what you learn during college and what you do in game developement. At least it was that case when i studied computer science and i don't recall any changes in the last 15 years in this case (teaching game developement)

    of course if you have 2 noobs with the same amount of experience and one with a degree and the other without.. the degree counts.

    but if have someone who worked on 40 commercial games and made a degree in toilet cleaning before he woke up to become selfstudied programmer.. i would choose him over somebody with a degree and nothing much else.

    the question is would you want to work in a company where you talk to a human ressource manager who has no real clue about the job your applying and who judges you purely by artificial degrees whos quality even vary vastly from college to college .. nahh..

    at a "classic" game developer studio your applications goes over the desk of the head of the dept your applying for and he is the one interviewing you (with or without additional HR robots for salary discussions) and he probably has less degrees than the applicant but most likely tenfold the experience. Except your applying for his job hehe ;D
     

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