These are some of the things I asked myself before I started searching for a job. It helped me understand myself and what I need to do in order to achieve my goals.

The answer to these questions will no doubt change as I move forward in the process and learn even more about myself, and I plan to keep updating this post!

What are my career goals?

Goal 1: Learn how to do stuff in Unreal Engine

S – I want to be able to do basic stuff in Unity using C++ scripting relatively with no effort

M – I will try new things in a basic game and make it into a personal project

A – This goal is attainable as I learnt the basics of Unity relatively quickly

R – It is crucial for the roles I am applying for and want to work in

T – I want to give at least an hour to this everyday

 

Goal 2: Find an Internship / Co-op for the summer

S – I want to find a summer internship working as a game developer or a machine learning engineer

M – Give at least 3 interviews before March 10

A – Keep connecting to people and applying for openings with updates to resume and profile

R – Gaining experience as a game developer will be very valuable

T – I want to complete the goal in the next 2 months

 

Goal 3: I want to work in the gaming industry as a professional

S – I want to work as a professional in the gaming industry as a developer or a designer

M – Gain experience working as a professional in tech in the US

A – Apply to internships, network with people, and keep improving my skill set. I want to get into the industry within 5 years if not right after graduation

R – It is relevant to my long-term objective of being an integral part of creating a game and giving something to the world that I am proud of.

T – The time frame for this goal is 5 years.

 

What are my skills and strengths?

Top 5 Skills:

1. Python: I have written python programs for multiple projects in different fields through my undergraduate and graduate courses
2. C#: I have used C# in multiple projects along with scripting for games in Unity over the last few years
3. Amazon Web Services: Created a pipeline for analyzing log data and other university information through multiple AWS products such as EC2, S3, Lambda, CloudWatch etc.
4. Unity
5. C++ for Unreal Engine

 

Top 5 Strengths:

1. Communication Skills: I was able to showcase relevant information to different stakeholders effectively (tech, business, marketing etc.)
2. Teamwork: I have worked in diverse teams of varying sizes and experience and successfully been able to collaborate and work to complete tasks
3. Ability to learn skills with very little supervision: During my role as an intern at Delhi University, even while working remotely I was able to learn new skills and complete tasks effectively with minor guidance from my mentor
4. Attention to detail
5. Passion for problem solving

 

Some companies I would love to work for:

1. Amazon: As one of the biggest companies in tech, the exposure and chance on working on a product that will be used by thousands of people will be great for my career
2. Meta (Facebook): As a leader in the virtual reality with their new product Metaverse, any opportunity to pursue creating environments and characters in it using AI to make it immersive will be a step towards my future goals
3. Google: Google is one of the pioneers of technology and research in almost everything from Big Data to AI and its applications to solve problems, these qualities along with the diverse set of people I would get to work with in the company interest me to work there
4. Riot Games: As an avid player of their flagship game League of Legends, I have always admired their work and I am familiar with their company and their work
5. Tesla: As the innovating company for using AI techniques to create an automatic driving car in their Autopilot features on their cars, the company has always interested me
6. EA Games: As one of the biggest AAA gaming companies in the world with multiple successful franchises of games, the opportunity to work with a global team on a product used by millions interests me to work here
7. CD Projekt Red: As the creator of one of the most immersive and lifelike (real) feeling worlds I have come across in a video game (The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077) the opportunity to learn their way of thinking and create something as popular and loved like The Witcher 3 has always interested me
8. Rockstar Games: As one of the pioneering gaming companies that challenge everything people know about what AAA games should be with – in terms of story, technology and gameplay – Rockstar has been a gaming company I’ve been a customer of since 2005. I’ve always been interested from becoming a creator from user.

 

What is my current to do list?

1. Create a list of professional references and connect to them on LinkedIn
2. Finish my e-portfolio and gain access to NUWorks
3. Apply to roles with either Game design/developer, machine learning engineer, software developer in that order (keep applying till I get a co-op!)
4. Finalize resumes for the different roles I want to apply to
5. Practice interviewing for companies I would like to work in