Balancing Skills in Game Development: Juggling Soft and Technical Skills
Every company needs its employees to have a good balance of skills in the workplace. Someone's ability to do their job competently (technical skills) is just as important as their ability to communicate and work with others (soft skills).
But that’s difficult, isn’t it? How does an employee manage to balance these skills in the workplace?
1) Learn from Peers
The best way to learn new skills and balance the ones you already know is to look for opportunities to learn from your peers. They say nothing helps you understand better than learning it on the job, and it’s true! Not only will you get the training you need, but you’ll also be able to immerse yourself in office culture. You’ll learn the ins and outs of the trade and do it all on the job, too.
2) Make Friends
Find a support group in your workplace and make some friends while you’re at it! Like learning from your peers, the friends you make will help you get acquainted with how the office works!
A Day at Mega Cat Studios
There is also an added benefit, though. While you’re more professional with higher-ups, making solid friends with your workplace buddies will give you an anchor of support that will prove invaluable during your work experience. You’ll not only learn on the job, but you’ll also have the support you need to get you through tough times.
3) Learn Flexibility
Learning how to balance your skills can be challenging, but knowing when to apply them is integral. With this in mind, always go into your work with the express goal of being flexible. Sometimes, answers can come from compromise and from working with others. In others, it comes from engineering new answers and new routines. Having the necessary flexibility will make applying the right answer easier.
4) Constantly Self-assess
If you ever doubt your skills, take the time to step back and examine what you’re doing with an objective lens. It’s easy to get absorbed in your work and even easier to remain stubborn in adversity. Reassess whether the solutions you find are indeed the way forward. It might be frustrating to second-guess yourself, but it’s a great way of learning what skills are needed at the right time.
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5) Fail Gracefully, Succeed Humbly
Learning new skills isn’t easy. Applying them is even more challenging. Don’t get annoyed or think less of yourself when you hit a roadblock. Mistakes happen to everyone, and only by failing can you find a way to succeed. Use these moments of frustration to better yourself, and take what lessons you can from them. You might fail now, but this can be a good learning experience to draw from in the future.
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When you are getting the hang of things, always remember to be humble. Even when you’re at your highest point, never forget how you started or what your lowest felt like. Failure can be a negative feeling, but it keeps you grounded and your head straight when it matters.
For those passionate about game development and ready to enter a fulfilling career path, we invite you to consider joining us at Mega Cat Studios. Connect with us on LinkedIn to explore potential opportunities and join a com-meow-nity dedicated to pushing the boundaries of game development. At Mega Cat Studios, we believe in doing what you love while creating games that people will love!
This article was written by Alexander Cuaycong.