/biz/ - Business & Finance

>>10452565
Started out as a hobby. Studied informatics, but programming was only fun in smaller increments.

Worked freelance for a few years, mostly selling weird shit in Second Life, until I decided that sitting in an apartement all by myself for weeks on end was making me go fucking crazy. Slapped together a portfolio in a few months, sent out a single job application, and got hired by a VFX studio on a contract basis. I think I was a bit lucky with my timing - I specialize in character art, and they needed enviroment artists, but it was at the onset of crunch and they were desperate for people.

Quickly proved my worth by outperforming literally everyone except a handful of senior artists and the VFX lead (who is a fucking monster, and the main reason I decided to stick around. He got me hired on fulltime when my contract ended.)

That was eighteen months ago. I spent the next year doing typical CG generalist grunt work, but as I learn quickly, am sociable, and do well interacting with clients, I quickly got more and more responsibilities, as well as freedom. (Noone gives me flak if I come in late, leave early, or take days off on short notice, as I outperform everybody except my lead). After my first field trip, I have just been sent out more and more frequently, and quickly picked up a lot of broadcasting experience along the way.

I think the main reason I quickly got to where I am now, is because my hobby became my job. I have colleagues who clock their nine to five, do decently, and go home to their loving families, while I am spending pretty much every waking hour improving my skillset. If I am not at work, I am generally at home working on personal projects. I know I am missing out on some normie aspects of life, but the work I do and produce makes me feel incredibly content and satisfied.

It's brutal hours, and not especially comfy, but I am fine with that. I don't really want an easy, dull job.