Don't let your ego get in the way of development. A college degree is strongly desired. They drive all the technology behind the games. Most Production houses organize their programmers into teams of expertise. Keep in mind this is just a general programmer job description.
Most production houses have programmers divided into three categories.
A junior programmer is the entry level programmer. Most Houses look for some sort of code specialization that the programmer has concentrated on while going through school. Be humble at all times. Be willing to make a commitment. A company that invests in an employee wants to keep that employee around.