As your self nominated "reserve" and in order to flex my ego i'll give you my answers just incase you cannot find a real programmer!
Name: Andy Igoe
Job position: Lead Programmer
Company name: Banshee Studios
1: How long have you been working in the industry?
I started working in computers at the age of 15, but I had been programming since I was learning to talk by typing out listings into a Sinclair ZX-81 from magazine listings which was a popular hobby back then.
I first started taking my software seriously around 18-19 years old when I worked for a large Amiga software house, but hardware was still my main focus.
2: What are your responsibilities and duties?
I am the lead programmer on all Banshee Studios games, but much of my time is taken with publicity and marketting to potential advertising clients. We've been reasonably sucessful so far, and are starting to make coverdisks and attract a few large business partners but to establish the business as a financially sound institution is going to be a lot more work yet.
3: How long did you go to post Secondary School and were?
I did attent college at Turnford Tech, Hertfordshire, UK. However at the time the education sector wasn't really geared up to understand and teach students to work in the computer industry. I found the course remarkably easy and was for many of the classes directly helping the lecturers and even took a few classes. I couldn't consider this an education so I left and got a job in R&D for Scala. Things are thankfully a little better now.
4: What is the best thing about your job? The worst?
If the joy of creation, being creative, realising your dreams doesn't really excite you then I doubt that game programming is really want you want to do. The reward is seeing your hard graft appear on screen and doing what you expect it too. The worst part I think is being let down by other team members, the endless waiting for work that never arrives.
5: What kind of skills do you think a person looking to get into the field should work on?
The most important skill in all professional vocations are life skills, the things that come with maturity. If you are going to do any job that pays £20k a year or more than you need be a good communicator. A good way to 'accelerate' a young mind in learning these skills is to start out your working life in a customer services orientated role - prefferably a technical one.
6: What is a typical work day?
7: What kind of hours do you work? (How long, what hours, how many days of the week)
As Banshee Studios is part time whilst the business is built up it is squeezed in around everything else my day starts early, I get up just after 6am and after a quick coffee set about answering the nights emails then head off to my day job around 7:30. I typically work through lunch to save time and get home around 3:30pm, then it's a brief relax of around 30 mins (1 program on the history channel) and I get to work programming, I typically finish around 11pm.
I also work part time at a kart track and on those nights dont program at all. Saturdays are usually filled with working on the kart, as the kart team is very much a part of Banshee's marketting vehicle, but sometimes i'll get the whole day to program. Most Sundays I take the day off - especially if there is a Grand Prix on - but sometimes I program too, weekends are especially good because i'll be coding at least 12 hours solidly and get a lot of work done.
I do take the odd night off and head down the pub
8: How often do you have to go and get retrained?
This is a question derived from being in an education establishment, away from education learning is a constant process but isn't something you stop for. I'm always talking to other programmers, frequently experimenting and testing ideas and principles, and keeping an eye on programming forums sometimes turns up the odd gem.
9: What is the starting, position for a person who was just higher?
A trainee programmer or level designer (which frequently involves scripting) can expect to earn around $40k a year. For this you already have to be of a standard that other industries would call expert.
10: What got you in this career? If you could go back would you do a different career?
If I could go back then I would have started this carear sooner. I love games, I love creating things, no other industry allows you to work with your mind rather than your hands, and still create something that exists before you, rather than just a theory.
Making a game is like having a child: It complains, throws up, and kicks up a fuss - but it can also give great rewards and joy. Imagine being a new parent every day you go to work.
God created the world in 7 days, but we're still waiting for the patch.
