How Difficult Is It To Get An Entry Level Job Today?

Well, even though the world of programming is mostly remote these days, many places will not hire a first time game dev for a remote job. Also you really should look to be onsite somewhere, because you will grow and learn 3-10x faster that way … so it will depend on where you are willing to relocate too. But in general, getting your very first gamedev job is hard - but once/if you successfully ship a title, it should be many times easier to stay in the career. It is that way on purpose because there are many many many more people that wish they were a gamedev, actor or musician, than the industry could possibly support.

I believe it comes down to dedication/legwork, making yourself stand out, connections and luck.

Also, if you don't find a game dev job within 3 months or so, do not be afraid to work a non-gamedev job for 1-5 years and then transition into gamedev.

Good luck.

P.S. If you work a non-gamedev job, pick one (and only one) engine to learn as well, and build some very small hobby games yourself … being able to show that you've put in the time to teach yourself ANYTHING is always good.

Thank you for your responses, Xai! They give me a more complete picture of what I am to expect as a newbie. Ideally, I'd want to work in an office to gain that experience. I'm currently living in the Boston/New England area and I'm not sure if moving to the big hubs (Austin, or San Francisco) would be in the cards for me. Is there any hope of me building a career here?