I was looking at a job ad from high5games and saw the information below:
Candidates must be capable of picking up & running with a preexisting architecture, as well as extending that architecture with totally new features.
Do game companies and non gaming companies give the same amount of time to their new programmer onboard on their team?
Good companies surely will. Nobody is going to expect a new programmer (especially a junior programmer) to be effective on the first day. Ramp up time is built in to the expectations for any new hire in any position for any company.
Almost every work in programming is like that (and i think usually it take more than few weeks to get oriented in the codebase, there are people whou could for example get external library/engine source and just write addings in it (rewrite it etc) and other who are far not ready for this)
But if you are newbie (I am myself are moderate experienced only) In work you usually meet a friendly fellows to talk with them (drinking some drinks (coffe/beer/wine/vodka) with them ;-) they will be helping you, and if you are experienced you shoul help (explain things) to them too
Yep, training time is needed. Especially, coordinating with a new group. If one is in a good collective the job will be warm and welcoming. If however, one is in a mill house situation(very legacy way of doing things) then a lot of time is wasted estabilishing good arguments before anything is done--not a very good scenario :(.
It's pretty much a two way street. You have to be brought up to speed and be able to keep up with production goals. Especially, when it's not your money! Which can lead to a lot of tension if the project goes awry.
There is a ramp up period for any new hire programmer, regardless of your expertise level; however, expectations are generally set based on your past work experience, what you claim to know and bring to the table day 1 and the complexity of the code base you're going to be working on and your role/position requirements within the team. Just be expected to show self initiative, be willing to dig and understand on your own but never hesitate to ask should you feel you've spent adequate time studying something but it doesn't click. Willingness to try and learn go a long way in the software industry, gaming or otherwise.
There is a ramp up period for any new hire programmer, regardless of your expertise level; however, expectations are generally set based on your past work experience, what you claim to know and bring to the table day 1 and the complexity of the code base you're going to be working on and your role/position requirements within the team. Just be expected to show self initiative, be willing to dig and understand on your own but never hesitate to ask should you feel you've spent adequate time studying something but it doesn't click. Willingness to try and learn go a long way in the software industry, gaming or otherwise.
i think there are two schools:
- one is to consult sometimes, work and not talk to much
- second it ta talk almost everytime, share much opinions not only about the used language, codebase but even on the life questions. movies etc
I belong to the later, not only programming fellow is adequate to that, but some do and for me the second way of working (when i got some close fellows to talk with == good workplace, this is just much more fun; and the first is almost == bad workplace when i am more tired and sad
