Hello,
My name is Kiet Ngu. I am new to this site. I am a convicted felon. 18 years old. I made a mistake and like the saying goes "do the crime, do the time", I learned from it and right now I am trying to get my shit together. I wanted to know what is the job outlook for a convicted felon trying to become a game programmer. I know it will be hard and I expect that, just trying to see what I am up against. I will be attending college at University of Utah for their EAE program which is entertainment and arts program. It was rated top 10 as best game design colleges in the nation by Princeton Review. If your wondering what the crime was, I did breaking and entering (burglary). Again, I know i ruined my life but right now I'm trying to put it behind me. When I finish the program after 4 years, what are the chances of me getting a job? I like any opinions from anybody but looking for a job recruiter to tell me his take on it.
Convicted Felon as a game programmer
I'm not gonna vote since i don't live in the US (and i know these things can vary greatly between cultures), Personally i wouldn't consider burglary to be bad enough to not give you a second chance.
I dont see how that has any connection with for beginners forum its more about society, but, yes, everyone deserves a second chance. Though I can argue that all system is ill based and obsolete, it does not work very much, except as means of ruining lifes of already socialy problematic people and their behaviours
I didn't know where to post this up, I just wanted some advice on how to go about starting my career in game programming as a felon. Thank you for your post.
I also think everyone deserves second chance. And third, and fourth...
The other side of the thing is that society also has a right to protect themselves. Thus the suspicion is understandable and certain places will be off-limits for a long time. But hopefully not game development.
My suggestion is to actively pursue freelance and contract work. First thus it is easier to find work - many employers probably will prefer the candidate without conviction, but do not care so much about the background of freelancer. And second you will build portfolio and thus the next time you apply for a job you will be significantly better than the other candidate without conviction ;-) Plus you may eventually end up creating your own company instead...
The other side of the thing is that society also has a right to protect themselves. Thus the suspicion is understandable and certain places will be off-limits for a long time. But hopefully not game development.
My suggestion is to actively pursue freelance and contract work. First thus it is easier to find work - many employers probably will prefer the candidate without conviction, but do not care so much about the background of freelancer. And second you will build portfolio and thus the next time you apply for a job you will be significantly better than the other candidate without conviction ;-) Plus you may eventually end up creating your own company instead...
I'm not gonna vote since i don't live in the US (and i know these things can vary greatly between cultures)^^ same as above - I don't understand the US system of branding "felons" or what kind of discrimination it means for you, so I can't vote.
I've never been asked about my past by games companies -- if you're getting an education now, and then apply for jobs afterwards, there's no reason for them to even ask about what you were doing before college.
The only time I've had an employer dig into my past was when I worked for a gambling company, and that was only because they sold products in Nevada, and Nevada state law required them to have every employee (on the other side of the world) undergo a police background check and have a clean record.
I know that if I wanted to work in the USA, then in order to get a Visa, I would also have to undergo a police background check and have a clean record, but that's not a problem for you unless you want to work in many different countries.
No place I've worked for has ever asked for any background information beyond my resumé. But again, not the US. You're lucky that your conviction was as a kid, though, employers might become suspicious if an older guy has a large gap in his resumé that has nothing in it, but if you go to college and start your resumé from there, then you should be fine. Even if an employer asks and you have to tell them, going to college and proving you got your life together after that will show that you're able to work at things and stick to it. Heck, if everybody was judged for the stupid things we did as teenagers none of us would ever have jobs.
US applications for employment pretty much all ask about felonies. I would think that the young age when it occurred and the relative lack of severity (burglars are less risky hires than murderers, rapists, etc) will make many companies discount it. That said, it will be a mark against you. If you and another candidate are otherwise equal, they will choose the other guy.
Not insurmountable by any means, but something to be aware of. It will also be good to have your story well rehearsed if they ask, and be forthcoming/honest when talking about it. 'I was young and dumb' is a well known story, since everyone was once young and dumb.
Not insurmountable by any means, but something to be aware of. It will also be good to have your story well rehearsed if they ask, and be forthcoming/honest when talking about it. 'I was young and dumb' is a well known story, since everyone was once young and dumb.
I would say your second chance (regardless of profession) depends on the circumstances of your crime. You didn't take a man's life or rape a woman or destroy a building. You broke into somebody's property. I would say that since you were a kid, you were naive, and you didn't permanently harm someone, you do get a second chance, but nobody deserves one. God gives people chances and forgives them from anything from petty theft to a serial rapist. But on a different note, if you really want to work on games, I would advise computer science over game design, because chances are you will be an indie game developer making the game yourself, as most studios (forget studios, most businesses) will not hire a convicted felon. You can still make great games by yourself, however. Best of luck to you.
This topic is closed to new replies.
Advertisement
Popular Topics
Advertisement