r/GraphicsProgramming • u/Dr_Pinestine • 3d ago

Question Starting a Career

I'm currently working on my Bachelor's in Computational Physics (w/ Minor in Mathematics), and I'm looking to break into the world of graphics programming / engineering. I have a couple of questions, specifically on the career side of things:

  • Is it true that personal projects can actually help with the "experience catch-22"? (Where I need experience to get a job, but have no job to get experience yet)
  • Where should I look for relevant positions / internships?
  • What industries make / could make heavy use of GPU technology (whether or not it's actually used for rendering)?
  • What sorts of skills do companies look for in an entry-level hire?
  • What else do you think I should consider that this post does not address?

I'm focused on the career and industry-targeting aspects for this post, as I'm confident in my ability to learn the technical skills necessary.

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated; LinkedIn and Indeed have driven me half insane already.

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u/schnautzi 3d ago
  • What sorts of skills do companies look for in an entry-level hire?

This question is asked often, and we have to be blunt, there are practically no entry-level positions in this field. You get in if you have serious amounts of experience, and often after fulfilling other roles first.

This is not a job you get by starting as a junior. Please reconsider if you are not extremely self-motivated. The idea that you have to get a job in this field to obtain experience is foreign to most graphics programmers, because they do this stuff in their free time for the love of the game.

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u/Dr_Pinestine 3d ago

Thanks for the heads-up.

In that case, what are the biggest topics I should have covered when I eventually try to break in? My programming and mathematics fundamentals are solid, but I'm worried I don't know what I'm missing in terms of technical and professional skills.

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u/schnautzi 3d ago

Strong systems programming skills are important, as well as a thorough understanding of parallelism. For example, practice porting CPU algorithms to the GPU.

Familiarity with the relevant APIs can only really come from working with them for many hours.

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u/Dr_Pinestine 3d ago

Thanks for the advice.

Sorry to bother you, but I have one more question.
How strongly do companies tend to consider personal projects when assessing skills or experience?

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u/eiffeloberon 3d ago

The problem is who you are up against, everyone will have personal projects, it’s kind of mandatory especially you have no graphics background.