So part of getting into the game industry is having a portfolio to show off what you've accomplished. Don't think of this as a "good idea" but a requirement. If you don't have a solid portfolio then your chances of getting a job is virtually zero. It's something that you develop the entire time you're in school or even just stuff that you develop independent of school work entirely. I also feel the need to stress something that is stressed by my teachers frequently: you are developing this portfolio the ENTIRE TIME you are in school or in general over a period of years typically. Some people think that they can develop their portfolio after they graduate and "have all the skills" to create something truly great but this almost never works out. While it certainly isn't impossible, each of my teachers have said that they've seen this strategy work exactly zero times. So any time you are working on a project you really should put as much effort into it as possible because you never know what will end up as a portfolio piece. Steve Merka, a lead mobile designer at EA, has even stated that you are much better off with a single exceptional piece than a bunch of good pieces. In fact, we got some awesome advice about what to put in a portfolio from several developers from the industry. However, that post will have to wait until tomorrow.
