TLDR: which of these are good on an audio programming portfolio: Wwise/Unity integration project, Wwise or Unity audio plugin project, other C++ audio project, game prototypes made in Unity/Godot, sound design reel?
I’m working on a portfolio to get my first audio programming role. What are some must-haves, amazing-to-haves, and definitely-don’t-haves? And at what point would I be likely to start getting interviews?
So far I have a synthesizer plugin made with JUCE/C++. I made this to keep learning / show I can use C++. I’m aware JUCE isn’t used in game audio. I could try turning this into a Unity or Wwise plugin, or I could leave it and work on new game/specific projects.
I could make a Wwise or Unity audio plugin - I was thinking of making a garbled no-words ‘speech’ generator with parameters like speed and pitch, or could try some interactive car engine sound, or a reverb..
I’ve done some of the audiokinetic Wwise courses but don’t have my own work to show. I could make a small game and integrate my own sounds with Wwise, or is this only relevant to technical sound design roles?
Is it worth making small game prototypes in Unity/Godot to show I can use game engines? Or is this a waste of time when I could be working on audio-specific things?
Is it good to include a sound design reel or does that make me look too generalist?
My background: I have a music degree, know C++, know game engine/middleware basics, have experience using DAWs & synths, don’t know calculus or how to implement FFT / advanced maths stuff