Hi all,

I'll be finishing a CS degree soon, and I've made the decision to try and break into the games industry. I've done some applications so far, but have not yet gotten an interview. I'm guessing something about my resume/portfolio may not be adequate, so I'd really appreciate feedback on how I can improve them. I don't have any industry contacts, so I have a strong feeling that I don't have a clue what I'm doing and that I'm kind of shouting into a void with my applications.

A little background about why I'm doing this:

I've loved games for as long as I can remember because of their ability to transport me to new and interesting places, challenge the way that I think, and enable meaningful social interaction even with total strangers. I was inspired to make games in middle school when I played Minecraft. I learned how to program, made a Minecraft mod, and started making small games. Unfortunately, when I went to college, I began to get the idea that becoming a game developer might be a childish goal that I wouldn't be able to realistically accomplish. I was temporarily discouraged from pursuing the career. I think this was partly because there was no one around me that was seriously interested in becoming a game developer, and no one ever encouraged me to pursue it seriously. After doing a couple of web development internships, I realized that although programming is enjoyable on its own, I am really passionate about game programming. I also realized that my career is very important to me and that I am willing to work as hard as I need to in order to be able to do work that I care about. There are so many topics in games that fascinate me: design, AI, audio, and graphics are all areas where I'm itching to learn more. I've worked hard this past year to turn away from web development and build up a portfolio of game-related projects.

With all that being said, I'm also wondering if I need a backup plan. I just don't have a good grasp on exactly how difficult it is to land an entry-level game programming position. One thing that I have been considering is to take some time to finish and release the game that I started. Then I could reapply to game companies and point to an actual product that I've shipped. I have enough money saved up to take care of myself for a few years, and I think I have a decent concept as well as the ability to follow through with it.

Resume: http://docdro.id/HgGjoho

Portfolio website: http://www.lane-spangler.com/#/portfolio

Looking at it all, my first thought is - you're a software engineer, but your portfolio says very little about your software engineering. There's no code for your first project, so for all we know you could have just used Playmaker for it. You talk a lot about how you made the assets and the music but that's not relevant as that's not what you'd be doing as a software engineer. Also, some people hiring coders will disagree with me, but I actually don't care about seeing videos at all - I find them a distraction as I'm essentially looking at someone else's assets and game design in action, but not seeing the software development work that went into it.

My second thought is - you've not put much effort into saving me time, as a person looking at who to hire. I clicked on your ComposeVR repository link (which was hidden at the bottom, instead of at the top where it should be) to try and look at your code, but 90% of what I see is 3rd party assets and the like. Show me your code. (Also, I don't even know if it's allowed to put all those 3rd party assets up on Github. Probably not.)

Third, I'm seeing no C++, though it is mentioned on your resumé. That may not matter if you're only applying for Unity roles, but most of the rest of the games industry is using C++. If you have that experience, make it more prominent.

The other thing that is missing here is your cover letter.  Some applications expect a cover letter and that is the opportunity to show why you are especially well-suited to their position. If that is done particularly badly, it may not matter what is in your resumé or portfolio.

Hey, thanks for your feedback.

As you've pointed out, I made the repos mostly to help me keep track of things but haven't thought enough about what they look like to others. The point about the 3rd party assets is something I hadn't thought about, but is actually a huge problem.

You are absolutely right that I'm not allowed to do that, so I'll need to exclude that stuff right away. Hopefully that will help with the visibility of my code too. 

As for C/C++, I haven't done any game-related work in those languages. It's mostly been assignments for classes (implementing data structures, file systems, and algorithms). Do you think it's worth doing a small project in Unreal or Godot to show that I know C++?

I will work on making the writing in my projects section more focused on software engineering and update the OP with a copy of my generic cover letter. 

I really appreciate the help!

As someone that has dealt with the hiring process, I would pass your application over for a number of reasons.

1. Like @Kylotan stated, I don't see a cover letter. When people would submit applications without a cover letter it gives the impression they're just going on indeed or whatever platform and applying for every possible job without putting in any effort to research the company, position, and to sell themselves for the interview.

2. You don't provide any examples of your work experience in a way I would care about. For example you've stated that you eliminated lag on the front-end by implementing virtual scrolling. I would like to see some code showing state A to state B after your changes. The same applies for the rest of your experience, you need to back up your statements with code, this is a programming related resume. You can easily add a link to each claim showing examples on your portfolio page.

3. Your Portfolio page doesn't yell out "I'm a programmer". It looks more like a visual showcase of things you created, but doesn't focus on the 'programming' part as the core in your presentation. You have to remember, you're applying as a software engineer, not an artist, or designer.

4. Remove the Music and Audio part from your portfolio, it has nothing to do with programming.

5. You need to organize your examples with code. It took me far too long to even find the link to see your code, and if I'm getting hundreds of applications to review, I would just back out and toss your application into file 13.

I'll add onto what @Kylotan stated, I don't care about videos either. I want to see your code. It's not important to see someone else's assets, or design because I'm not hiring them, I want to see how you structured your application, what programming habits you're displaying, ect... I cannot see this from videos.

Also, if you're going to list any discipline on your resume, you need to back it up with code references showing your competency. Show C++ code if you're claiming to know it.

15 minutes ago, Rutin said:

As someone that has dealt with the hiring process, I would pass your application over for a number of reasons.

1. Like @Kylotan stated, I don't see a cover letter. When people would submit applications without a cover letter it gives the impression they're just going on indeed or whatever platform and applying for every possible job without putting in any effort to research the company, position, and to sell themselves for the interview.

2. You don't provide any examples of your work experience in a way I would care about. For example you've stated that you eliminated lag on the front-end by implementing virtual scrolling. I would like to see some code showing state A to state B after your changes. The same applies for the rest of your experience, you need to back up your statements with code, this is a programming related resume. You can easily add a link to each claim showing examples on your portfolio page.

3. Your Portfolio page doesn't yell out "I'm a programmer". It looks more like a visual showcase of things you created, but doesn't focus on the 'programming' part as the core in your presentation. You have to remember, you're applying as a software engineer, not an artist, or designer.

4. Remove the Music and Audio part from your portfolio, it has nothing to do with programming.

5. You need to organize your examples with code. It took me far too long to even find the link to see your code, and if I'm getting hundreds of applications to review, I would just back out and toss your application into file 13.

I'll add onto what @Kylotan stated, I don't care about videos either. I want to see your code. It's not important to see someone else's assets, or design because I'm not hiring them, I want to see how you structured your application, what programming habits you're displaying, ect... I cannot see this from videos.

Also, if you're going to list any discipline on your resume, you need to back it up with code references showing your competency. Show C++ code if you're claiming to know it.

 

Thanks for your advice! Regarding 2: I can't really do that can I? The companies that I worked for own the code.

Sure you can. You're not providing actual code from those companies, but a re-implementation of the problem and your solution.

You didn't solve the problem by not understanding what was wrong in the first place. For example, if you added virtual scrolling to fix a lag issue then you should be able to do the reverse. Can you not make a bare-bone application without it and show the slow down, then another example of what you did to fix it? It doesn't need to be a full featured program, but it should demonstrate your ability to create solutions for problems in code.

At the end of the day, the more you care about your portfolio and additional work you're willing to put forth will impact the chances in getting hired. Consider if every other applicant provides in depth code examples and you don't, that would greatly reduce your ability to get an interview, especially because you're not coming in as a referral, or social connection.

And no, you wouldn't provide other companies IP in your examples, that's a big 'no no'. Create your own code to showcase your skills.

Edit: If you also cannot make an application for a given example, then you need to clearly state what was wrong with the code, and what code you used to fix the problem. In an interview if you're asked what the problem was in detail, and your approach to the problem in detail, you need to be able to answer it.

Nobody has yet mentioned your location. When I type Virginia into gamedevmap.com, I find only 5 developers in the entire state. I assume you're applying to companies outside of Virginia. Read my article, "Location, Location, Location."  It is not very common for someone who has not graduated yet to get a job as a game programmer. I'm not saying it doesn't happen - I'm saying it's not common (it shouldn't be expected that you'd have a job offer already). After graduation you will probably need to build your portfolio and get some kind of programming job so you can save money and move to a better location. 

Here's how I scan across it.

REALLY BIG NAME, DECLARING YOU'RE A SOFTWARE ENGINEER.

ABOUT THREE INCHES TAKEN BY YOUR NAME, "SOFTWARE ENGINEER", AND MORE WITH YOUR CONTACT INFO.

Cut that out, they're clearly filler and fluff. Use the space.

Education.  Good job with your degree. What did you actually do? Are there projects related to your portfolio? Team projects? Anything notable?  Having no content under a degree is fine if you've got some years of professional experience. It is not fine for a fresh graduate.  Make those details fill some of the space gained by having a normal sized name.

Technical skills.  This is a mostly useless section. Does it mean you looked at it for a few hours, or studied it for a semester, or used it in a major project? Incorporate the keywords into projects.

Your projects are good. You mix in some of those "skills", and mention a few things you did.  Give more details.

You have "Visit my website" assuming people will have an online document. Many times people get a printed page, so give a URL.  An easy to type one.

Work experience also needs more detail. What you've got is a good start.

8 hours ago, melodylane said:

With all that being said, I'm also wondering if I need a backup plan.

Yes.  Apply for many jobs. If you can't get a job in games today, look for related jobs. Are there entertainment companies nearby? Advertising? Broadcasting? Graphics systems? Medical simulations? Military simulations? All give experience that can help.

There are relatively few game companies in the world, and only some of them are looking for entry level workers at any given time.  In addition to relatively few jobs, you're competing against all the other fresh graduates across the nation.

And if one of your game companies you apply to offers you a job, you can accept it.

If they don't, you can get your job in entertainment programming, advertising programming, broadcast, graphical systems, simulation systems, or other programming work that will pay the bills.