Rebekah
Is having a very specific career goal putting to many limitations on my future?
Becoming a video game developer is all I've ever wanted to be. I'm concerned that being so specific will limit my options down the road. Should that not pan out, I worry about what other careers will I be qualified for. I want to have something to fall back on. #career-path #guidance-counselor #career-counselor
2 answers
Thaiz Ciolfi Cazzaro, CPSM
Thaiz’s Answer
Hi Rebekah,
This is a really good question! Focus on your target is always important, but making this the only option is not clever.
I'm reading Chris Hadfield 's book “An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth”, and I believe he gives many insights on how to prepare to your main goal, enjoy the path and not be desapointed if the goal is not achieved (remember that the chances that a Canadian citizen has to be na astronaut and effectively travel out to space is very, very low!)
What are all the skills you need to learn to be a gamer developer? programming, human behavior, graphic design, user experience, etc. which other careers use the same skills?
My advice is for you to focus your development of necessary skills to be the best gamer developer and for sure you will be reached by lots of career opportunities that you will enjoy.
And... check Chris Hadfield's book :)
Success! Thaiz
Ray Ramillosa
Ray’s Answer
I think having such a specific focus is helpful. I think its also important to know that careers are long and can sometimes have some twists and turns along the way. My advice would be to pursue your desire to become a video game developer and if you are successful at getting into such a role, it will serve as a way for you to understand if it is indeed something that you want to do over the long term. I don't think there is any substitute for actually doing the job and experiencing it first hand. If you end up loving it, that is great because you will have confirmed your passion and calling! If you don't end up loving it as much as you had hoped, you would have gained some valuable experience that will have value in other potential career paths you can consider pursuing. I would think there are many skills needed to be a video game developer that could be relevant in other types of roles (e.g. user experience design, user experience research, etc.).
I hope this helps and best of luck to you in whatever you end up choosing and doing!
Kind Regards,
Ray