Go build a PC

10 years ago today I put together a PC for the first time. Why is that so special? Because it helped me be the person in the right place at the right time.

On a whim I decided to take advantage of Black Friday deals and build a PC. At the time I was freelance and working on a Mac Pro. I thought to myself: "well I better build a decent PC in case I get a client where I need to use Windows for their tools."

I built myself a "bargain" PC rig out of some aging AMD hardware. And then not a month and a half later I was working on a AAA game using Unreal which required a PC! By the time that gig was finished I was a FTE Senior Sound Designer with a boatload of experience and some lifelong friendships. I may not have even gotten that initial contract gig if I didn't have a machine capable of running UE4.

"Right place, right time" is common when it comes to employment advice in the games industry. What advice I think is required to go with that is: "being prepared for right place, right time".

What does that mean? Preparation: Having the right tools, the proper skills, experience, knowledge, etc so when an opportunity pops up; you are the right person, in that place, right at the time you are needed.

It isn't always that easy I know. Ive also been in the place, at the time, but wasnt viewed as quite "right". Or I wasn't in the right place at the right time. There will always be near misses or "what could have been" that can eat at you if you let it. I try to focus on what I can do to always be prepared, be it in skills, tech, knowledge, what have you.

So what I'm saying I guess is building PCs is rad so use this post to justify the purchase.