If You Don't Jump You Don't Fly

I don’t remember ever having a dream job when I was a kid. In study guidance class in upper comprehensive school I remember answering “suunnittelija“ – designer to a question about my future profession. I didn’t know what I want to design but I just wanted to create and develop something. In upper secondary school I still had no idea what I wanted to be when I grow up. But I needed to make some decision what to do after upper secondary school so I listed some ideas from jeweller to pilot. One of the options was software engineer and that’s what I ended up pursuing. I think the reasons then were mainly that it’s a master’s level degree and it would pay well (totally stupid reasons if I think of them now). I started my software engineer studies and noticed I really enjoy programming. Somewhere deep down I had had the thought that making games would be fun but I also thought that it’s not a realistic career option. During my first years of university game business started to rise in Finland and I realized I actually could be a game programmer! But I continued my studies and got my first jobs in “normal” IT companies. It proved difficult to get to the game industry even though I heard all the time that there is lack of programmers in the industry. It was very frustrating. But now I am a game programmer. What did it take to get here?

Take the Leap

It can be scary: saying it out loud. First to yourself, then to others. But when you say it it becomes true to you, not just some daydreaming. People will help you in your path if they know. They can have some useful contacts, send you information about interesting opportunities they have come across or just say something supportive to build up your confidence. Some may not believe in you and think it’s silly to take a risk from your comfortable secure job. But hey, you are not living for them.

I didn’t take a huge risk as I changed from job to job but still it was a step to uncertainty how things will work out. Starting my own business felt too big a leap for me at this point. To get what you want, take the risk – jump. It can be a smaller one. Take the first step. Maybe the first step isn’t exactly what you want but as long as it’s on the right path it’s taking you there. I got to what I want pretty fast after taking the first step. Before that reaching my dream job had started to feel impossible. And maybe you crash but you can jump again!

Making sacrificies

For my first job in games I travelled about 3,5 hours - one way. Every day. I woke up at 5.15 AM and came back home a bit before 9 PM. It was exhausting but totally worth it. It was much easier to wake up to something meaningful even though it was hours earlier than before. I ended up doing it only for three months; in the long run the long days would have been too much - for my family and health. Luckily I now have a job closer to home.

Other thing I gave up was a higher salary. My salary dropped about thousand euros. I would love to travel and not think if I can afford something or not but I’d rather spend a large portion of my life doing something I enjoy. And of course even though I wasn’t a junior as a software engineer anymore, as a game programmer I still am. Although, it’s not like I have a bad salary even now.

Being a Millenial

“Another underappreciated asset of millennials is the fact that they’re much more motivated by purpose than previous generations.” [https://www.forbes.com/sites/grantfreeland/2018/08/27/why-millennials-make-great-employees/]

I’m a millenial. I don’t want to work just to get money. I want to enjoy my work, or at least the larger portion of it. I want to have a purpose to my work that means something to me. I don’t care if I can make some factory work 5% more efficiently than before. I care if I can make people happy and entertained, or experience and feel something new or exciting. If I’m not happy in my job I will not stick for too long, but look for a more fulfilling one.

If you have a career dream go for it. If it’s not the right path for you try something else. At least you learned something about yourself. Maybe I will not be a game programmer for the rest of my life, but for now it is what makes me happy. What is your career dream? Are you going towards it? Take the jump and fly!