How Important is Diploma in Gaming
polycounter lvl 3
i wonder how important is a Diploma to can find a job in this industry?
i'm having really hard time to keep up with school and work and i'm thinking to drop the school, i already work as freelancer and do a good living out of it but i want it the diploma as a backup plan for when my freelancer wont work anymore for me. But my question is, how important that diploma is?
The school is good but i already know to model/texture and rigg, they are very very beginners and i feel like i've made all this 5 years ago.
Anyhow, is that important a diploma in this industry?
i was thinking on dropping school and just work my butt off for an amazing portfolio and all.
i'm having really hard time to keep up with school and work and i'm thinking to drop the school, i already work as freelancer and do a good living out of it but i want it the diploma as a backup plan for when my freelancer wont work anymore for me. But my question is, how important that diploma is?
The school is good but i already know to model/texture and rigg, they are very very beginners and i feel like i've made all this 5 years ago.
Anyhow, is that important a diploma in this industry?
i was thinking on dropping school and just work my butt off for an amazing portfolio and all.
Replies
As the backup plan, a lot more. Not that it has to be an expensive diploma.
a bachelor weighs as much as 12 years of professional experience to the authorities
if you are in a country that has lots of game studios, like the USA,Canada, or the UK, then it shouldnt matter. Game art jobs are based off what you can show you can do, diplomas just matter to old fashioned bureaucratic gatekeepers who havent caught up with the world we actually live in yet. Just wait till more and more companies are hiring remote workers, shits gonna get real interesting in the next 5 years or so.
Visa requirements, especially for the US are goddamn crazy. And I'm not even sure if freelance experience would hold up under visa approval scrutiny.
The really dumb thing about it though is afaik you can have a degree in literally anything and that counts, doesn't even have to be relevant to the job.
Anyway, if you've got plenty of studios locally maybe it is worth just focusing on your skills - I really can't imagine any diploma will fully prepare you for the industry. Good luck.
And your post about the degree isnt true, you can't just have a degree in say agriculture and expect them to give you a work visa for a tech job. It at least has to be related to the field you studied in.
But yeah the diploma/bachelors/masters in in no way preparing you for the job, it is only your entry card to overseas visas in this industry.
would seem like a missed opportunity to just drop it. unless it's one of these game-design schools handing out some 'certificate'.
I'm guessing you would actually have to submit proof of your qualification/immigration services would look into it somehow? All I know is I've never had an employer question the legitimacy of my qualification.
When it comes to getting an onsite job (if that is your goal), your experience doing freelance work will count for a lot more than a diploma from a game course.
Things that matter when it comes to getting a game art job, in order of importance:
The classes were also taught by professors who were currently working/have worked in game studios (Ubisoft.etc)
Also the program was run like a game studio with a class dedicated to working on actual projects for local studios so every student had an opportunity to gain work experience before they graduated.
Of course this didn't work for everyone depending on a number of factors, but considering how challenging the industry is in Toronto, not being a part of a game development program can work against you in some ways.
p.s would be much easier doing only school but i have bills to pay too
Listen to this podcast called The Art of Struggle. You can hear about Art, Video games, Movies, Pop culture, Cgi, The industry and much more. we explore the world of CG pop culture and the people who all make it possible.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-art-of-struggle/id1333565941
https://anchor.fm/pixel-sultan/episodes/1698150
I have a Diploma and I dont even know where the Fuck that thing is. Im not going to Look for it either. Nobody wants it.
Nobody cares.
You have to do Great Work.
If you do Great Work you will always have Work coming to you.
You'll need a Degree to make it easier to get past immigration.
For your case, if you really do seek education, just do some online courses like from CGMA or GAI
Just level up your Portfolio and all is good.