Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Occlusion Culling • Godot • Respawn

OpenGL

Term from Video Game Development industry explained for recruiters

OpenGL is a standard tool that helps create 3D graphics in video games and other visual applications. Think of it as an artist's toolkit that lets developers draw and animate things on the screen. It's like the engine that powers the visuals in many games, from simple mobile games to complex desktop applications. While there are other similar tools like DirectX or Vulkan, OpenGL has been around for a long time and is widely used across different types of computers and devices. When you see this on a resume, it usually means the person has experience with creating visual elements or working on the graphics part of games and applications.

Examples in Resumes

Developed 3D racing game using OpenGL and C++

Created realistic lighting effects with OpenGL shaders

Optimized OpenGL rendering pipeline to improve game performance

Typical job title: "Graphics Programmers"

Also try searching for:

Graphics Programmer Game Developer 3D Graphics Developer Graphics Engine Developer Game Engine Programmer Technical Artist Rendering Engineer

Where to Find Graphics Programmers

Online Communities

Job Boards

Professional Networks

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you optimize graphics performance in a large game?

Expected Answer: A senior developer should discuss methods like reducing draw calls, implementing level-of-detail systems, and using efficient memory management. They should also mention experience with profiling tools and debugging graphics issues.

Q: Explain how you would manage a graphics engine team.

Expected Answer: Should discuss experience leading graphics programming teams, setting technical standards, making architectural decisions, and balancing visual quality with performance requirements.

Mid Level Questions

Q: How do you handle lighting and shadows in a 3D scene?

Expected Answer: Should be able to explain basic lighting concepts, shadow mapping, and how to implement different types of lights in a game environment, using non-technical language.

Q: What experience do you have with shader programming?

Expected Answer: Should demonstrate understanding of basic shader concepts and how they're used to create visual effects in games, with examples from past projects.

Junior Level Questions

Q: Can you explain what a vertex buffer is?

Expected Answer: Should be able to explain in simple terms how basic 3D objects are stored and drawn on screen, showing understanding of fundamental graphics concepts.

Q: How do you draw a simple 3D object on screen?

Expected Answer: Should be able to describe the basic steps of creating and displaying 3D shapes, showing familiarity with basic graphics programming concepts.