   q: helpful hints for starting game programming career.
  I'd like to find a job from game programming, but I don't know how to start.I don't care about anything big, just some programming job where I don't need to think much and where I could use my existing knowledge about computer programming. It could be even something I wouldn't supposely need to like about.I've been working&studying around computer programming for almost ten years for now. Being myself 18 years, thought nowadays more biased to study and research around computer science. I'm impatient and lazy. My biggest interests are in lisp programming and programming with multiple programming paradigms in one language. I've basic knowledge about computer hardware and how it works. Myself I'm thinking I'm a good candinate in becoming virtuosity in computer programming and -science.Do you know how would I possibly get my first game programming job and therefore start my career around these things?   
  I don't know myself, but I've heard other, more experienced members say that unless you know someone really high up, you won't get anywhere without a degree.   ;  Degree++You'd need an amazing folio to enter the industry at anything above QA without a degree. And since you consider yourself a candinate at becomming very proficient, it seems like university is an ideal idea for you. What with being 18 and all.However, I'm fairly sure not much Lisp gets used in computer games. Oh, I'm sure someone will have an example somewhere, but as a general rule C/C++, some form of scripting language, Java for mobile phones and C# on the rare occasion, are the languages used in the industry. There are more languages used in the "indie" portion of the developers, like Python, VB.Net, and others. So since you've studied lisp, perhaps C++ since you're familiar with some concepts of programming, but not others, imperitive to most languages (pointers, etc)? Also, your own research on how to enter the industry (QA is a valid foot-in-the-door technique, and can lead to programming positions). Oh, and get a degree. :DHope that helps.P.S. Endar, I know I stay up past 12:00 often, do you?   ;Quote:So since you've studied lisp, perhaps C++ since you're familiar with some concepts of programming, but not others, imperitive to most languages (pointers, etc)?I think you do not understand what is lisp because you say so, finding it offending. I know C++ and other mainstream languages proficiently enough to program with those! After all, C++ was the second language I've learnt, and I used it three years! I switched to higher level languages and ended to lisp (for now) because its best what I can reach without digging deeper into world's secrets or doing my own research.Maybe it requires that I show what's best in lisp before I can get a job, but that would mean they really understand what I'm made from. That'd mean: simple job -- bye bye... Rather I want first try if I get in with my mainstream language knowledge.Quote:Also, your own research on how to enter the industry (QA is a valid foot-in-the-door technique, and can lead to programming positions).Where could I start that kind of research? I know some ppl appreciates buzzwords, modern dinosaurs and corporate bullshit, but I do not want to fool anyone to get me in. I'd rather like to find the right way.   ;  You could try Gamasutra - it's a more industry-based website than GDNet. I'm not sure what you mean by buzzwords, unless you think Quality Assurance is a buzzword; It's not a buzzword at all. Just consider it the professional title of "Bug Tester" - the guy that gets hired by the company (sometimes fulltime) to find, annotate, diagnose, and in some cases fix bugs in the code. From there you can be promoted to someone who writes the code in the first place.Throw together a resumé, and hit several companies with it. Preferably the ones that say "hiring". At the age of 18 you're probably going to get passed over quite a bit, especially to people who've finished uni. As a general rule (crazier things have happened).Oh, also, if you're not actually going to write down what you've already done, then we can only guess to the full extent of your experience. I'm not a mind reader - I could only assume you hadn't worked with C++! And I maintain that Lisp usage is limited in games (and indeed business applications programming... and most programming jobs that don't specially require a functional language) - however, you seem to have enough experience with other languages for this to not be a problem.   