Looking for work

Community Got Skills? Looking for Talent? Looking For Work?
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Hello. I am trying to become a game developer. I have 2 years of java/go experience and in my own time working in my own projects using UE5. I want to ask is it possible to find a job as a game developer i don’t know if i have experience as a mid but an entry level position sounds ok. If anyone have any suggestions or experienced this and has an opinion i would appreciate it. Thank you <3

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Hey! Short answer: yes, it’s possible, and your background helps more than you think. Two years of Java/Go gives you real fundamentals, OOP, memory, concurrency, which is most of what gameplay programming actually is.

A few honest thoughts:

  • Aim for junior, not mid. Without shipped titles, mid is a stretch. Junior gameplay programmer is the realistic target, and you’ll move up faster than you’d think once you’re in.

  • Pick a lane. Coming from Java/Go, gameplay programmer is the natural fit. Tools programmer is another good option. Pointing your portfolio at one specialisation converts way better than “generalist.”

  • Finished beats impressive. A small polished project . A 10-minute vertical slice, a tower defense with menus and three levels. This all beats a sprawling unfinished prototype every time. Shipping the boring 80% (UI, save/load, builds) is what studios are actually looking for.

  • Lean into C++. Most UE5 studios hire for C++, not Blueprints. Make sure at least one project has real C++ in it.

  • Don’t only apply to AAA. The junior market there is flooded. Look at indie studios, sim/serious-games studios (military sim, training, archviz all use UE5 heavily and get far fewer applicants), and QA-to-dev pipelines.

  • Make it watchable. Short video clips, a written breakdown of the hard problems, a downloadable build.

Ship one small finished project, point it at gameplay programmer roles, apply broadly. Good luck!

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Yes thank you for the answer. What are tips for where to look for those indie studios. And how to apply!

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Where to look:
Hitmarker (hitmarker.net)
Work With Indies (workwithindies.com)
LinkedIn - set alerts for “Unreal” + “Junior” in your region.
For sim/serious-games: search LinkedIn for “Unreal Engine” + “simulation” / “training”. Companies like Bohemia Interactive, MASA, CAE, Improbable, Hadean use UE5 heavily, hire juniors, and get a fraction of the applicants AAA does
For indie: follow studios you like on Twitter/Bluesky - You may see openings posted there.

How to apply:

Tailor every application. Two specific sentences about their game/tech beats a generic cover letter.
Lead with the portfolio link - top of CV, top of email. Reviewers click it first.

One-page CV. Experience, projects with links, tech stack.
Apply before you feel ready. The “I’ll polish first” trap eats years. Apply now, improve, apply again in three months. It probably going to take a while so keep improving and don’t stop learning.

Hope this helps, goodluck!

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Sorry for the late reply i was out of town. I will check these out. Thank you for the help <3

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