I'm lead artist in a smaller Studio and I had to do the interviewing for new potential candidates to work on the floor level positions. We had one from a collage, but he had nothing but a paper to show for and the few things he had to show was some camera animation shots. We also had one that was experienced in the field with two games under his belt (self published). Then we had the last guy that ended up getting the position that was the developer that had no paper, no published games but 14+ game jam entries and participation on others game jams. This guy had that extra something to bring to the table so we all agreed on giving him a shot and he will become something great. He live and breath development and had a rough upcoming preventing this collage or classes from happening. Game development is still in the stage where skill/talent overcomes anything else. So you ask Leonardo da Vinci for a painting but only if he has the correct credentials? Education gets you interviews, "skills" gets you the job.
Totally agree, porfolio matters more than anthing in game dev. Even if one is doing a certification or degree, if they were able to make up a good game portfolio while studying then that is an instant value addition to your credentials that you gained.
I passed a Unity Developer Certification Exam a few years ago, but deep down knew that I was not ready for industry (I had only ever coded in intro level comp sci classes, and with visual scripting in Unity, not C#). After going through a proper college accredited game design program, I actually feel confident and ready to start looking for jobs. Whether or not the degree itself makes a difference, the skills I've accumulated in the process of getting the degree HAVE made a difference for me :)
I got my degree at the Video Game Academy in Tokyo. I think for Japanese companies, they think that certifications and degrees are important not because they can prove your skills, but to confirm whether the person has completed all school tasks during the school, which also means that the person is in the company can also complete her or his own tasks. If you need to prove your skills, then your work is more convincing. For me, the advantage of being in academy is that I have enough time to make mistakes and check where I am not proficient.
I don’t look for degrees or certifications of any kind when employing into my business. I ask specific questions that will tell me that the developer understands particular processes or constraints and then from there I monitor the quality of the codebase through PR’s and pay attention to the input the developer has in scoping functionality over a period of a three month probation period. I can then usually determine if the developer is a good fit at that point or if I can help with further training. I may be biased though as I am self trained myself (albeit over 27 years) and therefore may not hold as much grip over a certification as another employer might. That being said, I do employ 8 full time developers within my mobile development studio and there is a 50/50 split on certified/non-certified with a huge wealth of knowledge and ability between them that isn’t due to the certification in any way. My two cents. Hope it helps.
I didn't know unity had official certifications. Definitely gonna try my hand at them to see where my knowledge stands after using it for so long. It'll be good insight for where I should focus on improving my learning
I'm 35 and tried to go to college for game design (back then there just weren't courses outside 3D animation and sequential art), and its always been a dream of mine. Appreciate the video, I'll have to check this out.
I've been working in the IT field for over 20 years. I DO NOT have a degree of any kind. Like Jason when I was younger I did not care much for certs. Then when I was 4 years into my career I got a job teaching microsoft office, microsoft certified professional(MCP, consisted of windows workstation and windows server at the time), A+. For this job I was required to get the certifications. That really changed my view on certs and I ended up having quite a few over the years. For certifications to be really useful to you, you need to look at HOW you train for it. Back in the day a certification class used to be $1000's of dollars(the good ones). Now they are on Coursera, Udemy, etc..... What really sets a cert course apart from the other is whether or not you actually touch the product you're training on. DO NOT just be a good test taker, actually work with and on the product. I've taken Unity courses and Blender courses on Udemy, and I build the game along with the instructor doing the teaching. Same with Blender, I actually do the modeling as its being done in the videos. I find that certifications get me more interviews, because HR sees them as "qualifications", but that just gets you in the door, to get the job you usually really need to pass the technical interview and when you give answers they need to be direct and to the point and not like your using word throw up so that you might accidentally mention the answer. To do this, you have to have hands-on experience and that's what they look for. Where you got the skills doesn't matter for the most part.
I would say certifications are a means of proving you can stick to a schedule (that you are somewhat disciplined), and that you've learned a set of key concepts that you are expected to know in the industry. Instead of computer science, I took electrical engineering, which means I've always had to program but I never got the proper training. Today as I'm starting my game dev journey as a self-taught programmer I realize that I'm missing some key elements, like coding fundamental patterns, philosophical principles, etc.
Before video: I have a game design degree but no professional experience outside of it. I also have struggled (and basically found it impossible) to even get started in the field to get that crucial experience some of these jobs require, even though most I apply for say "Entry Level!" I have made games before, but it seems like I am either doing something really wrong with my applications or I am not qualified enough in spite of my degree. Most people I listen to specifically say that a degree is not necessary or might even be a hindrance, but I pushed through to finish mine up and it feels like both a waste of time and money currently. Post-video edit: I haven't really changed my mind about it as I did originally push myself through my degree with the mindset that if nothing else, the degree shows that I can persevere through a challenging 4 years and have learned something about game design/development because of it. It was basically just a show of knowledge when I felt my portfolio was too poor or didn't matter. Do I regret getting my degree? No, I'm young and can use it to find other jobs outside of the industry if all else fails. I'm even thinking of getting a masters or a second bachelor's anyways, so. Plus, the knowledge I have gained from the degree has acted as a foundation for further growth. This video validated my explanations for my concerns more than it changed my mind.
Well the cool thing about having a degree is you can always pretend you don't so if you feel that it is somehow holding you back then don't bring it up on your application / resume
If at all possible, try to have other people (ideally people in the field) review your application process. They might be able to give you insight into why you aren't getting interviews.
@@Ryan-ww7un 9 times out of 10 for a new grad it's a lack of work experience, especially in the specific field. Companies are looking to minimize their risk, and take advantage of training you already received on your own/someone else's dime. So internships and prior jobs, in game dev, if possible, carry a lot more weight than a portfolio or even a degree alone.
I’m a senior in high school trying to figure out what to do afterwards and i’ve always loved game programming and this has been so helpful to get some clarification on what matters. thank you so much!!!
Hey, I’m guessing you already graduated? Well I’m about to head into my junior year of high school and I’m planning on being a game designer (someone who makes the story, that’s what I mean) once I graduate, but I’m first planning on going to the army and this is the part where I get stump on. Ive heard I should go to collage first then the army but I’ve also heard that I can do that in he army. Well watching this video and reading these comments, it seems like knowledge is over a degree, so what route are you going and what do you think I should do?
Certifications can be a quick useful tool in giving a potential employer, a baseline, on what an applicant 'should' already know, and would help speed up the interview process. As it can also help narrow down what questions to ask them during an interview. If I had a choice though? I would probably give more weight to a person who just had a portfolio of work done, over a person who just has certifications to show, with no portfolio to accompany those certifications. It would be even better: If they had both a certification, and a portfolio together. That way the portfolio can be weighed against the certification they hold.
I'm 20 years software developer, with a degree under my belt. When the pandemic started I started a second degree as game developer. I was able to work with unity already, and with udemy courses I would probably do well too. However the degree helped me to work in different projects that to be honest, I wouldn't do working by my own. Because of those different projects, I learned different things and in overall it impacted my unity, c# and game developments skills.. so not necessary but definitely worth it
Similar deal here. 20+ yrs in software dev, with a hard science, non-CS degree. Employer is paying for my CS [second] Masters, and I used it to access resources, and take classes / do projects beyond what I could on my own. Folks underestimate just how much you can get out of going to school, esp if you have a clear idea of what you're there for, and what you want to gain from the experience.
I'll add that the worth of different degrees varies wildly. Major program, faculty advisement, career support, school reputation - these are all important characteristics that people need to consider. So many students, young and old, choose a school based on convenience or silly stuff like how nice the campus looks. And what you get a degree in doesn't matter *too* much, but you do need to make sure you're getting the fundamentals in whatever area you're studying. And maybe make sure that jobs in your major exist - in a country/location you want to live in.
@@mandisaw exactly. After some years we learn to learn. I start my day studying, going through the assignments, then do my work, my regular routine, then before sleep, read and learn more. I will definitely not work as game developer - since the salaries are bad, in comparison with other dev areas - but it is been fun to learn it, and I definitely improved some skills, that I can translate to my day to day job.
@@VictorPereira-yf2oq Yeah, when I saw what the salaries were for programmers at my level in game-dev, it just made me mad - and sad. But learning Unity was a great way to get more into .NET. (I do Android & iOS normally these days).
Get all if you have time. If you're young and you are receiving this message, consider yourself lucky. Don't fall into the trap of thinking degrees and certifications are pointless and all that matters are skills. Degrees and certifications are what let's you participate in the race. Skills and degrees/certifications are interdependent.
Depends who is in charge. If they have a degree/etc they expect that it is required and nobody can do anything without. If they don't - they don't tend to care so much.
Degree programs vary, but if it was good, they teach you broad fundamentals and a range of practical skills so you can adapt to whatever sort of job in your field. Problem is, you can't tell from a degree alone if someone partied for 4yrs, or had a substandard curriculum, or completed a rigorous program. That's why they also look for finished projects, and internships/work experience. Honestly the degree gets you past HR, the internships & work exp is what gets you the job.
My opinion before: I think that a degree on their own is completely useless in game dev if you aren't invested and show that in forms of games/tools/assets you have created, and you don't need a degree to make those. The connections to people in the industry that you wouldn't really get otherwise is what makes going to University/College/whatever so valueable (along with the projects you do there, but like I said, you can also do projects "alone"). Getting a degree also doesn't make the journey to the industry much easier. You still need to be very invested and need to like what you are doing in order to actually get the degree. When you want to go to a Game dev College/Uni/whatever, you really need to watch out where you are going. There are too many places that are dogshit and just want your money. I personally would like to get a degree, but the problem is that I don't have the money, and I'm fine with that. I somehow get into the industry one way or another, its just a little more difficult. My opinion after: I forgot the "learn things you might have missed"-part. Yeah, this is actually something that is a very good point. I am currently watching Freya Holmérs "Math for GameDevs"-Series, and I for example did not know about the dot-product. After I learned about it, I instantly used it in practise for a system I am working on. Certifications are something I never really thought about, and they seem to be a good oppotunity to check if I might have missed something. If I have the time, I might check if there is one I could do (if I can afford it, of course :/)
I havent got a degree in game development. I pushed myself to always try to improve the skills I had as well as learn new ones. All of this was whilst on long term sick. I've since gotten a job as a Unity VR developer. One of the things I believe really helped me was that I had a small 'portfolio' of games I'd made in a week, as well as a small VR concept demo. But at the same time I'd gotten some funding to complete a Coursera course from Goldsmiths (London University). I honestly believe that if you can show that you have the drive and ability to complete a project from start to finish that will help you get a job - whether that's through projects under your own steam, or a degree or certificate you've worked through. Swings 'n' roundabouts, as they say...
Degrees can be valuable, though perhaps not for the degree itself. I spent years trying to teach myself to code, and I'd get stuck, or frustrated, or lose motivation. Going to college to learn to program though worked well, and I now have a good grasp on it, and can self-learn to expand my knowledge much easier. Having professors and other students to ask questions from, and having more thorough explanations really helped me specifically. That said, not everyone needs that. If you can learn the knowledge and skills required on your own, then that's awesome, and in that case I don't think you need to worry about degrees or certifications. That said, whether your employer worries about them is a whole other issue. As far as the industry goes, my personal opinion is that a driven individual who is self-taught and has experience and/or a portfolio to show should be perfectly fine. I'm not sure they actually are, but they should be.
I think it depends on what way of learning you prefer. I like doing stuff I like, my way, so tons of googling and courses and tutorials and experimenting for hours is where its at for me. But most people probably dont like that and dont get excited by being thrown into the unknown, supposed to find their own way, so I think that for them school is good, not for the degree, but because they will be given some sort of direction, they would themselves not be able to find. In addition, Im the type of guy who absolutely cannot stand school. Yeah I can learn the stuff, but first of all I hate it, second of all it is dreadful sitting in school, feeling like my life is drifting away, my thoughts everywhere but the subject at hand. so I started doing school "remotely" (or however you say it in English), am doing a part time IT service job from home and diving into indie development in the process. I guess a lot of people would say Im stupid as fuck and maybe I am, but I feel like what Im doing is the right thing for me
People learn in different manners, so maybe standard-classroom w/ lecture is not good for you. But school can expose you to subjects, resources, and people you wouldn't have encountered on your own. And in terms of job-hunting, it's easier to get past gatekeepers if you have an easily verified credential.
You have been an inspiration to me for a couple of years mate. Thanks for that. I think it is important.. But not essential.. I mean.. It's all about how you got the title.. Not the title only.. That's what I think.. For now :)
Going back to art school a second time I literally did not care about the piece of paper I got. The experience and improvement in my work were the real reward, and have been completely invaluable. As I'm sure is the case with many people, going to University straight out of high school I wasn't really mature enough to take stuff seriously the first time around and very little actually stuck.
I recently completed a Certificate IV in Game Design and Development here in Australia and as someone who wants to move from web to games development, it has been useful because I picked up some core concepts that I probably wouldn’t have thought about like creating Game Design Documentation and story boarding as a planning tool. I have also used the projects created from the course as part of my portfolio.
Having A+, Network+, Linux+, and the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification, I found myself lacking real practical experience when I got a job as a hardware technician for a FAANG company. I understood terms, methodologies, and general information which helped me grasp my job much more quickly than most of the other new hires, and I would often find myself asking questions that were too difficult for even the more senior technicians to answer. So, I'd say that certifications absolutely do help give you a baseline about whatever field it is you're trying to get into, but it's definitely not the end-all. That being said, certifications got me into the door without a degree so that's a plus.
This is a tricky issue . At least on the art side from whenever I have seen the post of “first day at blizzard”, “just started at naughty dog” etc…. When you click on the profile and go to the education side , always always he/she went to school for some type of game art degree -so take that for what you will . I mean technically you don’t need a degree to be a prop artist , environment artist etc… there is not like nursing where you must pass the nclex, graduate from nursing school . But consider - your first hurdle is getting past HR and I have no idea of HR actually takes the time to go through each portfolio (though I hope that is the case) , HR may simply be there to filter out the applicants before the portfolio even gets reviewed . Everyone says “a portfolio , a portfolio is all you need”. Well when you are competing against the game art grad who has the degree and a portfolio as well , what is your edge , what do you do ? Assuming HR simply filters out all the people who don’t have a related degree or years of experience, you are screwed. That portfolio that you worked so hard on may never even be looked at if you never make it past HR. And to be clear I hope I am wrong I sincerely hope that when applying for an art position the strength of your application willl lie largely or only in the portfolio but I am not sure .
A+ Certification is for basic a computer knowledge. RAM, Motherboard, Where the power button is and how to take it apart and put all the pieces in the right place to have it turned back on. I got certified when i was 16 in Juve.
My pre-video assumption is that a degree or certificate is valuable due to the importance of working well with a group; of not just being able to cobble something together that YOU understand but something a team can use and expand on. I expect that you could get away with not having one using a nice portfolio instead, IF your portfolio includes a decent amount of group work - especially group work where other coders had to work with the code you wrote.
Post-video, I think the most convincing point is the kind of circular argument for certification: It's important because there are a decent number of managers who think it's important. This is one of the weird things I've had to learn growing up: that circular arguments can be logical and valid if they're applied to social systems. I agree that certification definitely falls under the "always go for it if you can find it for free" umbrella. And I think that bespeaks a level of inherent value to the experience.
I think degrees or certificates are not mandatory. But if you compete for a job with another person, who is of similar skill, company would hire the one with degrees. Also a tech degree shows that you have some strong math and physics background, which may be essential when you face a more complicated task to solve.
As a lead engineer for a company that makes games, I don't think I would hire someone that doesn't have a degree or a few certifications. I generally ask if they've ever messed with quaternions. Tells me right away how deep into math they went, and if they know how unity rotations work.
To be fair, it seems like most folks don't take linear algebra these days, not even programmers. Graphics programmers, definitely, but not everyone else. And my observation of college students from my very-close vantage point, is that they are being sorted/limited by math skills (or their lack) before they even walk through the gate. If they didn't get sufficient math in HS, they don't even get the opportunity to do mid-tier college math.
well, what i do think about it before the video... The degree and certification a) will help the candidate to get the first enterview, it is like and ice breaker that helps some walls to go down, b) also it can be some pre request for the company to hire you as required, c) it can be an "extra", where the company will have some preference to the one who has it, but, except for the B one, i think its only one piece of the pack, having some experience and get to show that you can have the job done seems to be the point to get the job. My perspective comes from web development, where i do work and have no degrees or certificates, i had like 10 years experience doing "for fun programming", i did programming for solving problems while i was acting in other areas. so i kind had the tools for programming like logic and knowing a bit of many things like servers, file management and etc, but not the programming experience of every day programmer. it really was very easy to get a job as programmer, i got 2 interviews and got approved on both. choosed one and gg =). I continue to work in this one since so, about 2.5 years
Basically if you want to get the job over someone else and they have a certificate or a certification and you don't but everything else about y'all is the same chances are they're getting the job and you're not.
I’m a one man hobby shop. Not looking for a job in the industry, just to make and sell my own game. My degree is in electrical engineering. If I was to hypothetically look to hire someone to program for me in Unity, I’d want to see if they’ve taken any courses in data structures as well as look at a portfolio of previous projects.
I am currently studying in University that has a Game Development course but the thing is this course will give you a basics and give you an understanding of whether you want to do it or not but later on you have to dive deeper on your own, what it is giving to you is making it much easier to dive deeper, I remember when I was studying C# on my own, that was really tough but after taking this course it became much, much easier, is is it worthless, I definitely wouldn't say so, plus it is additional check mark in my resume so why not?!
Commenting before watching the rest of the video. I would say that before I started my journey into learning how to code I would've said most definitely a degree would be essential and certificates not so much. Now with a coding boot camp under my belt and being an instructor for said boot camp I can tell you that degrees and certificates are just pieces of paper and really isn't indicative of a person's ability to code. I do believe that degrees help you're resume get looked at by a hiring manager and then its up to your personal projects and experience to do the heavy lifting.
Only 0:33 into the video and a beginner game programer so you shouldn’t take my word for it. But basically I don’t think you need any degrees or certificates, I think they will help you find a job quicker but at the end of the day, all that matters is that you know how to program. If you can show that you’re a good programer without a degree or a certificate then I think you’ll find what you’re looking for.
In the past I have generally downplayed the importance of certifications or degrees for things where the equipment necessary is affordable enough to have at home. Can you do it or not was the standard. But if a certification can show, as you suggest, that one can do it then it should have value.
I think my initial reaction to Game Dev was excitement and awe. After 2 1/2 years of online courses and tutorials and thousands of dollars later, I”m feeling dismayed, disheartened and a little betrayed. Dismayed because after all this time, I only have a few noteworthy projects and not much else to show for it. Disheartened because I now know that what I’ve learned in all that time is nowhere near enough to get a job in a real studio and developing an Indie will take months or even years and it still may not go anywhere. I feel a little betrayed because when I first started out, I was green and I now know that people will take advantage of that. Promising that all I have to do to become a game developer is to take their courses. Testimonials from 2 or 3 students when they boast of thousands who have taken their course. Buy thousands of dollars worth of assets that I haven’t used yet. Now I realize that the people doing these courses weren’t even making games themselves; they were making videos about making games and selling dreams. Do I want to be a game developer? Not anymore. There’s no gaming industry for little guys like me trying break into the business, just a bunch of sharks and predators preying on noobs. Degree or no degree, there’s a video that advocates both sides. No one person has all the answers, only their experiences. I’m not throwing shade because everyone needs to pay bills but there aren’t enough standards set in the industry to ensure the courses will deliver what they promise are that that person is qualified to make one in the first place. So, learn to make a simple game like flappy bird then make a video about it and get paid from UA-cam or patreon etc. I wish I’d went to college for it, at least it would’ve been a structured environment. I’m a full stack developer now and I haven’t looked back. Good luck to you all.
I plan on obtaining everything Unity has to offer. It’s mostly for me. I certainly don’t plan on using it to get a day job. I think it’ll help my freelancing rates, which is great. I also think it’s formidable-enough looking to cement my status if I am forced to partner up with a team in order to complete a project. Or when trying to get funding for a project. I’d rather give money to the guy with shipped titles and all the certs than to some guy who said they’d download this “unity” thing and watch some tutorials over the weekend. I just feel people would take me more seriously, so that’s why I say, “It’s Kuzco-topia! It’s my birthday present to meee!!!”
You create mobile games, apps etc. You can use blender, 3d program software, Adobe Photoshop, you write code. What is the best open job title to cover all that?
I'm finishing my bachelor's in Computer Science, though I haven't got a job in the industry yet. I think technical degree teaches you a lot of useful things that normally you may not come across and if I were to choose again, I'd do what I did. Sadly I didn't have an opportunity to study more gamedev-oriented degree, but I think Computer Science will be enough for a Unity dev. But I think the degree rather teaches you how to use tools and which tools to use than what to make with those tools. So to make a genius, unforgettable experience you don't need any degrees, just willingness to learn.
Certifications are just the easiest way for the monolithic companies to understand what you know. It's a numbers game. if you're applying to a smaller shop or doing the work in a small group or something then the certs matter less. Accomplishments matter more at the smaller scales. The bigger companies can't (be bothered to) take the time to look at your portfolio.
The biggest positive to certifications/degrees is that they give some sense of structure for people who don't know what things are important to learn in any particular field. The issue with both is sort of an issue with school in general (at least in America). In grade school, you learn more about how to be good at taking tests than you do about the thing the test is about. That's part of why we have the issue of people who have certifications/degrees but still don't know much about their field. It usually at least shows that someone is interested though, which is a good sign.
ALL DEPENDS ON HOW YOU CAN DO SELF-STUDYING, HOW PATIENT AND HOW STUBBORN YOU ARE. IF U HAVE TIME EVERY DAY, AT LEAST 4 HOURS FOR SELF STUDYING AND IT REALLY MAKE U FEEL WONDERFULL - YOU CAN STUDY ANYTHING IN THE WORLD WITHOUT SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OR ANY OTHER PLACE FOR LAZY PEOPLE. DONT BE LAZY! STUDY TO STUDY BY YOURSELF, ACHIEVE GOALS, AND DONT WORRY. BE STUBBORN AND PATIENT.
I'm prepping courses to get my UE teaching certification. Do i need it? No but it can't hurt. And I know It'll make some people feel better when I start publishing UE tutorials.
It depends on what area of development you're working in and the amount of knowledge needed for the position. I've been working in video game development for 30 years. I'm a self taught artist without a degree or certificate and I've been doing very well. I can imagine their are plenty of smart and talented programmers out there who are also self taught and very capable of doing the job.
@@mandisaw Perhaps. Programming isn't my background. Talent and skill still play a large part in getting into game development. At least if you're looking to work for a studio with a name.
@@chrisw3731 Connections / networking has more impact on getting in, especially if you're talking a traditional studio job, or freelancing. But talent, skill, and persistence will keep you going.
I have no experience to support this, but my understanding is the education at university is not necessary, however the structure of creating a portfolio with support, as well as the networking can still make it worth the cost.
its more so the knowlage of the content from the degree or certification that matters and if your able to show that you have said Knowlage. that's what Degree, certifications, portfolios are for, they demistate that you know what your doing
I think certificates / degrees are useful. But for game dev definitely not a requirement. I personally struggle a lot whenever I approach a new technology or programming language that works very differently than whatever I am use to use so I would usually watch a small course on the core concepts and the basics before I can take off on my own.
in majority of A+ cert schools, the programs usually fail, they more or less pass you based on minimal effort & tests that are practiced by memorizing the practice one
The rigor has certainly gone down. My late husband held some of the early A+ certs in the 90s and early 00s. They covered a mix of practical skills, and you took the test in a proctored in-person test center. Once they got a lot more lax, and you got more folks cheating/buying their certs, or otherwise were allowed to game the system, the value of it as a credential plummeted.
I would think they help get your foot in the door as the saying goes, but overall I think if you have a very well thought out portfolio and can demonstrate your skill and knowledge (assuming you do have those and can do those things) idk how much value they provide after that.
I've been making games since I was 7 years old. I had a lot of fun with flash, RPG Maker, Game Maker and went to study programming all by myself, using just google. Then I went to music college and didn't finished it. Finally, I had the oportunity to work developing games and got a job, 2 years ago. Been working in different projects since then. Then, we needed another programmer and the most talented game developers weren't even from the IT industry. There's a lot of knowledged needed regarding arts, game design, having a gamer culture that makes the whole difference. I want to start studying computer science, even although I don't need it to make a living. tl;dr: you just need to know how to study by yourself and know how to google it.
I don't have a degree or certifications. Given that plenty of solo developers are successful, to some degree, without them, I sincerely do not think they are needed. I feel the same for many other fields as well, but most especially for game development. However, I will say that if a person is committed enough to get a degree or certification, then they would seem more likely to be more committed to their game's development.
I think it's good to have any degree if it can give a profit for you career path(e.g. computer science is a good thing for every developer). But not a requirement by default especially at the beginning. Since any hands-on experience is more valuable than theoretical knowledge, I'd prefer to make some simple projects or finish a few months course to fill my cv, than spent a few years for college, study program or degree. I guess you would like to get a degree or improve your qualification after getting job to fill some gaps in your background.
I love the idea of certifications because it helps people understand where you are in your learning journey but the issue is how everything is gatekept and expectations are so widely varied. I could complete 10 certs and still not land an interview, or I could publish a game on steam and get a job. The game dev hiring community seems to be like a popularity contest or cult
fwiw, likewise; almost 20 yr dev here - no degree; imho, the older paradigm represents something you "did" while most employers are more interested in what you can "do." with technology constantly evolving, your skill-set should be, also. thus, getting the latest $20 udemy course (wait for the sales!) seems far more efficient (economical) a medium of knowledge transfer. -no need for a fancy college loan; just stay humble, google often, & pay your isp on time. : )
I think that certificates and degrees are great. However, they are not required. Some people need a bit more direction and guidance when it comes to learning how to develop games where as others are able to pick stuff up, attend UA-cam University, and go to town. I largely think that degrees are stupidly over priced, but if that's you thing, go for it. Overall, however someone wants to and chooses to learn game dev (or anything they want to learn or are passionate about) is absolutely fine.
They show that you have the self discipline and motivation. They do not show that you have the competence. That only comes through experience, and, even then, sometimes not. Track record is the best.. what you have done. If you are just starting out. The motivation and discipline is all important.
Before video: currently pursuing BS in computer science with my electives in machine learning, Shader/graphics progressing, gpu computing. Actively pursuing Unity certs. Don't think these are necessary to make games but having the training/education will increase my capacity to lead others in creating interactive media, games or otherwise, and increase my credibility should I find an in for consulting or freelancing.
Just to say, i have a degree in computer science and i pivoted to game development. People who have interviewed me have valued more my experience than anything with the degree itself, im still looking for a position so my opinion is to value more the experience you can get with other sources like game jams, etc.
Internships and work experience is what they're mainly looking for, along with your project portfolio. They want to know how you work, how you learn on the job, and that you can start and complete a project.
went to game design for college for a year. Should have known better. Wasn't good at highschool, shouldn't have gone to college. Besides, it ended up being more of an art college and not suited to someone who wanted to do a lot of programming. Now, I am struggling to make my name on an indie game. I don't think there always is a clear path forward, certainly college is not the way for everyone. citification's may be more reasonable, because they are about weather or not you know your stuff.
I left collage and got accepted to a job, a few months later there was a wave of people from my previous collage who came to apply, 50% of them were fired despite having a degree. I think if you want to figure if the person can do the job is to do a test. You don't know what they learned in that collage, you don't know how professional they are if even. Don't count on the fact that someone gave them a degree as an assurance that they actually can do the job
Hi Jason, Personally so far my degree in Games Technology / Practical Software Engineering and Computer Science I think has assisted me with reaching the requirements to be hired by a games company, as I have spent two years on C++, OpenGL legacy and modern, and Unity Engine, along with supplying me the knowledge to work on my own personal projects which I have. However, I don't know if it is because I am in Australia or my resume writing is not up to scratch but I am usually rejected with a comment stating your resume and skillset are rather impressive however we just currently don't have a position open for the job which did have a vacancy on their website at the time of application. Is this a personal thing ? or are companies when requesting interns / junior developers really expecting someone who is not junior at all ? I was wondering if I could get your thoughts and recommendations. I love your content by the way and have even gone through some of your unity videos when it came down to building my VLAN AI game of tag. Regards William.
I noticed (as a softwaredeveloper) that basic certifications often are suited as a minimum base to talk about job related topics. Often colleagues are talking about some general technical stuff, but nobody know what they are talking about, because their wording does not match with any established knowlegde, allthough they mean the same thing. So i recommend to learn established content at least for yourself to help you and your colleagues find a proper base to talk about your stuff.
I like more the idea of certifications from credible sources. I think then for people using Unity that Unity's word is most valuable. Next say would be from accomplished studios, developers, artists, etc anyone that is a master of their craft. Anything else is likely lesser.
People who don't have a degree will tell you that it is better to get a degree. I am someone who doesn't have a degree, and those ive talked to without a degree say that getting a degree makes life much easier when it comes to work. However, at the same time, not having a degree doesnt limit us in anyway. Self taught can do the same things people who have gone school.
I used to think they’re all useless. I no longer think this, BUT, they are not necessary if you have the motivation and discipline to learn it on your own
Pre video thinking: I am from Colombia and in december I'll finish my software engieneer degree(5 years), here there are not many videogames companies and I really want to project my professional life o videogames(or AR and VR) I started having some interviews with European companies but they told me that it's nice that you have a degree, but it's even better if you certificate with some framework or tool... so at least in my case those 5 years were not truly needed 😞 I am preparing to take the unity exam
@@mandisaw yeah... I just hope to be able to learn with big companies and then come back to help the Hispanic videogame industry creating my own game dev house
@@Jukaorena There are some studios in South America - most are small, and run as subcontractors for larger studios. Not as prestigious, but still a good way to build experience, across multiple tools/genres.
@@mandisaw that's exactly what I want, but they rarely hire, rn I have 2 options, to try to get hired by an overseas company or to start my own with small games and star hiring people
@@Jukaorena I think there's a pattern with hiring at game studios - they only seem to take on more people when they're starting production, or sometimes they'll bring in part-timers near release. Otherwise nothing
when the diploma is more important than you learn, you know something is not right. when companies realize that people who learn on their own are more valuable than those who don't, it will be when humanity advances
I think certifications are perfectly fine. I think degrees are a waste of time and money. I have a degree in game design, was abused and taken advantage of by the head of the program - who might I add, was completely unqualified to teach anything let alone game design. The school and administration also facilitated the bs. I was told when I was accepted they had certain classes, equipment, and even teachers. None of it was true. Schools don’t know how to make cohesive game design programs, so things were thrown together and even just… not even made, though they were promised, to students. Labs that were too small or didn’t have equipment good enough to work in certain game engines, etc. “we’re working on emerging markets like VR” doesn’t have one NOT A ONE VR kit or even headset. Then teachers who either aren’t qualified or seemed over qualified and still couldn’t teach. Yeah it’s great that you worked on D&D and Skyrim but if you’re just making kids watch UA-cam videos because you can’t teach, your AAA experience is practically worthless. Looks cool on paper, I guess?? I am 30,000 in debt for a degree that is worthless because I don’t have the actual skills required to get a job in the industry, because 95% of my classes were some jackass so full of himself he’d just talk about his favorite games or have us watch UA-cam videos rather than teach us. This industry doesn’t care if you have a paper but can’t actually do any of the skills. You learn a lot on the job, sure, but if you don’t even have the basis to start, you’re not going anywhere. And the issue is that it’s not just ONE school. Most schools are like this with new degrees, and schools are trying to entice kids to go there so of course they are going to advertise a program that isn’t fully fleshed out yet, they NEED your money. Even kids at full sail several years ago were coming out against the university for a hot minute because they had “game design” degrees but lacked the actual skills to get actual game designer jobs and instead were pooling into marketing. There are some statements from the students and faculty in this program at my school here: webstergamedesign.com So as someone who has lived the game design degree experience - it’s not worth it, it sucks, it’s extremely expensive, I could go on for days about how dumb it is.
That pole did not really give any information. you added a question that was the obvious answer. Of course most people will say that either is good but none of them are required. it's like having a pole that asks if life has meaning and having 3 answers "yes", "no", and " "There's really no way to prove whether or not life has meaning but people are still able to find meaning in this world regardless". you're no longer asking if life people think life has meaning but the only information you will get is how many people believe there is an objectively correct answer to that question. With this, you asked how important certificates and degrees are but the response you got was whether or not people believed that certificates and/or degrees are required for jobs. the pole never told us whether or not degrees and certifications are important or how important they were. The pole only tells us if either/or is required. Whether or not a degree is required does not tell us anything about its level of importance.
in a degree you learn how to make games but if you have made 2 or 3 games before you already know the majority of things that you will learn in a degree.
@@kristianthaler6525 Thats pretty rare, almost no one makes games of that caliber by themselves, the few that have were like decade long obsessions for those developers.
@@kristianthaler6525 Yeah, Flappy Bird was made in less than a week but it only got as popular as it did because of the gamer youtubers like pewdiepie if it wasnt for them promoting it, it would've remained obscure and unsuccessful. It's an exception not the rule.
In science fields, I've experienced that people with Master's degrees often can't understand core scientific concepts like data analysis, and complain the loudest about having to do "menial tasks" like keep their own desks clean. I've completely lost my faith in universities to predict the usefulness of a person in an actual workplace.
That's highly anecdotal... Nonetheless, in the sciences with a Masters, they're either in a field with a terminal-Masters (good), or didn't realize they needed / failed to get their PhD (bad). In either case, you may just be seeing folks who spent all their time in academia without getting the full benefit (tenured faculty spot), *and* didn't build any practical skills or work experience. Or you just had bad luck and dealt with jerks 😅
Hey Jason/everyone else. I posted a reply video ua-cam.com/video/mnAtKlNg9uM/v-deo.html - Specifically talking about *when* I think its valuable or not to get a degree or certification
deegre is a waste of time 4 years to study 5 useless things u dont want and 1 thing u may enjoying it and is the only thing u need +teachters are terrible, atleast in greece is like that. My opinion is just buy some good books watch some videos make games and the most important love making games
The most important thing is ability. Whether that was helped by degrees or certs is just a way of learning. Some of the best developers i know have no certs and no degrees. Oh.. and btw… Unity is cringe.
I do not have a degree and have a full-time career in Unity dev now, thanks to a lot of great advice from Jason. What you do need to do is build cool stuff and share it online and make a portfolio. It doesn't even have to be complete, shipped games: it can be dev log videos, Winforms and Android apps, small scenes and demos, anything cool you made! But it's definitely better to have one or two really cool things than 25 crappy things you cobbled together just to seem like you did a lot of stuff. Apply to a variety of companies and get some interviews on your schedule!
Disclaimer, full time enterprise Dev, part-time Ganev l game Dev. I hire people. Good university degrees aren't there to teach you a job. They're there to change the way you think. If your course isn't pushing you and expanding your ideas on tech, etc then drop it. I'm interested in the way a person thinks, attacks problems and works with others. Those are far more important than if they know the language, tooling or patterns. I can teach that. I can't teach lateral thinking. Some people can do that without university but they are the tiny minority. There are lots of other side benefits to uni (like networking) but they're not there to teach you a job. As for certifications, I often see people with expensive MS Foundation certificates that crammed to get through the exam and then promptly forgot it all. I don't rate them at all.
You don’t need a degree or certification, however it does show intent. As a hiring manager it shows that you’re investing in yourself. You want to learn and close knowledge gaps. No matter how old you are you’re always learning
@@dreamingacacia you are correct. On the job performance is absolute key. I was talking from the perspective of hiring, when you’re looking at resumes. Unless you can demonstrate experience, you’re at a disadvantage when compared to someone else’s resume that has an educational past.
I'm lead artist in a smaller Studio and I had to do the interviewing for new potential candidates to work on the floor level positions.
We had one from a collage, but he had nothing but a paper to show for and the few things he had to show was some camera animation shots.
We also had one that was experienced in the field with two games under his belt (self published).
Then we had the last guy that ended up getting the position that was the developer that had no paper, no published games but 14+ game jam entries and participation on others game jams.
This guy had that extra something to bring to the table so we all agreed on giving him a shot and he will become something great. He live and breath development and had a rough upcoming preventing this collage or classes from happening.
Game development is still in the stage where skill/talent overcomes anything else. So you ask Leonardo da Vinci
for a painting but only if he has the correct credentials?
Education gets you interviews, "skills" gets you the job.
Hi are you on LinkedIn? Can we connect
Totally agree, porfolio matters more than anthing in game dev. Even if one is doing a certification or degree, if they were able to make up a good game portfolio while studying then that is an instant value addition to your credentials that you gained.
This is a great insight for a beginner like me ...t thanks a lot
I passed a Unity Developer Certification Exam a few years ago, but deep down knew that I was not ready for industry (I had only ever coded in intro level comp sci classes, and with visual scripting in Unity, not C#). After going through a proper college accredited game design program, I actually feel confident and ready to start looking for jobs. Whether or not the degree itself makes a difference, the skills I've accumulated in the process of getting the degree HAVE made a difference for me :)
This gives me off inspiration thank you random comment
I got my degree at the Video Game Academy in Tokyo. I think for Japanese companies, they think that certifications and degrees are important not because they can prove your skills, but to confirm whether the person has completed all school tasks during the school, which also means that the person is in the company can also complete her or his own tasks. If you need to prove your skills, then your work is more convincing. For me, the advantage of being in academy is that I have enough time to make mistakes and check where I am not proficient.
I don’t look for degrees or certifications of any kind when employing into my business. I ask specific questions that will tell me that the developer understands particular processes or constraints and then from there I monitor the quality of the codebase through PR’s and pay attention to the input the developer has in scoping functionality over a period of a three month probation period.
I can then usually determine if the developer is a good fit at that point or if I can help with further training.
I may be biased though as I am self trained myself (albeit over 27 years) and therefore may not hold as much grip over a certification as another employer might.
That being said, I do employ 8 full time developers within my mobile development studio and there is a 50/50 split on certified/non-certified with a huge wealth of knowledge and ability between them that isn’t due to the certification in any way.
My two cents. Hope it helps.
sounds sweet can I work here?
I didn't know unity had official certifications. Definitely gonna try my hand at them to see where my knowledge stands after using it for so long. It'll be good insight for where I should focus on improving my learning
I'm 35 and tried to go to college for game design (back then there just weren't courses outside 3D animation and sequential art), and its always been a dream of mine. Appreciate the video, I'll have to check this out.
I've been working in the IT field for over 20 years. I DO NOT have a degree of any kind. Like Jason when I was younger I did not care much
for certs. Then when I was 4 years into my career I got a job teaching microsoft office, microsoft certified
professional(MCP, consisted of windows workstation and windows server at the time), A+. For this job I was required to get the
certifications. That really changed my view on certs and I ended up having quite a few over the years.
For certifications to be really useful to you, you need to look at HOW you train for it. Back in the day a certification class used to
be $1000's of dollars(the good ones). Now they are on Coursera, Udemy, etc..... What really sets a cert course apart from the other is
whether or not you actually touch the product you're training on. DO NOT just be a good test taker, actually work with and on the product.
I've taken Unity courses and Blender courses on Udemy, and I build the game along with the instructor doing the teaching. Same with Blender,
I actually do the modeling as its being done in the videos.
I find that certifications get me more interviews, because HR sees them as "qualifications", but that just gets you in the door, to get the
job you usually really need to pass the technical interview and when you give answers they need to be direct and to the point and not like
your using word throw up so that you might accidentally mention the answer. To do this, you have to have hands-on experience and that's
what they look for. Where you got the skills doesn't matter for the most part.
I would say certifications are a means of proving you can stick to a schedule (that you are somewhat disciplined), and that you've learned a set of key concepts that you are expected to know in the industry. Instead of computer science, I took electrical engineering, which means I've always had to program but I never got the proper training. Today as I'm starting my game dev journey as a self-taught programmer I realize that I'm missing some key elements, like coding fundamental patterns, philosophical principles, etc.
Before video: I have a game design degree but no professional experience outside of it. I also have struggled (and basically found it impossible) to even get started in the field to get that crucial experience some of these jobs require, even though most I apply for say "Entry Level!" I have made games before, but it seems like I am either doing something really wrong with my applications or I am not qualified enough in spite of my degree. Most people I listen to specifically say that a degree is not necessary or might even be a hindrance, but I pushed through to finish mine up and it feels like both a waste of time and money currently.
Post-video edit: I haven't really changed my mind about it as I did originally push myself through my degree with the mindset that if nothing else, the degree shows that I can persevere through a challenging 4 years and have learned something about game design/development because of it. It was basically just a show of knowledge when I felt my portfolio was too poor or didn't matter. Do I regret getting my degree? No, I'm young and can use it to find other jobs outside of the industry if all else fails. I'm even thinking of getting a masters or a second bachelor's anyways, so. Plus, the knowledge I have gained from the degree has acted as a foundation for further growth. This video validated my explanations for my concerns more than it changed my mind.
Well the cool thing about having a degree is you can always pretend you don't so if you feel that it is somehow holding you back then don't bring it up on your application / resume
I am not that good at unity but if you want i have a lot of written projects that we could make into games together?
If at all possible, try to have other people (ideally people in the field) review your application process. They might be able to give you insight into why you aren't getting interviews.
@@Ryan-ww7un 9 times out of 10 for a new grad it's a lack of work experience, especially in the specific field. Companies are looking to minimize their risk, and take advantage of training you already received on your own/someone else's dime. So internships and prior jobs, in game dev, if possible, carry a lot more weight than a portfolio or even a degree alone.
Solid input, thank you.
I’m a senior in high school trying to figure out what to do afterwards and i’ve always loved game programming and this has been so helpful to get some clarification on what matters. thank you so much!!!
Hey, I’m guessing you already graduated? Well I’m about to head into my junior year of high school and I’m planning on being a game designer (someone who makes the story, that’s what I mean) once I graduate, but I’m first planning on going to the army and this is the part where I get stump on. Ive heard I should go to collage first then the army but I’ve also heard that I can do that in he army. Well watching this video and reading these comments, it seems like knowledge is over a degree, so what route are you going and what do you think I should do?
Certifications can be a quick useful tool in giving a potential employer, a baseline, on what an applicant 'should' already know, and would help speed up the interview process. As it can also help narrow down what questions to ask them during an interview.
If I had a choice though? I would probably give more weight to a person who just had a portfolio of work done, over a person who just has certifications to show, with no portfolio to accompany those certifications.
It would be even better: If they had both a certification, and a portfolio together. That way the portfolio can be weighed against the certification they hold.
I'm 20 years software developer, with a degree under my belt. When the pandemic started I started a second degree as game developer. I was able to work with unity already, and with udemy courses I would probably do well too. However the degree helped me to work in different projects that to be honest, I wouldn't do working by my own. Because of those different projects, I learned different things and in overall it impacted my unity, c# and game developments skills.. so not necessary but definitely worth it
Similar deal here. 20+ yrs in software dev, with a hard science, non-CS degree. Employer is paying for my CS [second] Masters, and I used it to access resources, and take classes / do projects beyond what I could on my own.
Folks underestimate just how much you can get out of going to school, esp if you have a clear idea of what you're there for, and what you want to gain from the experience.
I'll add that the worth of different degrees varies wildly. Major program, faculty advisement, career support, school reputation - these are all important characteristics that people need to consider. So many students, young and old, choose a school based on convenience or silly stuff like how nice the campus looks.
And what you get a degree in doesn't matter *too* much, but you do need to make sure you're getting the fundamentals in whatever area you're studying. And maybe make sure that jobs in your major exist - in a country/location you want to live in.
@@mandisaw exactly. After some years we learn to learn. I start my day studying, going through the assignments, then do my work, my regular routine, then before sleep, read and learn more. I will definitely not work as game developer - since the salaries are bad, in comparison with other dev areas - but it is been fun to learn it, and I definitely improved some skills, that I can translate to my day to day job.
@@VictorPereira-yf2oq Yeah, when I saw what the salaries were for programmers at my level in game-dev, it just made me mad - and sad. But learning Unity was a great way to get more into .NET. (I do Android & iOS normally these days).
Get all if you have time. If you're young and you are receiving this message, consider yourself lucky. Don't fall into the trap of thinking degrees and certifications are pointless and all that matters are skills. Degrees and certifications are what let's you participate in the race. Skills and degrees/certifications are interdependent.
Depends who is in charge. If they have a degree/etc they expect that it is required and nobody can do anything without. If they don't - they don't tend to care so much.
Very true
hate that kind of people, too fixated in something irrelevant, inefficient.
Degree programs vary, but if it was good, they teach you broad fundamentals and a range of practical skills so you can adapt to whatever sort of job in your field. Problem is, you can't tell from a degree alone if someone partied for 4yrs, or had a substandard curriculum, or completed a rigorous program. That's why they also look for finished projects, and internships/work experience. Honestly the degree gets you past HR, the internships & work exp is what gets you the job.
My opinion before:
I think that a degree on their own is completely useless in game dev if you aren't invested and show that in forms of games/tools/assets you have created, and you don't need a degree to make those. The connections to people in the industry that you wouldn't really get otherwise is what makes going to University/College/whatever so valueable (along with the projects you do there, but like I said, you can also do projects "alone"). Getting a degree also doesn't make the journey to the industry much easier. You still need to be very invested and need to like what you are doing in order to actually get the degree.
When you want to go to a Game dev College/Uni/whatever, you really need to watch out where you are going. There are too many places that are dogshit and just want your money.
I personally would like to get a degree, but the problem is that I don't have the money, and I'm fine with that. I somehow get into the industry one way or another, its just a little more difficult.
My opinion after:
I forgot the "learn things you might have missed"-part. Yeah, this is actually something that is a very good point. I am currently watching Freya Holmérs "Math for GameDevs"-Series, and I for example did not know about the dot-product. After I learned about it, I instantly used it in practise for a system I am working on.
Certifications are something I never really thought about, and they seem to be a good oppotunity to check if I might have missed something. If I have the time, I might check if there is one I could do (if I can afford it, of course :/)
I havent got a degree in game development. I pushed myself to always try to improve the skills I had as well as learn new ones. All of this was whilst on long term sick.
I've since gotten a job as a Unity VR developer. One of the things I believe really helped me was that I had a small 'portfolio' of games I'd made in a week, as well as a small VR concept demo. But at the same time I'd gotten some funding to complete a Coursera course from Goldsmiths (London University).
I honestly believe that if you can show that you have the drive and ability to complete a project from start to finish that will help you get a job - whether that's through projects under your own steam, or a degree or certificate you've worked through.
Swings 'n' roundabouts, as they say...
Degrees can be valuable, though perhaps not for the degree itself. I spent years trying to teach myself to code, and I'd get stuck, or frustrated, or lose motivation. Going to college to learn to program though worked well, and I now have a good grasp on it, and can self-learn to expand my knowledge much easier. Having professors and other students to ask questions from, and having more thorough explanations really helped me specifically.
That said, not everyone needs that. If you can learn the knowledge and skills required on your own, then that's awesome, and in that case I don't think you need to worry about degrees or certifications. That said, whether your employer worries about them is a whole other issue.
As far as the industry goes, my personal opinion is that a driven individual who is self-taught and has experience and/or a portfolio to show should be perfectly fine. I'm not sure they actually are, but they should be.
I think it depends on what way of learning you prefer. I like doing stuff I like, my way, so tons of googling and courses and tutorials and experimenting for hours is where its at for me. But most people probably dont like that and dont get excited by being thrown into the unknown, supposed to find their own way, so I think that for them school is good, not for the degree, but because they will be given some sort of direction, they would themselves not be able to find.
In addition, Im the type of guy who absolutely cannot stand school. Yeah I can learn the stuff, but first of all I hate it, second of all it is dreadful sitting in school, feeling like my life is drifting away, my thoughts everywhere but the subject at hand. so I started doing school "remotely" (or however you say it in English), am doing a part time IT service job from home and diving into indie development in the process. I guess a lot of people would say Im stupid as fuck and maybe I am, but I feel like what Im doing is the right thing for me
People learn in different manners, so maybe standard-classroom w/ lecture is not good for you. But school can expose you to subjects, resources, and people you wouldn't have encountered on your own. And in terms of job-hunting, it's easier to get past gatekeepers if you have an easily verified credential.
You have been an inspiration to me for a couple of years mate. Thanks for that. I think it is important.. But not essential.. I mean.. It's all about how you got the title.. Not the title only.. That's what I think.. For now :)
Going back to art school a second time I literally did not care about the piece of paper I got. The experience and improvement in my work were the real reward, and have been completely invaluable. As I'm sure is the case with many people, going to University straight out of high school I wasn't really mature enough to take stuff seriously the first time around and very little actually stuck.
I recently completed a Certificate IV in Game Design and Development here in Australia and as someone who wants to move from web to games development, it has been useful because I picked up some core concepts that I probably wouldn’t have thought about like creating Game Design Documentation and story boarding as a planning tool. I have also used the projects created from the course as part of my portfolio.
Having A+, Network+, Linux+, and the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification, I found myself lacking real practical experience when I got a job as a hardware technician for a FAANG company. I understood terms, methodologies, and general information which helped me grasp my job much more quickly than most of the other new hires, and I would often find myself asking questions that were too difficult for even the more senior technicians to answer. So, I'd say that certifications absolutely do help give you a baseline about whatever field it is you're trying to get into, but it's definitely not the end-all. That being said, certifications got me into the door without a degree so that's a plus.
This is a tricky issue . At least on the art side from whenever I have seen the post of “first day at blizzard”, “just started at naughty dog” etc…. When you click on the profile and go to the education side , always always he/she went to school for some type of game art degree -so take that for what you will .
I mean technically you don’t need a degree to be a prop artist , environment artist etc… there is not like nursing where you must pass the nclex, graduate from nursing school . But consider - your first hurdle is getting past HR and I have no idea of HR actually takes the time to go through each portfolio (though I hope that is the case) , HR may simply be there to filter out the applicants before the portfolio even gets reviewed .
Everyone says “a portfolio , a portfolio is all you need”. Well when you are competing against the game art grad who has the degree and a portfolio as well , what is your edge , what do you do ? Assuming HR simply filters out all the people who don’t have a related degree or years of experience, you are screwed. That portfolio that you worked so hard on may never even be looked at if you never make it past HR.
And to be clear I hope I am wrong I sincerely hope that when applying for an art position the strength of your application willl lie largely or only in the portfolio but I am not sure .
A+ Certification is for basic a computer knowledge. RAM, Motherboard, Where the power button is and how to take it apart and put all the pieces in the right place to have it turned back on. I got certified when i was 16 in Juve.
Game development is a craft job. A certificate is just a recognition of your skills. But they are way more recognized through your work.
My pre-video assumption is that a degree or certificate is valuable due to the importance of working well with a group; of not just being able to cobble something together that YOU understand but something a team can use and expand on.
I expect that you could get away with not having one using a nice portfolio instead, IF your portfolio includes a decent amount of group work - especially group work where other coders had to work with the code you wrote.
Post-video, I think the most convincing point is the kind of circular argument for certification: It's important because there are a decent number of managers who think it's important.
This is one of the weird things I've had to learn growing up: that circular arguments can be logical and valid if they're applied to social systems.
I agree that certification definitely falls under the "always go for it if you can find it for free" umbrella. And I think that bespeaks a level of inherent value to the experience.
I think degrees or certificates are not mandatory. But if you compete for a job with another person, who is of similar skill, company would hire the one with degrees. Also a tech degree shows that you have some strong math and physics background, which may be essential when you face a more complicated task to solve.
As a lead engineer for a company that makes games, I don't think I would hire someone that doesn't have a degree or a few certifications. I generally ask if they've ever messed with quaternions. Tells me right away how deep into math they went, and if they know how unity rotations work.
To be fair, it seems like most folks don't take linear algebra these days, not even programmers. Graphics programmers, definitely, but not everyone else.
And my observation of college students from my very-close vantage point, is that they are being sorted/limited by math skills (or their lack) before they even walk through the gate. If they didn't get sufficient math in HS, they don't even get the opportunity to do mid-tier college math.
well, what i do think about it before the video... The degree and certification a) will help the candidate to get the first enterview, it is like and ice breaker that helps some walls to go down, b) also it can be some pre request for the company to hire you as required, c) it can be an "extra", where the company will have some preference to the one who has it,
but, except for the B one, i think its only one piece of the pack, having some experience and get to show that you can have the job done seems to be the point to get the job.
My perspective comes from web development, where i do work and have no degrees or certificates, i had like 10 years experience doing "for fun programming", i did programming for solving problems while i was acting in other areas. so i kind had the tools for programming like logic and knowing a bit of many things like servers, file management and etc, but not the programming experience of every day programmer.
it really was very easy to get a job as programmer, i got 2 interviews and got approved on both. choosed one and gg =). I continue to work in this one since so, about 2.5 years
Basically if you want to get the job over someone else and they have a certificate or a certification and you don't but everything else about y'all is the same chances are they're getting the job and you're not.
I’m a one man hobby shop. Not looking for a job in the industry, just to make and sell my own game. My degree is in electrical engineering. If I was to hypothetically look to hire someone to program for me in Unity, I’d want to see if they’ve taken any courses in data structures as well as look at a portfolio of previous projects.
I am currently studying in University that has a Game Development course but the thing is this course will give you a basics and give you an understanding of whether you want to do it or not but later on you have to dive deeper on your own, what it is giving to you is making it much easier to dive deeper, I remember when I was studying C# on my own, that was really tough but after taking this course it became much, much easier, is is it worthless, I definitely wouldn't say so, plus it is additional check mark in my resume so why not?!
Commenting before watching the rest of the video. I would say that before I started my journey into learning how to code I would've said most definitely a degree would be essential and certificates not so much. Now with a coding boot camp under my belt and being an instructor for said boot camp I can tell you that degrees and certificates are just pieces of paper and really isn't indicative of a person's ability to code. I do believe that degrees help you're resume get looked at by a hiring manager and then its up to your personal projects and experience to do the heavy lifting.
UA-cam + Stack overflow is the best certification in my opinion :)
Only 0:33 into the video and a beginner game programer so you shouldn’t take my word for it.
But basically I don’t think you need any degrees or certificates, I think they will help you find a job quicker but at the end of the day, all that matters is that you know how to program.
If you can show that you’re a good programer without a degree or a certificate then I think you’ll find what you’re looking for.
In the past I have generally downplayed the importance of certifications or degrees for things where the equipment necessary is affordable enough to have at home. Can you do it or not was the standard. But if a certification can show, as you suggest, that one can do it then it should have value.
I think my initial reaction to Game Dev was excitement and awe. After 2 1/2 years of online courses and tutorials and thousands of dollars later, I”m feeling dismayed, disheartened and a little betrayed. Dismayed because after all this time, I only have a few noteworthy projects and not much else to show for it. Disheartened because I now know that what I’ve learned in all that time is nowhere near enough to get a job in a real studio and developing an Indie will take months or even years and it still may not go anywhere. I feel a little betrayed because when I first started out, I was green and I now know that people will take advantage of that. Promising that all I have to do to become a game developer is to take their courses. Testimonials from 2 or 3 students when they boast of thousands who have taken their course. Buy thousands of dollars worth of assets that I haven’t used yet. Now I realize that the people doing these courses weren’t even making games themselves; they were making videos about making games and selling dreams. Do I want to be a game developer? Not anymore. There’s no gaming industry for little guys like me trying break into the business, just a bunch of sharks and predators preying on noobs. Degree or no degree, there’s a video that advocates both sides. No one person has all the answers, only their experiences. I’m not throwing shade because everyone needs to pay bills but there aren’t enough standards set in the industry to ensure the courses will deliver what they promise are that that person is qualified to make one in the first place. So, learn to make a simple game like flappy bird then make a video about it and get paid from UA-cam or patreon etc. I wish I’d went to college for it, at least it would’ve been a structured environment. I’m a full stack developer now and I haven’t looked back. Good luck to you all.
I plan on obtaining everything Unity has to offer.
It’s mostly for me. I certainly don’t plan on using it to get a day job. I think it’ll help my freelancing rates, which is great.
I also think it’s formidable-enough looking to cement my status if I am forced to partner up with a team in order to complete a project.
Or when trying to get funding for a project. I’d rather give money to the guy with shipped titles and all the certs than to some guy who said they’d download this “unity” thing and watch some tutorials over the weekend.
I just feel people would take me more seriously, so that’s why I say, “It’s Kuzco-topia! It’s my birthday present to meee!!!”
You create mobile games, apps etc. You can use blender, 3d program software, Adobe Photoshop, you write code. What is the best open job title to cover all that?
I'm finishing my bachelor's in Computer Science, though I haven't got a job in the industry yet. I think technical degree teaches you a lot of useful things that normally you may not come across and if I were to choose again, I'd do what I did. Sadly I didn't have an opportunity to study more gamedev-oriented degree, but I think Computer Science will be enough for a Unity dev.
But I think the degree rather teaches you how to use tools and which tools to use than what to make with those tools. So to make a genius, unforgettable experience you don't need any degrees, just willingness to learn.
Certifications are just the easiest way for the monolithic companies to understand what you know. It's a numbers game. if you're applying to a smaller shop or doing the work in a small group or something then the certs matter less. Accomplishments matter more at the smaller scales. The bigger companies can't (be bothered to) take the time to look at your portfolio.
Personally I think making a few games you enjoy creating first is priority then gauge the benefits of learning a course.
The biggest positive to certifications/degrees is that they give some sense of structure for people who don't know what things are important to learn in any particular field. The issue with both is sort of an issue with school in general (at least in America). In grade school, you learn more about how to be good at taking tests than you do about the thing the test is about. That's part of why we have the issue of people who have certifications/degrees but still don't know much about their field. It usually at least shows that someone is interested though, which is a good sign.
I'm 16 and this helped decide if I was going to college or not
ALL DEPENDS ON HOW YOU CAN DO SELF-STUDYING, HOW PATIENT AND HOW STUBBORN YOU ARE. IF U HAVE TIME EVERY DAY, AT LEAST 4 HOURS FOR SELF STUDYING AND IT REALLY MAKE U FEEL WONDERFULL - YOU CAN STUDY ANYTHING IN THE WORLD WITHOUT SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OR ANY OTHER PLACE FOR LAZY PEOPLE. DONT BE LAZY! STUDY TO STUDY BY YOURSELF, ACHIEVE GOALS, AND DONT WORRY. BE STUBBORN AND PATIENT.
I'm prepping courses to get my UE teaching certification. Do i need it? No but it can't hurt. And I know It'll make some people feel better when I start publishing UE tutorials.
Jason thank you for being so committed to sharing your thoughts with us all. I appreciate you!
I think degree or certifications that lead you to forming a good game portfolio by the end the program are what really matter.
It depends on what area of development you're working in and the amount of knowledge needed for the position. I've been working in video game development for 30 years. I'm a self taught artist without a degree or certificate and I've been doing very well. I can imagine their are plenty of smart and talented programmers out there who are also self taught and very capable of doing the job.
In both art & programming there are fundamentals, but I think you can stay in the field longer & go further without them in art, than in programming.
@@mandisaw Perhaps. Programming isn't my background. Talent and skill still play a large part in getting into game development. At least if you're looking to work for a studio with a name.
@@chrisw3731 Connections / networking has more impact on getting in, especially if you're talking a traditional studio job, or freelancing. But talent, skill, and persistence will keep you going.
I have no experience to support this, but my understanding is the education at university is not necessary, however the structure of creating a portfolio with support, as well as the networking can still make it worth the cost.
its more so the knowlage of the content from the degree or certification that matters and if your able to show that you have said Knowlage. that's what Degree, certifications, portfolios are for, they demistate that you know what your doing
I think certificates / degrees are useful. But for game dev definitely not a requirement. I personally struggle a lot whenever I approach a new technology or programming language that works very differently than whatever I am use to use so I would usually watch a small course on the core concepts and the basics before I can take off on my own.
in majority of A+ cert schools, the programs usually fail, they more or less pass you based on minimal effort & tests that are practiced by memorizing the practice one
The rigor has certainly gone down. My late husband held some of the early A+ certs in the 90s and early 00s. They covered a mix of practical skills, and you took the test in a proctored in-person test center. Once they got a lot more lax, and you got more folks cheating/buying their certs, or otherwise were allowed to game the system, the value of it as a credential plummeted.
I would think they help get your foot in the door as the saying goes, but overall I think if you have a very well thought out portfolio and can demonstrate your skill and knowledge (assuming you do have those and can do those things) idk how much value they provide after that.
I've been making games since I was 7 years old. I had a lot of fun with flash, RPG Maker, Game Maker and went to study programming all by myself, using just google. Then I went to music college and didn't finished it.
Finally, I had the oportunity to work developing games and got a job, 2 years ago. Been working in different projects since then. Then, we needed another programmer and the most talented game developers weren't even from the IT industry. There's a lot of knowledged needed regarding arts, game design, having a gamer culture that makes the whole difference. I want to start studying computer science, even although I don't need it to make a living.
tl;dr: you just need to know how to study by yourself and know how to google it.
I don't have a degree or certifications. Given that plenty of solo developers are successful, to some degree, without them, I sincerely do not think they are needed. I feel the same for many other fields as well, but most especially for game development. However, I will say that if a person is committed enough to get a degree or certification, then they would seem more likely to be more committed to their game's development.
Can we have a video about copyrighting? Like what can be done if someone were to create a clone of a game with some changes. Asking for a friend...
I think it's good to have any degree if it can give a profit for you career path(e.g. computer science is a good thing for every developer). But not a requirement by default especially at the beginning.
Since any hands-on experience is more valuable than theoretical knowledge, I'd prefer to make some simple projects or finish a few months course to fill my cv, than spent a few years for college, study program or degree.
I guess you would like to get a degree or improve your qualification after getting job to fill some gaps in your background.
I love the idea of certifications because it helps people understand where you are in your learning journey but the issue is how everything is gatekept and expectations are so widely varied. I could complete 10 certs and still not land an interview, or I could publish a game on steam and get a job. The game dev hiring community seems to be like a popularity contest or cult
@valcaron kind of sad, for me. I get it, they've got it good. It'd be nice to get in though. I'm the kind of guy, hopefully, that doesn't sell out.
I'd personally rather see a strong portfolio, but a cert does show dedication.
fwiw, likewise; almost 20 yr dev here - no degree; imho, the older paradigm represents something you "did" while most employers are more interested in what you can "do." with technology constantly evolving, your skill-set should be, also. thus, getting the latest $20 udemy course (wait for the sales!) seems far more efficient (economical) a medium of knowledge transfer.
-no need for a fancy college loan; just stay humble, google often, & pay your isp on time. : )
I think that certificates and degrees are great. However, they are not required. Some people need a bit more direction and guidance when it comes to learning how to develop games where as others are able to pick stuff up, attend UA-cam University, and go to town. I largely think that degrees are stupidly over priced, but if that's you thing, go for it.
Overall, however someone wants to and chooses to learn game dev (or anything they want to learn or are passionate about) is absolutely fine.
They show that you have the self discipline and motivation.
They do not show that you have the competence.
That only comes through experience, and, even then, sometimes not.
Track record is the best.. what you have done.
If you are just starting out. The motivation and discipline is all important.
Before video: currently pursuing BS in computer science with my electives in machine learning, Shader/graphics progressing, gpu computing. Actively pursuing Unity certs. Don't think these are necessary to make games but having the training/education will increase my capacity to lead others in creating interactive media, games or otherwise, and increase my credibility should I find an in for consulting or freelancing.
Just to say, i have a degree in computer science and i pivoted to game development. People who have interviewed me have valued more my experience than anything with the degree itself, im still looking for a position so my opinion is to value more the experience you can get with other sources like game jams, etc.
Internships and work experience is what they're mainly looking for, along with your project portfolio. They want to know how you work, how you learn on the job, and that you can start and complete a project.
I'm leaning game dev I'm 24.
Please suggest me course. I have some programing skills.
Is it okay to learn game dev in 24age?
Please guide me.
May i ask what major or degree you should go for if u wanna do game development/designing
How can you prove what you know ? Sometimes there is no time to test your skills, then Certification is useful.
have a portfolio?
@@weepigaming True.
went to game design for college for a year. Should have known better. Wasn't good at highschool, shouldn't have gone to college. Besides, it ended up being more of an art college and not suited to someone who wanted to do a lot of programming. Now, I am struggling to make my name on an indie game. I don't think there always is a clear path forward, certainly college is not the way for everyone. citification's may be more reasonable, because they are about weather or not you know your stuff.
I left collage and got accepted to a job, a few months later there was a wave of people from my previous collage who came to apply, 50% of them were fired despite having a degree. I think if you want to figure if the person can do the job is to do a test. You don't know what they learned in that collage, you don't know how professional they are if even. Don't count on the fact that someone gave them a degree as an assurance that they actually can do the job
As an indie game developer from the global south, I feel like certificates are mostly unnecessary, unless your job requires them
Hi Jason,
Personally so far my degree in Games Technology / Practical Software Engineering and Computer Science I think has assisted me with reaching the requirements to be hired by a games company, as I have spent two years on C++, OpenGL legacy and modern, and Unity Engine, along with supplying me the knowledge to work on my own personal projects which I have. However, I don't know if it is because I am in Australia or my resume writing is not up to scratch but I am usually rejected with a comment stating your resume and skillset are rather impressive however we just currently don't have a position open for the job which did have a vacancy on their website at the time of application.
Is this a personal thing ? or are companies when requesting interns / junior developers really expecting someone who is not junior at all ? I was wondering if I could get your thoughts and recommendations.
I love your content by the way and have even gone through some of your unity videos when it came down to building my VLAN AI game of tag.
Regards
William.
I just wanna know if its possible to be successful this with a family to take care o
I noticed (as a softwaredeveloper) that basic certifications often are suited as a minimum base to talk about job related topics. Often colleagues are talking about some general technical stuff, but nobody know what they are talking about, because their wording does not match with any established knowlegde, allthough they mean the same thing. So i recommend to learn established content at least for yourself to help you and your colleagues find a proper base to talk about your stuff.
I like more the idea of certifications from credible sources. I think then for people using Unity that Unity's word is most valuable. Next say would be from accomplished studios, developers, artists, etc anyone that is a master of their craft. Anything else is likely lesser.
I earned a degree in video game design years ago. Didn't do me a lick of good in landing a job.
I will get a degree for my family because I dont care about it and is there a way to create online lobbies and ids for a mobile game in unity ?
Wrong reason to get a degree my man. Speaking from experience.
There's a new networking lobby they just announced last week, I'm excited to check it out myself
People who don't have a degree will tell you that it is better to get a degree. I am someone who doesn't have a degree, and those ive talked to without a degree say that getting a degree makes life much easier when it comes to work. However, at the same time, not having a degree doesnt limit us in anyway. Self taught can do the same things people who have gone school.
I used to think they’re all useless. I no longer think this, BUT, they are not necessary if you have the motivation and discipline to learn it on your own
Pre video thinking: I am from Colombia and in december I'll finish my software engieneer degree(5 years), here there are not many videogames companies and I really want to project my professional life o videogames(or AR and VR)
I started having some interviews with European companies but they told me that it's nice that you have a degree, but it's even better if you certificate with some framework or tool... so at least in my case those 5 years were not truly needed 😞 I am preparing to take the unity exam
Degrees across country borders are particularly tricky - many places don't always respect education from another country.
@@mandisaw yeah... I just hope to be able to learn with big companies and then come back to help the Hispanic videogame industry creating my own game dev house
@@Jukaorena There are some studios in South America - most are small, and run as subcontractors for larger studios. Not as prestigious, but still a good way to build experience, across multiple tools/genres.
@@mandisaw that's exactly what I want, but they rarely hire, rn I have 2 options, to try to get hired by an overseas company or to start my own with small games and star hiring people
@@Jukaorena I think there's a pattern with hiring at game studios - they only seem to take on more people when they're starting production, or sometimes they'll bring in part-timers near release. Otherwise nothing
Can you recommend any certifications?
A+ was a fun cert, not for everyone though
So wait I’m in a 3 semester college course for video game design in general I hope I’m not wasting my time
Make contacts, talk to everyone else at school. It's one of the biggest most beneficial things you can do there.
And ask a ton of questions if you can
when the diploma is more important than you learn, you know something is not right.
when companies realize that people who learn on their own are more valuable than those who don't, it will be when humanity advances
If you have game that makes or can make money. I think certification does not matter.
I think certifications are perfectly fine.
I think degrees are a waste of time and money.
I have a degree in game design, was abused and taken advantage of by the head of the program - who might I add, was completely unqualified to teach anything let alone game design. The school and administration also facilitated the bs.
I was told when I was accepted they had certain classes, equipment, and even teachers. None of it was true. Schools don’t know how to make cohesive game design programs, so things were thrown together and even just… not even made, though they were promised, to students. Labs that were too small or didn’t have equipment good enough to work in certain game engines, etc. “we’re working on emerging markets like VR” doesn’t have one NOT A ONE VR kit or even headset.
Then teachers who either aren’t qualified or seemed over qualified and still couldn’t teach. Yeah it’s great that you worked on D&D and Skyrim but if you’re just making kids watch UA-cam videos because you can’t teach, your AAA experience is practically worthless. Looks cool on paper, I guess??
I am 30,000 in debt for a degree that is worthless because I don’t have the actual skills required to get a job in the industry, because 95% of my classes were some jackass so full of himself he’d just talk about his favorite games or have us watch UA-cam videos rather than teach us. This industry doesn’t care if you have a paper but can’t actually do any of the skills. You learn a lot on the job, sure, but if you don’t even have the basis to start, you’re not going anywhere.
And the issue is that it’s not just ONE school. Most schools are like this with new degrees, and schools are trying to entice kids to go there so of course they are going to advertise a program that isn’t fully fleshed out yet, they NEED your money. Even kids at full sail several years ago were coming out against the university for a hot minute because they had “game design” degrees but lacked the actual skills to get actual game designer jobs and instead were pooling into marketing.
There are some statements from the students and faculty in this program at my school here: webstergamedesign.com
So as someone who has lived the game design degree experience - it’s not worth it, it sucks, it’s extremely expensive, I could go on for days about how dumb it is.
Treehouse certification are good for both sides. The exams are difficult. On Udemy you can cheat
I would rather higher a great c# developer and teach them Unity personally.
That pole did not really give any information. you added a question that was the obvious answer. Of course most people will say that either is good but none of them are required. it's like having a pole that asks if life has meaning and having 3 answers "yes", "no", and " "There's really no way to prove whether or not life has meaning but people are still able to find meaning in this world regardless". you're no longer asking if life people think life has meaning but the only information you will get is how many people believe there is an objectively correct answer to that question. With this, you asked how important certificates and degrees are but the response you got was whether or not people believed that certificates and/or degrees are required for jobs. the pole never told us whether or not degrees and certifications are important or how important they were. The pole only tells us if either/or is required. Whether or not a degree is required does not tell us anything about its level of importance.
If you’re from Asia …. Either you’re a doctor/engineer or a failure and degrees, marks are more important than oxygen.
Yeah certification or degree not needed but basically they'll get you a job easier
in a degree you learn how to make games but if you have made 2 or 3 games before you already know the majority of things that you will learn in a degree.
The stuff you wouldnt learn is just as important like data structures and algorithms, good luck passing technical interviews without those.
@@nathanwhite704 What if, instead of that technical knowledge, you had a game like SuperHot or Undertale in your portfolio?
@@kristianthaler6525 Thats pretty rare, almost no one makes games of that caliber by themselves, the few that have were like decade long obsessions for those developers.
@@nathanwhite704 Flappy Bird
@@kristianthaler6525 Yeah, Flappy Bird was made in less than a week but it only got as popular as it did because of the gamer youtubers like pewdiepie if it wasnt for them promoting it, it would've remained obscure and unsuccessful. It's an exception not the rule.
In science fields, I've experienced that people with Master's degrees often can't understand core scientific concepts like data analysis, and complain the loudest about having to do "menial tasks" like keep their own desks clean. I've completely lost my faith in universities to predict the usefulness of a person in an actual workplace.
That's highly anecdotal... Nonetheless, in the sciences with a Masters, they're either in a field with a terminal-Masters (good), or didn't realize they needed / failed to get their PhD (bad). In either case, you may just be seeing folks who spent all their time in academia without getting the full benefit (tenured faculty spot), *and* didn't build any practical skills or work experience. Or you just had bad luck and dealt with jerks 😅
Hey Jason/everyone else. I posted a reply video ua-cam.com/video/mnAtKlNg9uM/v-deo.html - Specifically talking about *when* I think its valuable or not to get a degree or certification
deegre is a waste of time 4 years to study 5 useless things u dont want and 1 thing u may enjoying it and is the only thing u need +teachters are terrible, atleast in greece is like that. My opinion is just buy some good books watch some videos make games and the most important love making games
The most important thing is ability. Whether that was helped by degrees or certs is just a way of learning. Some of the best developers i know have no certs and no degrees. Oh.. and btw… Unity is cringe.
I do not have a degree and have a full-time career in Unity dev now, thanks to a lot of great advice from Jason. What you do need to do is build cool stuff and share it online and make a portfolio. It doesn't even have to be complete, shipped games: it can be dev log videos, Winforms and Android apps, small scenes and demos, anything cool you made! But it's definitely better to have one or two really cool things than 25 crappy things you cobbled together just to seem like you did a lot of stuff. Apply to a variety of companies and get some interviews on your schedule!
finally a video about this topic from someone i trust a lot! thank you jason!
Very welcome!
Disclaimer, full time enterprise Dev, part-time Ganev l game Dev. I hire people.
Good university degrees aren't there to teach you a job. They're there to change the way you think. If your course isn't pushing you and expanding your ideas on tech, etc then drop it.
I'm interested in the way a person thinks, attacks problems and works with others. Those are far more important than if they know the language, tooling or patterns. I can teach that. I can't teach lateral thinking.
Some people can do that without university but they are the tiny minority.
There are lots of other side benefits to uni (like networking) but they're not there to teach you a job.
As for certifications, I often see people with expensive MS Foundation certificates that crammed to get through the exam and then promptly forgot it all. I don't rate them at all.
You don’t need a degree or certification, however it does show intent. As a hiring manager it shows that you’re investing in yourself. You want to learn and close knowledge gaps. No matter how old you are you’re always learning
you dont need em, however you do lol
let the performance show it, certificate only a waste of money.
@@dreamingacacia you are correct. On the job performance is absolute key. I was talking from the perspective of hiring, when you’re looking at resumes. Unless you can demonstrate experience, you’re at a disadvantage when compared to someone else’s resume that has an educational past.
@@joofville not really, what about their portfolios, would you rather have a guy with-a certificate or a guy with many good games published