It's the /r/gamedev daily random discussion thread for 2015-06-09

I'm not sure if this is the best place to ask, but I'll give it a shot.

I'm currently employed by a financial company where I do software, web and database development. I've been here for a little over a year and a half and this is my first job as a Dev. Before this I was at school and had no proper development experience, pretty much everything I've learned has been taught on the job and therefore I have no degree/qualifications.

I have no interest in this industry and my ultimate goal is to get into game design/production. Everything I've read about the job sounds like kind of thing I really want to do, the perfect blend of creativity and technical skills. However, I'm really struggling with how to achieve this. I currently can't stand my job and really want to leave it behind. A part of this is just because I don't enjoy the Dev work anymore. There is nothing interesting about bouncing around from project to protect doing nothing I have a passion for and all of the work being for other people. My original plan was to try and get into games programming and then into design but I'm not sure I'm up for it anymore. While I still enjoy the idea and fundamentals of coding, the actual day to day is so rigid and monotonous, I hate it. But I'm not sure if this is the result of actual programing or just the job I have. I have been considering getting a QA job a games studio and working from there toward a design job instead.

So my question is, is it worth getting a QA job and working up from there or trying to get a Dev job even though I don't have a degree or portfolio and might not even like it?

Also, how do I get the motivation to actually find a new job ? Spending all day in this job is mentally draining and by the time I get home I have no energy to do anything and I'm worried this will show in any CV or cover letter I write. Should I just quit my job now and then focus on getting a new one?

Sorry about the extremely long post, and I'm deeply grateful for any and all advice.

/r/gamedev Thread