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  • Subject: Software Engineer?
Subject: Software Engineer?
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If I complete a software engineering degree (yes, a BSE), with 2 year of work experience, you think that would be enough to get a job at Bungie?

  • 06.20.2012 11:32 AM PDT

Hard to say. Most of the community doesn't work for Bungie. I could give you a bit of advice though:

Achronos mentioned that he was hired by Bungie fresh out of college, but he had done something to 'put himself over the top' compared to the other applicants.

In any professional job, you need the required/advantageous prerequisites. That only guarantees they'll look at your resume. If you want a guaranteed interview or job, you should think of something that will impress them too.

  • 06.20.2012 11:38 AM PDT

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Bungie wants talented and passionate employees, and most of their jobs require both past experience AND releasing a game, among other things you cam view on the jobs page under the specific job title you want to apply for.

  • 06.20.2012 11:45 AM PDT
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Posted by: Infinite Numbers
If I complete a software engineering degree (yes, a BSE), with 2 year of work experience, you think that would be enough to get a job at Bungie?


Well it depends what you plan to do in college and what you plan to do with your degree. Having a BS in Engineering is great but you need to know what topics of software you want to focus on. They wont hire you unless you have a role that needs to fit somewhere in their company.

  • 06.20.2012 11:45 AM PDT

Fight your way out; only scrubs and mashers jump out of the corner

While I can relate to your enthusiasm on this one, the reality is there is no minimum approach to getting one's dream job that ever goes well.

Sure it's possible to get a dream gig in minimal time, but you'll have to make up for that with a STELLAR portfolio.

So rather than focus on meeting the minimum requirements laid out in their want ads, focus on making the time between now and when you feel ready as productive as possible. Dedicate yourself to being the absolute best engineer there is, rather than scraping up the bare minimum to get an interview.

  • 06.20.2012 11:49 AM PDT

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Posted by: Infinite Numbers
If I complete a software engineering degree (yes, a BSE), with 2 year of work experience, you think that would be enough to get a job at Bungie?


It depends on what you show them in your portfolio. They want skill and experience. A Degree just happens to be the thing that teaches you how to do your thing in the first place. Moding, moding, and moding are all good things to do WHILE getting your degree. Swing over to any GDCs you can. Going the extra mile outside of traditional schooling can make the difference between you and the other guy with the same degree.

  • 06.20.2012 12:01 PM PDT

I only want to add here that Software Engineering is probably not what most people think it is - it is not all about programming. It is about:

- Managing personnel (MOI, team structure, communication, etc...)
- Determining the best process model to use (eg. Waterfall, RAD, Spiral, Incremental, etc...)
- Estimating project and system size and effort (COCOMO model).
- Understanding the scope of the project!
- Being able to decompose a problem (abstracting it)
- Determining feasibility
- Being able to schedule a project (establish milestones, identify critical paths, etc... look up what a Gantt chart is)
- Identifying risks to the project and how to mitigate and manage them (RMMM plans)
- Specification (SRS documents)
- Being able to take requirements and model them into Use Cases to show the structure/relationships within a system (or part thereof), diagrams to show the behaviour of objects and how they interact, and the different states a system changes between
- Developing different tests (white/black box testing, unit testing, integration testing, validation, verification, etc...)

There is very little actual programming involved. It is mostly focused on the management side of a project.

  • 06.20.2012 12:33 PM PDT

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You can get a degree in software engineering? I thought that was just all tied to Computer Science.

  • 06.20.2012 1:07 PM PDT
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Posted by: acnboy34
You can get a degree in software engineering? I thought that was just all tied to Computer Science.
Software engineering is only partially an area of computer science. As daza said it's as much about project management as it is about anything technical.

Plus you get to draw stick men.

  • 06.20.2012 1:25 PM PDT
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What sets you apart from the other thousands of software engineers? Nothing is my guess.

  • 06.20.2012 1:27 PM PDT

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They want the best, I'd say at least go for a Bachelor degree. If not, as long as you can show a good amount of your work, and Bungie digs it. You've got a shot.

They're also looking for people with experience in the gaming industry.

  • 06.20.2012 1:37 PM PDT
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Posted by: dazarobbo
I only want to add here that Software Engineering is probably not what most people think it is - it is not all about programming. It is about:

- Managing personnel (MOI, team structure, communication, etc...)
- Determining the best process model to use (eg. Waterfall, RAD, Spiral, Incremental, etc...)
- Estimating project and system size and effort (COCOMO model).
- Understanding the scope of the project!
- Being able to decompose a problem (abstracting it)
- Determining feasibility
- Being able to schedule a project (establish milestones, identify critical paths, etc... look up what a Gantt chart is)
- Identifying risks to the project and how to mitigate and manage them (RMMM plans)
- Specification (SRS documents)
- Being able to take requirements and model them into Use Cases to show the structure/relationships within a system (or part thereof), diagrams to show the behaviour of objects and how they interact, and the different states a system changes between
- Developing different tests (white/black box testing, unit testing, integration testing, validation, verification, etc...)

There is very little actual programming involved. It is mostly focused on the management side of a project.


Software Engineering is pretty close to Computer Science, however, there are some key differences in the disciplines you learn. It also depends on the University/College you go to. In some institutions, Computer Science and Software Engineering is almost synonymous, and the difference may be some key courses you take that focus on design.

Software Engineering/Computer Science/Computer Engineering/Electrical Engineering, any one of those disciplines can help you get your foot into the technology sector of the gaming industry.

The Engineering courses, especially, are very taxing and vigorous. Not many people who get a degree in engineering plan on on entering the gaming industry.

[Edited on 06.20.2012 1:46 PM PDT]

  • 06.20.2012 1:44 PM PDT

Fight your way out; only scrubs and mashers jump out of the corner


Posted by: dazarobbo
I only want to add here that Software Engineering is probably not what most people think it is - it is not all about programming. It is about:

- Managing personnel (MOI, team structure, communication, etc...)
- Determining the best process model to use (eg. Waterfall, RAD, Spiral, Incremental, etc...)
- Estimating project and system size and effort (COCOMO model).
- Understanding the scope of the project!
- Being able to decompose a problem (abstracting it)
- Determining feasibility
- Being able to schedule a project (establish milestones, identify critical paths, etc... look up what a Gantt chart is)
- Identifying risks to the project and how to mitigate and manage them (RMMM plans)
- Specification (SRS documents)
- Being able to take requirements and model them into Use Cases to show the structure/relationships within a system (or part thereof), diagrams to show the behaviour of objects and how they interact, and the different states a system changes between
- Developing different tests (white/black box testing, unit testing, integration testing, validation, verification, etc...)

There is very little actual programming involved. It is mostly focused on the management side of a project.


I have to disagree a bit; when starting out, unless you're the only developer in a team, you're not going to be spending as much time with management and logistics as these points would have you believe. Right after college you'll be writing code and solving problems; that's almost guaranteed.

Now it is true that as time goes by and you advance inside a company you'll need to take on more responsibilities, and that's where the points dazarobbo is making start to play more into your daily activities.

Over the course of a 20 year career in software engineering, sure, these tasks will take up more of your time than writing code, IF you promote into management positions.

All that said, the points dazarobbo is making are indeed vital to the successful development of software, and you should not neglect studying them in favor of learning how to write code. To be an effective member of a team you'll need to understand these processes, their importance, and integrate yourself into them.

  • 06.21.2012 10:38 AM PDT
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Achronos had reverse engineered a news software used on a website at the time. That's what put him over the top.
Posted by: DanielxAK
Achronos mentioned that he was hired by Bungie fresh out of college, but he had done something to 'put himself over the top' compared to the other applicants.

  • 06.22.2012 6:48 AM PDT


Posted by: dazarobbo
I only want to add here that Software Engineering is probably not what most people think it is - it is not all about programming. It is about:

- Managing personnel (MOI, team structure, communication, etc...)
- Determining the best process model to use (eg. Waterfall, RAD, Spiral, Incremental, etc...)
- Estimating project and system size and effort (COCOMO model).
- Understanding the scope of the project!
- Being able to decompose a problem (abstracting it)
- Determining feasibility
- Being able to schedule a project (establish milestones, identify critical paths, etc... look up what a Gantt chart is)
- Identifying risks to the project and how to mitigate and manage them (RMMM plans)
- Specification (SRS documents)
- Being able to take requirements and model them into Use Cases to show the structure/relationships within a system (or part thereof), diagrams to show the behaviour of objects and how they interact, and the different states a system changes between
- Developing different tests (white/black box testing, unit testing, integration testing, validation, verification, etc...)

There is very little actual programming involved. It is mostly focused on the management side of a project.

Hm imho, most of that stuff sounds like the responsibility of a project manager and not the software engineer.

  • 06.22.2012 8:21 AM PDT