Quote: Original post by Sourcej0hn1
Hey guys,
I recently started getting my feet wet in game design, I'm taking classes in Java and c+. I have an intense love for games and I have all these great Ideas that I want to implement. However, my friend is an artistic lead at EA, and he told me that finding software engineer jobs is really a thankless quest, and in fact, the money one would make is not really worth it. I am an artistically inclined person, but I have always had a dream of being a programmer or an engineer. What career advice can you guys offer? I have been researching pay and scale, but would really like some input from people who actually do this for a living. Thanks ahead of time!
-J

Yes, you are correct. Software Engineering is not a job for life time. I currently read an article talking about "age discrimination" in this industry. This industry don't like old guys. Well, in fact you will earn less after you pass age 40 as a programmer or developer. If you don't want to lose your job after 40, you need to be either very good at coding or get to manager level. Well, If you can get a less challenging job, why not?

On the other hand, programming could be just a fun thing to do for some people. If you are that type of person, then I think programmer is just the right title for you. Or you can always keep programming as a hobbit.

One caveat about those salary surveys: they're averages. Really good developers can make just as much in games as anywhere else, provided they are truly passionate and truly skilled. You also have to know how to negotiate for salary when you take a job; don't just walk in and pick up whatever offer is on the table. Show them what you can do, and what you could make elsewhere - and any company with good business sense will do what they can to help keep you around. This works best if you go in at a market-fair rate first and make yourself indispensable to the team, then push for pay raises.

Just be warned that if you aren't goddamn fantastic at your job, that has a high probability of backfiring.


In any case, as has been said, if you aren't really truly into programming for its own sake, don't do it as a career. There are far better ways to make lots of money for comparatively little stress. You also probably won't get to implement your own ideas, at least not on company time, which means you'd darn well better enjoy the job on its own merits and not just be in it to do whatever it is you want to do for yourself.

Of course there's always the indie/self-publishing route, which is getting downright practical these days what with Steam and other digital distribution channels. But you'd better love programming and cheap ramen noodles, or you'll find the indie road excruciatingly hard.