Now a days, you pretty much need a college degree to get a job in the game industry. However, the degree is more to show that you can finish what you start, rather than a measure of your skill (so I've heard). Anyway, I was thinking about joining the marine corps when I'm older in a computer related field and working for about 4 years. So, would experience in the military like this be almost as good as a degree? I know I could always do both, but I was just wondering. Thanks!

I am interested in exactly two things:

* Can you do the job well?
* Will you fit in?

Everything in a job application should try to answer those questions. A degree is strong evidence of the first, and weak evidence of the second.

Military service, just like any other work experience, can be a positive or negative answers to those questions. It can only be a positive answer to the first one because it shows real-world experience at getting jobs done.

For the second question, though, it highly depends on the employer. Some work cultures are strongly counter-culture from anything military or government based and would use it as a reason to exclude an otherwise strong candidate. Others will strongly support it and even use the work history to hire an otherwise weak candidate. This is true of ANY previous experience. For example, I know one person who was strongly biased against programmers who ever worked with Microsoft, and another who thought anybody who had worked professionally using Java had tainted their souls. [headshake]



Incidentally, I know several people in the military who finished their degree prior to service. The armed forces need well-educated people, too. If you are going to serve your country, you might as well offer the best education you can, and finish the degree before you go.

No. Military service is not equivalent to a degree. Do former GI's still get to go to college on Uncle Sam's dime? If so, you can get your degree afterwards.

Quote: Original post by SpamBurger
Anyway, I was thinking about joining the marine corps when I'm older in a computer related field and working for about 4 years. So, would experience in the military like this be almost as good as a degree? I know I could always do both, but I was just wondering. Thanks!

Talk to a recruiter NOW and figure out what they'll give you (and go back regularly to see if their enlistment package has increased). I don't know about the Marines, but other branches of the service will provide (in writing) a guarantee to pay $X of your college tuition if you go through college before joining. Generally it's "all of it."

Military != college degree!
Unless you are joining via one of the military acadamies which confer a degree and officer appointment when you graduate!
Having been in the military I recommend you consider all other options before going there since like learning VB it can damage your brain beyond repair. I'm not kidding the majority of people I worked with in the Marine Corps operated at a sub 90 IQ intelligence level. That doesn't mean they weren't brave and of course there are some exceptions. One marine knew as much about astronomy and computers as I did which was a pleasant suprise. I mean being able to talk to someone about something other than painting scorpions and shooting them in the desert dark. If you have enough intelligence to get into college out of high school you will stick out like a sore thumb in the corps is all I'm saying. Besides you'll never hear the end of everyone telling you why you didn't go officer or why the hell you even in the military unless you want to keep your trap shut and play dumb for 4 years?

p.s. If you insist on joining move to Texas if you don't already live there since they will pay for all of your college degree which the GI Bill may or may not accomplish depending on which college you attend. I know my GI Bill didn't pay for all my 4 years. It ran out after only like 2 years!
Oh and if you do make it out after 4 years if you plan on working for the government you do get head of the line for jobs with your veteran preference points so that might help some.