Video game designer and other hot jobs for 2010 and beyond

Today, many children spend thousands of hours playing video games. Progressing from GameBoys (TM), to GameCubes (TM), Wii (TM) and XBox (TM), to the final frontier of Massive Multiplayer Online games, he seems to have taken control of his life. Is there a way to capitalize on this obsession and find a career that is just as (or at least almost) as attractive? Set out on your quest and discover a brave new world of future jobs that video game fans will love.

Videogame designer

First and foremost, of course, is the job of creating video games for themselves. The facts are these: the video game industry has surpassed the movies in terms of dollar value generated. Amazing! This industry not only continues to expand, it also appears to be relatively recession-proof. What does it take to have a career in video game creation? First, you must understand that there is not just one type of video game work, but many. It takes a team of multi-talented people to create an exciting new game. Jobs and skills involved include artists
– Storyboard artist, character artist, animator, texture artists, programmers, including sound and audio engineers, game designers
– character design, level design, general design, game producers –

project management and writing skills
– software documentation, storytelling, character scripts.

There has been a recent explosion in universities, technical institutes, and certificate programs to help you gain the skills you need to enter this industry. However, while researching this industry, I discovered that there are many other emerging careers that use many of the same skills and can be just as attractive.

Simulation engineer

Just as the job of the video game designer and programmer is to create a compelling virtual world, there is a “real life” application of this for various industries: simulations. At one university, they talked about how some students were using electrical impulses from the heart to render three-dimensional images of the heart in real time to help doctors examine what might be wrong. At RPI they are working on creating a simulation of a surgical procedure for doctors to practice before opening someone up! Beyond medical applications, simulations are gaining traction in aerospace, automotive engineering, and many other industries. Of course, the military has been interested in simulation for a long time. Some of the video game undergraduate degree programs are recognizing this trend and have added “simulation” to their program title (for example, the Bachelor’s degree in “Games, Simulation and Robotics” from Daniel Webster Colleges or the Bachelor’s degree “Simulation and Technology digital “University of Baltimore Entertainment” degree.) Scientists, engineers, defense planners, and educators use simulation to facilitate their jobs.

Mobile app developer

Another great professional trend is the explosion of applications for all kinds of other devices. Just look at the iPhone or the iTouch. What can’t these things do? Creating content, software applications and who knows what else for all types of mobile devices is in vogue. So “Mobile App Developer” is a career that is here now and will expand in the future. This is also a career that colleges and universities are already recognizing. The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offers a degree in “Electronic Media Arts and Communication”; Worcester Polytechnic Institute offers “Interactive Media and Game Development.” The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has a BA in “New Media and Interactive Development”; Champlain College offers a degree in “Software Engineering for Emerging Technologies.”

Computer forensics and cybersecurity

The other really interesting area highlighted at universities like RIT is computer forensics and cybersecurity specialists. You just have to listen to the latest news about hackers stealing 135 million credit card numbers to see why these are hot areas of work. Computer forensics specialists work with criminal justice folks to drill down into all of the computerized records and data associated with criminal cases. We’re only going to be more connected in the future, which makes us even bigger goals. If you like figuring out how to get around what someone else did, why not consider putting your talents to good use for everyone’s benefit? DePaul University offers a degree in “Information Security and Assurance Engineer”; RIT has “Information Security and Forensics” while Champlain College offers “Computing and Digital Forensics.”

These careers are real, growing, and educational resources are available now! If you are a gamer, or if you know a gamer, there are interesting races to enter. The US Department of Labor predicts that IT jobs will be among the fastest growing and highest paying over the next decade. These jobs will be critical to the economy and security of the nation, and will offer the highest entry-level salaries with a bachelor’s degree of any out there. Check them out and find the schools and programs that excite you the most.

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