Solved: What CAREER OPTIONS exist for 3ds max?

Anonymous · ‎10-20-2017

Hi everyone,

I'm a 3ds max user. I've done some archviz and some technical and landscape modeling and viz before. But I can't seem to find any CAREERS that use 3ds max as the primary software.

I live in the US, and both archviz and, for example, game asset creation, seem to be mostly done overseas in Eastern Europe and SE Asia. What's been fellow Americans' experience in finding max-based careers here at home?

irishman_team_kilber · ‎10-20-2017

IMHO first get a website up and running, if you don't have one! then put some of your work on it including demo reels and renders of your best work, join linkedin and facebook put work on here. start adding people in the 3d world,

participate in communities in your knowleage of 3ds max make sure you have fill out your profile with your website URL this will give backlinks with the URL to your website a person can look at your website and can offer you a freelancing job but this is not always the case. don't just spamming 3d communities with unless information to build up your backlink to your website. this will likely to get your ban and give you a bad reputation

there are tons of opportunities i would not go for the gaming industry because that is oversaturated with people looking to get into that career, and you will need a lot more ammo under your belt that 3ds max. i know people who have been trying to get into this industry and can spend most of their lives using max and other software and never make it.

at the end of the day (i hate that saying) it's down to you which industry you choose there are tons of industries to get into.

go onto a website that deals with 3ds max and look at the careers tab and see what they are looking for and what experience you need.

hopfully this make sense

ITK

marksman123 · ‎10-20-2017

Hey there, I think the question should be a little more broad, as concepts in 3ds max apply in most 3d applications. So what career options exist for 3D?

To name a few:

Visualizations of products, events, architectural interiors/exteriors, 3d printing prototypes, working in the movie/commercial/games/apps industry with specialization in (modeling, texturing, lighting, rendering, or post production), and probably others that I can't think off the top of my head.

In my opinion, the future is 3D, VR, and image/voice recognition. I think most of the stuff we are doing now will be obsolete career-wise in about 5-8 years. All lot of the current 3d jobs will be replaced by automation, or by a deteriorating need for certain things like creating textures as there will be a library of thousands of photo realistic materials with control of weathering etc. Also efficient 3d scanning of objects will automate a lot of stuff, and perhaps might take away value from the modeling guy in certain situations. Extremely powerful real-time feedback with also diminish the necessity of someone who specializes in just rendering and lighting, as it will be much easier and can be merged with other positions.

I personally do not specialize in one thing. I don't think that working in 3d studio and specializing in an area is a very smart career choice at this point.

I'm not worried about the future at all though, as you can future proof yourself by constantly being aware of how the industry is changing and keeping up with it. There are constantly new tools and plugins that will put you light-years ahead of those who don't bother with them.

Be smart because no one cared about the book stores when Amazon came along 😉

Alfred.DeFlaminis · ‎10-26-2017

Hello @Anonymous and welcome to the community,

I think that the question itself is possibly not fully formed. 3ds Max is just a tool, a means to an end. Some studios may not use Max, but Max knowledge makes it easier to move to other applications if needed. For example I've done quite a few jobs in Maya as well. I think the real question is what kinds of jobs exist for 3D, to which the answer is 'many many jobs'. If you lived in Portland Oregon right now and knew 3ds Max you've basically got your pick of Max studios, it's very easy to get work.

The question may also be "what career options exist for 3d artists." Viz, product design, games, crime reconstruction, virtual tours, medical machinery, manufacturing, construction, VR, etc. all use 3D software and Max is included in all the collections making it the one commonality between the industry collections. The concepts you learn in Max will apply to other software like AutoCAD or Maya in many cases. Clearly I am biased, Max is my favorite software in the world but I think perhaps you should expand the definition of what you are. You are not a Max artist, you are an artist. I prefer to garden with a hoe but if someone hands me a shovel I know what to do with it.

If you limit yourself to a single software as the definition of your career aspirations or artistic depth then you are severely limiting yourself and your options. Some projects require Revit, some Fusion, some Max, some all 3. Then, you learn the most popular tools to increase your versatility. I certainly prefer 3ds Max and will use it every time it's appropriate over anything else, but my toolbox has more than that in it. If you find yourself defining your career by the software you use it's similar to that old adage, "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." By all means learn Max, but also learn Maya, AutoCAD, Revit, Fusion, Inventor, etc even if just a little bit so you can understand how the entire 3D software ecosystem is set up. (There are also some great non-Autodesk software titles out there.) Each bit of knowledge you gain increases your overall viability and versatility to various businesses.

I would start looking at the pluses and minuses of each industry. Where you work will also have an impact. If you live in a big city you have more options then in a small town. Ask yourself what you want out of life and then find the career that suits it. Most of all, make sure you enjoy the work. Don't go working in games for example if you don't enjoy games work, that will suck the fun out of them with the quickness if you're a gamer. Do you want to be a freelancer and live life closer to the edge? Or, do you want a more stable but mundane day in and day out experience? I didn't know to think about these things when I entered the field but I suggest that you think about what your end goal is. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best Regards,

Anonymous · ‎08-06-2018

We are currently looking to employ people with 3DS max animation experience. Please visit our website at www.solidsupport.com.au and if interested in applying for the position, forward your CV to info@solidsupport.com.au