I'll keep this short, I'm graduating next may, I failed to get a internship, so I need a to acquire experience somehow. Currently I'm seeing that building a portfolio is the best choice of the matter. I'm not exactly sure what type's of things would make a good portfolio. My ultimate goal is to work at an indie company or possible start my own. But these are looong term goals. Not a big problem currently. My plan is as follows...

1. Apply for jobs (any in the CS field) while I'm in my last semester
2. Move to the states once graduated( live in Puerto Rico no jobs)
3. Find some crap job at target while still finding a job in my field to pay the bills
4. Get a job at any company that needs a programmer.
5. Slowly find a way to get into the video game world/field
6. See what happends from there...

Now I'm having the major difficulty in trying to find a job in the CS field, I couldn't have found a Internship so this is going worrying me, I can't get experience so I'm going to need someone that works somewhere to help me get a job or something.... I'm wondering what's the best way to get a job/experience for a job. WIth no experience. Because I"m currently really worrying about this.... I"m also wondering what kind of things would be good for a portfolio I can't make all games, but I can us other things that would be useful... I'm just wondering what projects should I start docking to make sure that my portfolio looks decent.... *sigh* I'm not by any means a good programers i"m lazy and partially unmotivated... But that's only when I'm working for myself. For classes and other things I"M top of my class in everything so yeah... Any tips help hints and general advice would be amazing.

rubsnick wrote:

a. Need to know what's the best course of action of getting a job with no experience...
b. My ultimate goal is to work at an indie company
c. or possible start my own.
d. My plan is as follows...
1. Apply for jobs (any in the CS field) while I'm in my last semester
2. Move to the states once graduated( live in Puerto Rico no jobs)
3. Find some crap job at target while still finding a job in my field to pay the bills
4. Get a job at any company that needs a programmer.
5. Slowly find a way to get into the video game world/field
6. See what happends from there...
e. I"m also wondering what kind of things would be good for a portfolio... I'm just wondering what projects should I start docking to make sure that my portfolio looks decent....
f. I'm not by any means a good programers
g. i"m lazy and partially unmotivated... But that's only when I'm working for myself. [/quote]
a. Apply for entry-level jobs (those are jobs that do not require prior experience). Do not apply for jobs that require prior experience.
b. I'm not sure what kind of company you mean. The word "indie" is used to mean a lot of different things. Do you mean a developer (as opposed to a publisher)? Or do you mean an amateur team?
c. If you're going to start a company, you should get an MBA and read FAQ 29 (see this forum's FAQs, above).
d. You're going to do ALL of those things??
e. If you want to get a game job, then you should make games. You should find a team of like-minded individuals and collaborate with them. You should also write some small programs of your own.
f. That is a problem. You need to improve your skills. That means you should get to work and write a lot of programs, maybe do that programming job you mentioned.
g. That is a problem. You won't be able to build a portfolio. I don't have any suggestions that can help you with this problem.

rubsnick wrote:

a. Need to know what's the best course of action of getting a job with no experience...
b. My ultimate goal is to work at an indie company
c. or possible start my own.
d. My plan is as follows...
1. Apply for jobs (any in the CS field) while I'm in my last semester
2. Move to the states once graduated( live in Puerto Rico no jobs)
3. Find some crap job at target while still finding a job in my field to pay the bills
4. Get a job at any company that needs a programmer.
5. Slowly find a way to get into the video game world/field
6. See what happends from there...
e. I"m also wondering what kind of things would be good for a portfolio... I'm just wondering what projects should I start docking to make sure that my portfolio looks decent....
f. I'm not by any means a good programers
g. i"m lazy and partially unmotivated... But that's only when I'm working for myself.

a. Apply for entry-level jobs (those are jobs that do not require prior experience). Do not apply for jobs that require prior experience.
b. I'm not sure what kind of company you mean. The word "indie" is used to mean a lot of different things. Do you mean a developer (as opposed to a publisher)? Or do you mean an amateur team?
c. If you're going to start a company, you should get an MBA and read FAQ 29 (see this forum's FAQs, above).
d. You're going to do ALL of those things??
e. If you want to get a game job, then you should make games. You should find a team of like-minded individuals and collaborate with them. You should also write some small programs of your own.
f. That is a problem. You need to improve your skills. That means you should get to work and write a lot of programs, maybe do that programming job you mentioned.
g. That is a problem. You won't be able to build a portfolio. I don't have any suggestions that can help you with this problem.
[/quote]

Thanks for the response.... why would I need an MBA for a small scale company? Besides I have prior experience with business been running one with my father for 10 years already. Aside from that I understand that those last two problems are my own so I need to work it out. I don't fully understand that "you're going to do all those things?" remark....

Anyways currently my plan in laymans terms is the following.

Find a job (entry level) in whatever field I can. Then continue to try to find one in video gaming. what I mean by indie is an independent company such as the ones who made World Of Goo, else I'd find some people like me and make something with them. But my main objective is to have a job in the CS field to pay bills.

Hello rubs, you wrote:

1. why would I need an MBA for a small scale company? Besides I have prior experience with business been running one with my father for 10 years already.
2. I don't fully understand that "you're going to do all those things?" remark....
3. what I mean by indie is an independent company such as the ones who made World Of Goo[/quote]
1. You did not mention before that you were familiar with running a business.
2. It read like a list of choices, not a coherent ordered set of events.
3. A company comprised of experienced game industry veterans. Step 1: get a job in the game industry; step 2: learn a lot about the game industry from the inside; step 3: save up a lot of money; step 4: quit when you and your partner are ready to go it alone. Read FAQ 29.