Working at Riot and edcuation.

Say No To Ganks·Sep 21, 2014·3 votes·3,641 views

For a long time I have been wanting to get into game design or development (maybe both), and Riot is a comapny I think I would really enjoy working for. However due to personal circumstances the only education I have is an AS (1st half of an A-Level) in Mathematics, I am assuming I would need more education than this to get a job in the game industry.

What education would you suggest getting? I have been looking at online courses form various places, one of which is Full Sail, is that place any good?

13 Comments

RiotRiotMuscleMcBuffSep 21, 20144 votes

I would recommend looking at the linkedin group for riot game careers. Don't let any lax in educational background stop you if you think you're qualified for a position. Sometimes it helps depending on what you're applying for but I don't think a lack of higher education would ever prevent someone from being considered.

Also good luck :]

Say No To GanksSep 21, 20141 votes

Okay, thank you very much for that information Muscle. :D

Enigma RequiemSep 21, 20141 votes

I would recommend looking at the linkedin group for riot game careers. Don't let any lax in educational background stop you if you think you're qualified for a position. Sometimes it helps depending on what you're applying for but I don't think a lack of higher education would ever prevent someone from being considered.

Also good luck :]

Having seen two rioters say basically this, I'm really starting to worry: I intend to go to collage obviously, but hearing that it isn't going to be worth jack crap where I hope to be employed is rather... discouraging.

GavranSep 21, 20142 votes

Learning that your degree doesn't guarantee you a job is one of the first lessons for a new graduate. :p A degree is not at all a bad thing though. Just... start with community college, and don't choose a degree that will only serve you in one narrow way (e.g. Game Design) if you can avoid it.

RiotEvilSpiderSep 24, 20143 votes

I would recommend looking at the linkedin group for riot game careers. Don't let any lax in educational background stop you if you think you're qualified for a position. Sometimes it helps depending on what you're applying for but I don't think a lack of higher education would ever prevent someone from being considered.

Also good luck :]

Having seen two rioters say basically this, I'm really starting to worry: I intend to go to collage obviously, but hearing that it isn't going to be worth jack crap where I hope to be employed is rather... discouraging.

Education is never a bad thing. You should always take the chance to learn anything you can and apply it to whatever you end up doing. What's important is that you continue to learn (And relearn things you thought you knew). To put a different spin on it, I have both an artistic degree and a few years (before I dropped out) of a scientific degree - neither are required for what I do, but both of them taught me things that I find very useful at work.

Be wary of any school promising to teach you everything you need though, I don't believe any school is capable of doing that. You will learn just enough to realize you have more to learn :)

Say No To GanksSep 26, 20141 votes

That makes a lot of sense Spider, thanks :)

Dog In SocksSep 24, 20141 votes

They aren't saying that getting an education is worth nothing or means nothing.

Even if most of the factual knowledge you gain from formal education isn't applicable, the work experience and communication skills you gain are. Big factors in the working world that you practice in school is knowing how to approach people and work with them cooperatively, getting work finished when you have a deadline, maintaining a work/life balance, and learning how to build on the knowledge you have to learn new things.

If you don't feel like the actual facts/subjects you're learning in school will be necessary for the job you want, then just try to use the whole experience to develop your work ethic and work social skills.

EMOFRATPARTYSep 21, 20143 votes

Having gone to a college specifically for game studies, I would not recommend anyone else to do so. You can find better resources online, most if not all of which will cost you nothing.

I'd be happy to have an in-depth conversation with you at some point if you'd like.

GavranSep 21, 20141 votes

This is very true; though I hear Full Sail does a much better job than the institution I chose. Still, look at all the famous Rioters. Look at Ghostcrawler. These people are not "Game Design" degree-holders. "Game Design" is not, I think, something that is currently being taught very well.

EMOFRATPARTYSep 21, 20141 votes

Right. My path was carved out by just doing the things I wanted to do. Education was there as something to learn from -- not necessarily the content itself, but the process. If you can hack your education together on your own, it's a much better route to take (in most cases).

Pandeh, I added you. Ping me sometime!

RiotEvilSpiderSep 24, 20141 votes

As an aside, I hope you misspelled education in the title on purpose.... ;)

BanuvanSep 24, 20141 votes

I find it interesting that a billionaire has set aside a fund to encourage people to dropout of college because a college degree isn't worth a damn thing anymore.

Too much emphasis on education nowadays is a bad route to take. There are some degree programs that absolutely do help you get into your chosen career and teach you valuable skills you will need.

The majority of the degrees out there do not though. It's a sad fact. I have two bachelors and two associates and didn't get them until after I had already started my business.

Practical experience is more important than an education more often than naught. I hire more people without degrees than I do with degrees. I staff over 30 people and the only people with degrees are myself and my accountant who started my business with me.

Unfortunately in today's world many companies are hung up on education and lose out on a lot of high quality people. I see more idiots with degrees than I see without them. Common sense and critical thinking are in high demand and most coming out of college don't have either.

It's a sad state of affairs we live in.

Say No To GanksSep 26, 20141 votes

Oops. Yep, was definitely on purpose ;)