Odd Jobs
As anyone in the industry knows, sometimes it can be hard to find something in your career path either after graduating or building your portfolio. Especially in smaller cities and towns there may not be something that you can think would be available for you – but the team at AIE Lafayette has put together a sort of “odd jobs” list for our students to think about after graduation.
Four “Odd Jobs” Related to the Gaming Industry
1. Visualization & Commercial Work
A lot of people don’t realize this – but the oil field industry and medical field industry in particular are always looking for new 3D imagery. Whether it’s for commercial work or to demonstrate new products to clients, many companies are always looking for talented visionaries.
2. (VR) Training Simulations
Safety training and simulations are very important in the workplace, especially when it comes to hard labor jobs. Truck drivers, oil field workers, and people who work heavy machinery are just a few of the focal people that training simulations are aimed at.
3. Community Managers and Marketing for small(er) Game Studios
So you’ve already gone to school for something in game development – art, programming, whatever it may be – and you can’t find any studios that are hiring for a position you’re suited for. But they are hiring for a community manager, someone who can get in touch with fans and organize events and promote them, and run social media. Maybe you also have a background in marketing. Give it a try!
4. Software Development
Maybe a local bed and breakfast or a local hotel near you needs a new program for their inventory? Or maybe you work for a company that logs and checks each naval ship coming in and out of port every day? There are always bound to be companies that need help with something like this – and with the education you gain at AIE, “game programming” turns into something that lets you merge into this field.
If you can’t find anything in your field immediately, don’t give up! There are always options related to your education background, even if you taught yourself. Always update your portfolio, and think outside of the box.