Switching Stories: experience of Kevuru Games specialists. Part 2

People don't always manage to choose a profession they like at a young age, a lot of people come to their favorite industry later. And the examples of numerous developers at Kevuru Games show that if you dream of working in a game development company, this wish can become a reality. You just need to be motivated to change and make an effort.

In the first part of the Switching Stories series, we've already told the stories of Kevuru specialists who worked as a personal bodyguard, juggler, and event manager before becoming a game dev specialist. In the next part of the series, an architectural designer, a technical training consultant at a large corporation, a procurement specialist, and an information security researcher share their experiences.

"I feel like I got more space for learning and growing"

I've had game consoles at home all my life and I've always wanted to work with games. But there was no market here in Brazil. So I got a job with a big pay-TV company. Over 10 years, I came a long way: from an advanced technical support worker and analyst to a consultant in the field of technical training and engineering. During that period, I initiated several projects that reduced huge business costs. So my career can be called successful.

However, I realized that I had stopped developing in the field I was working in. There were some limitations to innovation, but I watched the world change and I wanted to have more freedom to try new things, to meet new challenges. On weekends and after work, I read forums and books about game development. When I learned more about the possibilities of the future and new technologies, I thought it was now or never. And in 2016, I made the decision to change my life.?

The transition to a new profession was very difficult because everyone around me didn't share my passion. They didn't understand what I was talking about. There was no support, but I didn't really care. However, I felt constantly tired because I regularly spent time after work preparing for my jump. I was following my strategic plan, according to which my switching would take place.

I had several challenges. Firstly, investment in technical equipment - I needed a computer and peripherals that cost as much as a car. Secondly, offline courses and books were also expensive. I spent almost all my savings. But I looked to the future and firmly believed that one day things would change for the better and I would eventually overcome all obstacles.

"Everything around us is changing very quickly. And if you stand still, your knowledge will become obsolete"

I attended courses in the evening after work, and on weekends I went to seminars, lectures, and workshops. In addition, I took online courses and sought help from mentors.?

The past experience I gained during the creation of educational training, development processes, and accompanying documentation came in handy. I also worked with process visualization and ITIL flowcharts. In addition, time management techniques like Pomodoro, which I learned in the corporate world, proved useful.

Gaming is a complex industry. For example, there are games for consoles, mobile phones, etc. Therefore, a specialist has many prospects for development and achievements throughout his or her life. I feel that I have more space for learning and development.?

And to stay in line, I have to constantly learn, adapt to changes, learn new technologies, and find a balance between speed and quality. Everything around us is changing very fast. And if you stand still, your knowledge will become obsolete.

Tips for beginners in gamedev

1. During the training, study all available materials and do all the suggested exercises. If you are given links to additional books or videos, be sure to explore these resources. Don't refuse to act as a teacher - this will allow you to learn even better.

2. Avoid distractions while studying. Ask family members not to disturb you, turn off social media notifications. After all, by looking away for a second, a student may miss the golden rule or expert information of the course.

3. Look at other works for inspiration and try to decipher what is happening in the design and art of other artists. However, don't make negative comparisons. Try to take a small project and reproduce it.

4. Do additional research, look at different courses that complement each other. After all, knowledge is formed as elements of a mosaic.

5. Show your projects to more experienced artists. Ask for feedback or help when needed.

6. Don't be afraid to revise or adjust projects. After all, for beginners, the main thing is not to deliver the task, but to learn. Only then, in the next stages, you will be able to create projects for your portfolio.?

7. Take discipline seriously. Set aside a few hours for studying so that you can concentrate and not be distracted by breaks. Two hours when you are focused are much more valuable than eight hours without discipline.

8. Create a study plan. For example, it can be a list of tasks in Trello. The more you manage your own development, the higher the level of motivation to continue.

9. Try to perform independently those exercises that were done in the courses. If possible, try to achieve the same result in other ways. This helps to strengthen your knowledge and understand your own gaps.

10. Compete with yourself. To be better than you were yesterday, practice every day, watch videos, read manuals, exchange ideas with other artists, and participate in contests. However, never compare yourself to the results of others, especially if this specialist has 20 years of experience.

"Changing my profession to my dream job gave me energy and a sense of life"

I graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture. At first, I thought that architecture was a good choice for me, because many creative disciplines were taught there. As early as the 3rd year of my studies, I began to realize that I wasn't interested in ordinary drawing. But architectural and design visualizations were another matter, it was fascinating. In classes, we were taught the basics of 3Ds Max. That's how my acquaintance with 3D began. I even started taking freelance orders.

After my bachelor's degree, my friends and I decided to continue our studies in Warsaw. There, I got a job at an architectural firm, where I drew designs for private houses. I was motivated by the fact that I was making money with my skills. However, after a few months, the tasks began to seem dry and boring, and I realized that this profession wasn't for me.

At the end of 2017, I returned to Kyiv and started researching jobs around 3D, besides architectural design. That's how I discovered game development. It came as a surprise to me that there were a number of specialties related to video game development. Of course, I understood that such an industry existed, but I didn't think it was present in Ukraine on such a large scale, which pleasantly surprised me.

One of the companies sent me a test assignment for the position of game location designer, and that's how I took my first steps in Unity. Unfortunately, I didn't get a response to the test, but in any case, the train started moving. I realized that I wanted to become a 3D artist.

"I was one of the few students who made it to the end in computer graphics courses"

To gain the necessary knowledge, I decided to enroll in a course at the Kyiv School of Computer Graphics. At the same time, I started freelancing in interior design, real estate, and sales to earn money. This allowed me to avoid working in the office five days a week and combine work and study.

It turned out that at that time the school had already enrolled a group of 20 people, although there were only 16 places. The next class was planned to be formed only in a month and a half. I wasn't ready to wait that long and considered other schools as a backup plan. But when I told the manager about it, I got a call 30 minutes later saying that the teacher had agreed to take me as the 21st student. I was overjoyed.

During the course, I realized: 80% of what I knew about 3D wasn't about game development. Game development has a completely different work model and processes. In addition, I had to switch from 3Ds Max to Autodesk Maya, but it was even more interesting. I wasn't a complete noob, so I quickly started to figure it out.

My training lasted six months. At first, I was quite productive, but later my productivity decreased a bit. However, I became one of the few students who made it to the end and received a graduation certificate.

"I analyzed myself as a work unit: pros, cons, wishes and warnings"

When choosing a field, I analyzed myself as a work unit: I wrote down all my pros, cons, wishes and warnings (things I don't want to do). After that, I spent half a day searching for information about the professions of the future. I chose the ones that suited me personally and compared them with the analysis I had done on myself. That's how I settled on 3D and game development in general.

I liked game dev because I have been fond of video games since childhood. In addition, I had a 3D base that I had acquired while working with drawing programs, as well as an extensive gaming experience. A developed artistic taste, a trained eye, and basic knowledge of composition and drawing came in handy.

I received about 3-5% of my basic knowledge from the university, 30-50% from a computer graphics school, and another 5-10% from YouTube when I was making a CV for a job search. I gained further experience in the field, and my colleagues at Kevuru helped me a lot.

Changing careers to my dream job gave me energy and a sense of life. But you need to understand that every person has their own responsibilities. Personally, I was lucky: at the age of 27, I had the opportunity to spend 6-8 months on self-development and additional education. The money I earned was only enough to buy food, but my family understood and supported me, both morally and financially. Although, of course, not all of them. There were also those who refused, constantly joking about my age and the fact that I was a lifelong student. It's quite unpleasant, but I stuck it out. And my choice turned out to be right and successful.

So believe in yourself, but not blindly. Analyze, develop, and fear nothing!

"In gamedev, you can see the results of your work - it inspires you, helps you move forward and not stop"?

For more than 5 years, I worked in trade, where I rose from a sales manager to a procurement specialist. Unfortunately, it was difficult to work creatively in those positions, because the system is built in such a way that everyone is an element of it, not an individual.

So, I felt that I had reached the limit. Life seemed to have turned into a boring sequence: home, work, sleep, waiting for the weekend.

It didn't take me long to think about changing my profession. I can say that it was the game dev that chose me. Since childhood, I've played a lot of games and have always been interested in the details of their development.?

From the very beginning, I realized that in game development, and in particular in 3D modeling, it is much easier to see the results of your work and realize the knowledge you have gained than in the field of trade. It inspired me, helped me to move forward and not stop.

"Switching to any field will not be too difficult if you understand why and what you need it for"

I was lucky: I had friends who were already working in game development at a small "home-style" outsourcing company. I had the opportunity to gain knowledge alongside them: I came to them every day with my computer.

However, I mostly relied on tutorials on the Internet. If I couldn't figure it out on my own, I asked for help. This combination allowed me to start doing something pretty quickly. And then I searched for new knowledge on the Internet.

At the same time, I had to learn a lot of programs and master different approaches. Probably the hardest thing for me is to develop a more artistic view of graphics, because it's not inherent in me at all.

I believe that it won't be too difficult to move into any field if you understand why and what you need it for. For example, I am comfortable dealing with routine processes in a new business - this is probably one of the main factors that makes the choice a good one.

"Initial difficulties are temporary"

I spent about a year as a trainee. Then I worked as a junior for a year and a half in a new company, and then I became a middle. Now my level is between Middle and Senior 3D Modeler. And during this process, I am developing more and more as an Environment Artist and gaining professional knowledge. Thanks to various Kevuru projects and the support of the team, I am gaining more and more experience.?

You need to understand that a radical change of profession is often accompanied by a certain deterioration in living standards. Unfortunately, I have seen many people who didn't complete or even start their journey to change because they were afraid of such inconveniences.?

However, the initial difficulties are temporary. For example, at the beginning of my switching, I had months with a budget of $200, but the situation improved over time. You need to be confident in your goal and have endurance.

"Systematic approach and math became the skills that came in handy in game development"

I started programming at the age of 13. I graduated from the programming department at college and entered the master's program in Information Security at the National Technical University of Ukraine. At the same time, I started playing video games a lot. I played through the Mass Effect trilogy a dozen times and realized that gaming is an art. I had a dream that seemed unrealizable at the time - to develop games.

My classmate and I started developing our own casual game and realized that it was not easy at all. Then, together with my scientific advisor, we created a computer game development club at the department.

Later, I entered graduate school, taught practical classes and lectured. Later, my former college professor and I started our own IT school. At the same time, I found a part-time job as a Unity developer. After a while, the project needed additional programmers to implement the project. Our school had more than enough of them. In this way, we gradually formed a small branch of the company I worked for.

Meanwhile, I was still pursuing my graduate studies. I was rarely at home and didn't sleep much, so I realized that I had to choose one thing. My dream of creating games finally started to come true and I decided to devote myself to this business. In addition, the decent attitude towards you as a person and a specialist, as well as good earnings, motivated me to become a game developer.

"Game development requires a lot of specific knowledge"

When I started working at a product company, they just started to develop the direction of Unity. I quickly grew from an ordinary developer to a team leader. The work was hellish - I often worked for 12 hours and seven days a week. I moved to the next two companies as a confident Middle. Over time, I was assigned to juniors and was already leading projects on my own - sometimes 9 at a time. In this way, I gained a lot of different experiences.?

Then I moved to a company that developed a well-known mobile game, now as a Senior Developer. I worked there for a while, but after the beginning of a full-scale war, I refused to cooperate. Then - Kevuru.?

The switch to a new profession was difficult for me. I used to code in C++ before joining gamedev and just switched to C#, wrote for ASP NET and UWP. That's why, for example, at first I couldn't understand the logic of building an architecture for Unity. You should immediately get used to the idea that a large amount of knowledge should be put aside for a while and instead spend a lot of time studying the engine and its API.

On the other hand, game development requires a lot of specific knowledge. It's important to understand a lot of mathematical concepts, which are more complex than in other IT fields. It's also worth having a stock of knowledge about the architecture of modern computing, especially when it comes to memory management.

"The course will give you a vector and theory, and your task is to consolidate them with practice"

Systematic approach and math have become the skills that have come in handy in game development. I don't get lost when I see formulas, and often, first of all, I look for solutions to certain problems in articles or the math literature rather than Stack Overflow.?

Discrete math helps a lot. The main mathematical apparatus in my scientific work was fuzzy logic. This is a very flexible and convenient mathematical apparatus that allows you to both generalize and fragment systems, form new sets of elements, and identify new elements and those that are missing.?

Postgraduate studies taught me how to work with large amounts of information: to systematize materials, identify the important, and remove the unnecessary.

During my teaching career, I met people who were sure that as soon as they completed the course, they would be able to find a job right away. This isn't true. It's worth remembering that a diploma from a course alone doesn't make you in demand. The best of my students, who later became my colleagues in one of the companies, not only studied at my courses, but also practiced and experimented a lot at home. So my advice is to go beyond the course. The course will give you a vector and theory, and your task is to consolidate them with practice.

In one of the companies, I had a colleague, a QA, who literally did course assignments while working in a mine. For me, he is an example of perseverance.

Find a professional community. Like-minded people and people who already work in the industry can help you, advise you, and inspire you. Try going to jams and hackathons just to meet new people. Inspiration from communication will give you the strength to work in the most difficult times.

It's important to analyze your failures with a cool head. Then they become a support for you that allows you to rise above the past. An unanalyzed failure will remain just a failure, but an analyzed failure is an invaluable experience.

When I radically changed my life and abandoned a stable, clear plan for a new one, I was scared and felt bad. But each time I kept working towards my dream, and after a while I found a place where my efforts were noticed. This is how I achieved results.?

So the main thing is to start! Our dreams are achievable, but they don't come true by themselves. We have to reach them, go for them. And everything will definitely work out!