Among the general population it’s arguable that Mario Kart and Persona are better than their original series counterparts. Mario Kart 8 owns but is it better than say, Super Merry-oh 64?
Re: Persona, I enjoyed Personas Q and Q2 more than 5 and possibly at least as much as 3 and 4, for sure. I think modern Persona is the weakest of all the Megaten spinoffs too, but are Devil Summoner and Devil Survivor better than mainline games? An interesting question.
In terms of getting a job, I got into my career (public relations) by putting on a few live music shows in my area when I was a student and used that experience, coupled with some prior volunteering experience to blag my way into an entry level position.
I would also suggest practising your writing, whether you decide to publish or not. A lot of jobs involve some sort of written work, and for many it’s not immediately apparent that you would have to write much, but it 100% helps to strengthen your communication with other people.