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What do I do now?

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Haybie polycounter lvl 7
Bit a shot in the the dark. I am a recent graduate, I was lucky to finished and get offered to work in a triple A studio. I felt so overwhelmed and I blew it. I was a small fish in the big sea and the job role didn't use my skills. I gave it my 110 percent and they knew that but just wasnt right for the job. I got let go after 6 months just as my girlfriend was about to move up and was selling her house.

She just managed to get her job and house back. But she is so angry and the trust is gone. Her parents of course hates my guts. She will let move back but I have to get a job, I have a month left of the place I rent or back to my parents house. Question is WHAT THE HELL DO I DO NOW?? 

I no work left to show anymore, all my recent stuff I have done are all NDA clad. I have the occasional practice pieces but no portfolio material. I can apply to places but nothing to show them. I wont be able to make a good portfolio for at least 3 months, or do you think a month is doable? I could get a temp job in a simple store but she is worried I will go back in the ways of being really depressed and down for not following my dream. 
Any words of wisdom will help. I am just in total lost.

Thanks in advance.

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  • PyrZern
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    PyrZern polycounter lvl 12
    Probably better to get used to the idea that we might have little job security in this industry. Unless you're really good at it. This might also involve moving around to where the job is as well. Your GF probably should know about this fact too. 

    Now, can you make 3 art pieces in 3 months ?

    Get a temp job you hate(maybe not so much... just don't enjoy it). It will DRIVE you to work harder on your folio. Drive > Depression

    Also, what do you do, anyhow ?
  • garcellano
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    garcellano greentooth
    What kind of work do you like doing? Should kind of help focus on what you're looking for.
  • rollin
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    rollin polycounter
    Haybie said:
    (...) I am a recent graduate, (...) 6 months (...)  was about to move up and was selling her house.
    To anyone reading this.. never ever do this!!!
    Depending on your country this is a bad or in some cases a very bad idea.

    If a studio hires a graduate is't kind of a "well we have nothing to loose. If he doesn't fit we can get rid of him easy enough"
    So don't trust the whole thing until you are A: important enough or B: good / experienced enough to quickly get a new job or C: be flexible enough to simply move again
  • PyrZern
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    PyrZern polycounter lvl 12
    If your GF still gonna move up, maybe she should rent her place out instead ??
  • Haybie
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    Haybie polycounter lvl 7
    PyrZern said:
    Probably better to get used to the idea that we might have little job security in this industry. Unless you're really good at it. This might also involve moving around to where the job is as well. Your GF probably should know about this fact too. 

    Now, can you make 3 art pieces in 3 months ?

    Get a temp job you hate(maybe not so much... just don't enjoy it). It will DRIVE you to work harder on your folio. Drive > Depression

    Also, what do you do, anyhow ?
    Yeah I understand that job security was going to be crap but the studio was stating it was going to be a long stay however it having a major recruitment surge and i don't think they are showing that they are hire a lot and getting rid of a lot at the same time. I can make 3 pieces I hope. Yes the temp job will drive me but my GF is really concerned that I am going back down to depression for not doing what I love to do.

    well I  hate that I just love to be a concept artist which the omen of trying to get a job. Going to be so hard. The job i did was a stepping was a concept artist but using 3d modelling to show design as it was environmental based. I have architectural background
  • Haybie
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    Haybie polycounter lvl 7
    rollin said:
    Haybie said:
    (...) I am a recent graduate, (...) 6 months (...)  was about to move up and was selling her house.
    To anyone reading this.. never ever do this!!!
    Depending on your country this is a bad or in some cases a very bad idea.

    If a studio hires a graduate is't kind of a "well we have nothing to loose. If he doesn't fit we can get rid of him easy enough"
    So don't trust the whole thing until you are A: important enough or B: good / experienced enough to quickly get a new job or C: be flexible enough to simply move again



    Yeah  I rushed into it. It was going so well my 3 month reviews were going great and then they suddenly changed their minds on me. It was such a bummer. 
  • mazz423
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    mazz423 polycounter lvl 9
    That sucks, a similar thing happened to me last year with my second job in the industry. The important thing is to not feel defeated, what i personally did was take around 6 months off, worked on my portfolio like a fulltime job (8 hours a day roughly) and networked around everyone I knew asking if there were any positions coming up that I might be suited for. If you're in a position to do so I'd highly recommend it as it really helped me improve and on top of that gave me greater confidence in a lot of areas as I was able to take the time to focus on stuff I'd been neglecting, which I'm sure was the main reason I was then in a position this year to land my current job.

    As far as the girlfriend side of things goes that can be difficult and again, I'm now in a similar position myself. What you will need to be clear about is that while you might have an overall plan or goals for where you want to be, is that this is a very unpredictable industry and truthfully you can't really say for certain where you'll be in a year or two. If you're up front about that then really there shouldn't be any issues with trust or resentment, shit happens and you can't control that unfortunately.
  • Haybie
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    Haybie polycounter lvl 7
    Yeah. I want to take some time off and get something going. I guessing usually changing jobs , you know it's coming and you have a portfolio to show already. Did that before but she fears that it will be a cycle again. How do you network?? Facebook, here?
  • mazz423
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    mazz423 polycounter lvl 9
    Haybie said:
    you know it's coming and you have a portfolio to show already. 
    You'd be surprised how rare this is, it's always a good idea to try and keep up to date with portfolio work as often as possible as it can be very unexpected. However I know far too many people that rarely do any personal work and what you'll find is if you haven't done any you'll need at least 6 months to get one in good enough shape to get work.

    Networking isn't really my forte to be honest, what I'd suggest is not thinking about it as networking and rather simply trying to make friends, you'll have a far easier time that way and come off more genuine. Where to go? You said you're a recent graduate, have any of your friends from school recently landed gigs at places that may be able to give you some advice, or put you in touch with people there? Otherwise it's not essential to know someone to get a job provided you have the portfolio to back it up.
  • beefaroni
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    beefaroni sublime tool
    Please post what you do have portfolio wise.

    It's incredibly frustrating to read threads like this. It's so hard to give really solid advice when none of us have an idea of what you can actually do.
  • DavidCruz
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    DavidCruz interpolator
    ^That.
    Also relationship wise, that is definitly a red flag, probably not souly your fault but like you said it is known that this is going to be "rocky" to say the least.
    Best of luck but women look for security in many/any sense of the word, at least from what i've learned about them.
    Again best of luck.
  • kanga
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    kanga quad damage
    Get romantically involved with people who love you for what you are, not for what you can provide them with. With that out of the way, how can you be depressed with being in a field that is awesomeness itself? The incredible hardware and software available (read here toys for boys, and even free of charge in many cases), your youth, the possibility of going in any direction imaginable, two good arms and legs! So what if you have to wash a couple of dishes to eat. I have been a waiter, barman, signwriter, teacher, musician, factory worker, cashier, who gives a fk? At the end of the day my digital goodies are waiting for me. Dont judge a profession by what it can do for you, if you love it you will never have to work a day in your life. Most people go to work, I go to fun.

    Snap out of it and realize how lucky you are.
  • C86G
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    C86G greentooth
    Haybie said:
    I am a recent graduate, I was lucky to finished and get offered to work in a triple A studio.


    I have the occasional practice pieces but no portfolio material. I can apply to places but nothing to show them.

    How did you get a job at a AAA-studio without a proper portfolio?
  • Haybie
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    Haybie polycounter lvl 7
    Thanks for the feedback guys. 

    Mazza and C86G. I got the job when I finished my masters a few of my friends from the course got jobs there. My friend recommended me to them. I contacted and they were interested and gave me an Art test. They were very impressed with the art test and hired me. I know I was very lucky and that was a rare occasion that i didn't need to show any work. I probably should see if i can put the art test in my portfolio.

    Kanga,  yeah I know I am lucky. I am mean the chances of this happening is slim getting into rockstar. I am alive and I am still trying. I just felt that I been trying to get in myself for so long and felt I need to ask fellow people to see if people were in the same shoes. I also done many other jobs before this. I am just worried I am now going backwards then going forwards that is all. I just want to know what will be the right path that is all. 

    Portfolio wise. The last 6 months I have been doing alot of the back to basic skills. going to life drawing, doing alot of drawing from ref. Before that I have the 2 games that I made in the masters which is not the greatest really dont think they will get me a job. I did all the artwork for the mobile game in 4 weeks.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okZpAsM8_K4
    I did all the concepts, the UI for the ps4 game .  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdametDaB8U

    I have gathered all the okay stuff i have, it about 6 months old. 
    https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz_QIrRQavILWVNhODU5Ry1nZWM
    but there is no design involved in it. I was thinking of doing a civiliaztion, doing the characters races, houses and everything

    Sorry I am dyslexic so my english is rubbish.

    Thanks for the help so far.



     
  • kanga
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    kanga quad damage
    Your English is just fine. Yup I would reckon get any job you can and just concentrate on building your folio using this place, and places like conceptart.org plus the folios of all the paintgods you can find as reference. I would see the time you spent in the last studio you were at as a big boost in your experience level instead of a failure. You must have learned quite a bit.

    Go for it!
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