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DarkBASIC Professional Discussion / How DBPro helped me get a job in mechanical engineering

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29 games
18
Years of Service
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Joined: 23rd Nov 2005
Location: not entirely sure
Posted: 17th Sep 2015 18:47
I've been a mechanical engineer for the past fourteen years and have recently been looking for a new job and a change in industry – currently in refrigeration and will be moving to a place that design and make big electric motors, which I have no experience of.

As part of the second interview I had to give a presentation on my achievements but I'd already given a kind of mini-presentation of my prior work, showing things that I'd designed and the kind of calculations / analysis work I had done. So for the second interview I decided to do a presentation on making computer games (I've attached a pdf version of this for you to look at).

The presentation mainly focused on my game Purple Complex (written in DBPro) and I started by talking about the game in very broad terms and then narrowed it down to some very specific details of how the enemy AI behaves. I also talked about creating and animating CGI models but stopped short of demonstrating the sound effects as I didn't think it would be appropriate to fill the meeting room with the sound of gun fire.

I finished the presentation by listing what I think are the key skills that are required to make a game - imagination, problem solving, ability to learn, planning, dealing with critique and feedback, determination and motivation - which I think is a pretty good set of skills to cultivate.

This was a risk, it could have all gone horribly wrong and I hate doing presentations, but I'd put a lot of effort into the presentation (the one I used had various video clips to show the games in action) and I spoke with confidence and clarity. I was pleasantly surprised that the technical director was genuinely interested in the development process and impressed at the effort as he had no idea of what was involved in making computer games.

People often comment that DBPro is not proper coding, that it's had its day and that it won't help you get a job as a coder. I find this a very narrow view as making computer games allows people to learn a wide variety of skills, whether they're using DBPro, AppGameKit or any other game making tool, and that these skills are useful in all manner of industries and jobs.

I was offered the job yesterday and accepted.

Invaders of the 29th Dimension - available now on Google Play
Find me on indieDB

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Crazy Programmer
AGK Developer
19
Years of Service
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Joined: 6th Sep 2004
Location: Lost in AGK
Posted: 17th Sep 2015 20:38
Quote: "I was offered the job yesterday and accepted."

Congrats man!

Sweet presentation...That was a bold move, I'm really happy for you that it paid off.

Beta Test Age of Knights:https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.CrazyProgrammerProductions.my_AgeOfKnights
Download JellyFish Dive:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.CrazyProgrammerProductions.my_JellyFishSwim
wattywatts
14
Years of Service
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Joined: 25th May 2009
Location: Michigan
Posted: 17th Sep 2015 20:55
That's really cool!
James H
16
Years of Service
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Joined: 21st Apr 2007
Location: St Helens
Posted: 17th Sep 2015 22:32
Fanstastic
Chris Tate
DBPro Master
15
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Joined: 29th Aug 2008
Location: London, England
Posted: 18th Sep 2015 03:37
Brilliant stuff; really inspirational

Ortu
DBPro Master
16
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Joined: 21st Nov 2007
Location: Austin, TX
Posted: 18th Sep 2015 03:51
perfectly said, and congrats!

Jeff Miller
19
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Joined: 22nd Mar 2005
Location: New Jersey, USA
Posted: 19th Sep 2015 00:52
Congrats, and thanks for reporting the experience.

One of the qualities that I believe were proven by your presentation to those evaluating you was the ability to conceive, test, refine, and COMPLETE a complex project. That is what industry wants, and needs.

I had a lesser but similar experience in hanging onto a job rather than getting one. For many years I was a copyright/trademark lawyer for a company in a very art-intensive industry. When the legal work waned a bit, I was able to use DBPro to generate algorithmic graphics that were needed but which a department of about 15 computer artists could simply not produce because of the limitations of the industry-accepted graphics programs used at the time (Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator). DBPro is a dream for anyone who loves math. You are not limited to procedures or effects confined by a dropdown menu.
29 games
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 23rd Nov 2005
Location: not entirely sure
Posted: 19th Sep 2015 00:55
Thanks everyone.

I always talk a little bit about my hobbies in interviews but I've never done anything like this before. It just felt like the right thing to do.

Invaders of the 29th Dimension - available now on Google Play
Find me on indieDB

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