How to get a job

Whatever it is you want to do, do it.

This might sound like a bit of an old man rant and whilst it's definitely applicable to young people, it's equally applicable to anyone of any age.

If you've not got the job you want to be doing, then the absolute best thing for you to do in order to get said job, is to do it. There seems to be an unwritten rule that in order to do something, you have to be given a job title and a wage to do it. That's simply not the case.

• If you want to be a web designer - design websites.
• If you want to be a programmer - do programming.
• If you want to be a video game developer - develop video games.
• If you want to be an animator - do animations.
• If you want to be a level designer - design levels.
• If you want to be a brain surgeon - ...okay, there are some things you can't just do.

The amount of resources available online for learning are staggering. Just head over to youtube and type "introduction to..." and your chosen topic and you're off. But do be sure to share your work. Blog about it, post it on Twitter or YouTube or anywhere else. No one expects you to be an expert, so don't be afraid to put your work and opinions out there. Even if you do something terrible, share it and document why you're not happy with it. This demonstrates critical thinking and an appreciation of quality.

Not having the right degree or x many years experience really isn't stopping you. If you commit some of your time to pursuing your passion, paid work will follow. As an employer, a portfolio of work created through passion holds more merit than a portfolio of work done within the context of a job where they had to do it.

I'm not advocating doing work for free (although go for it if it's for a worthy cause), but do work for yourself. It's actually the best kind of work because you're entirely unlimited. Want to design a character for your favourite game? Go for it. Want to redesign the app for your bank because you're infuriated by the user experience of the one you have to use? Feel free.

If you're not doing what you want to be doing, the only thing in the way is either a fear of failure or your priorities. To not try is the only guaranteed way to not succeed and whilst there are many legitimate things you may need to prioritise, is every moment of your life spent doing something more important than pursuing what you really want to do?

#adventblogging post 14 of 24 see the rest.