THE HOWS AND WHYS OF THE GAMES INDUSTRY - EXAMPLE - PRO/CON

This text is part of my book"The Hows and Whys of the Games Industry". This extract does not represent an entire chapter - large parts were cut.


What To Expect

Of course every studio has its own way of doing things and there is no real road map as to how an interview goes but the following will give you an indication of some of the things that may come up.

When they invite you in (or phone you), usually just one or two key developers will ask you the usual questions such as who you are, what you do, what you did, and what you are looking for. They will ask specific things that are important for the position they have open. For example, experience with this software, or that application. These sorts of questions are usually quite relaxed and friendly and basically, in terms of atmosphere, it's similar to sitting around a table and discussing your work with a bunch of likeminded people. Relax and just talk about what you've done, when you did it, why you made something, why you made certain choices, how it works, how long it took you, and so on.
Also, make sure that you have something legitimately valuable to say about your work. There is nothing more boring than an applicant who describes every screenshot as “this is a piece of my work and it represents a soldier/gun/tree/whatever!”. Usually, the developers can determine what it is by themselves, and it is pretty obvious that it’s yours (It better be!). What they really would like to hear however, is how you made it, what steps you went through to get to the end result, why you chose to do it that way, what your intention was, what you value most about it yourself, and so on.

Before, after, or during the interview they will show you around the studio, or at least the department where you would be employed. They will likely show you the project you would work on and you might have a chance to talk to some developers.

After that they either send you home or they'll conduct another interview. Sometimes they’ll even call you back in for a second interview later on. This is especially a possibility in a larger studio who don't mind the extra costs associated with another trip, or if you live nearby.
While you usually don't get asked typical questions like “describe yourself in three words” in games industry interviews, some do ask these types of questions. Even though it is unlikely you will be asked these questions, it won’t hurt to prepare for them; especially if you’re interviewed by a larger studio.

The best way to prepare for questions is often to try and guess what questions you will be asked prior to the interview and think about what you would answer. Basically come up with all the possible questions and the respective answers to them and then learn them roughly by heart. You will be able to answer the questions much quicker if they are asked, and that will make you look more confident and like a quick thinker. However, don’t answer all the questions as soon as they’re asked – sometimes a small deliberate pause while you appear to be thinking can indicate that you don’t rush your decisions, which is also a trait that employers like to see.



Their Questions

So, what kind of questions can you expect? Here is a list of frequently asked questions.

  • Who are you? Can you describe yourself briefly?
  • What have you worked on and made in the past?
  • Why should we hire you?
  • What kind of addition would you be to our team?
  • Why are you interested? Why did you apply to our company and not some other random company?
  • What kind of tasks do you like most?
  • What tasks do you dislike most?
  • What do you consider your greatest success and why?
  • What was the most fun project you worked on up to now and why?
  • Can you handle criticism well? How do you do so?
  • What's your best quality?
  • What's your worst?
  • How would others describe you?
  • Where and how do you see yourself in five years time? How do you think you’ll get there?
  • What motivates you?
  • Are you comfortable working with deadlines and time constraints?
  • What do you expect from the office? Any special requirements?
  • Are you applying elsewhere as well?
  • Would you be interested in extra schooling?
  • What kind of games do you like or dislike and why?
  • Can you handle working full-time 40 hours a week on a project without getting bored?
  • Can you handle relocating without running into emotional trouble?


    		•
    While you usually don't get asked typical questions like “describe yourself in three words” in games industry interviews, some do ask these types of questions. Even though it is unlikely you will be asked these questions, it won’t hurt to prepare for them; especially if you’re interviewed by a larger studio.

    The best way to prepare for questions is often to try and guess what questions you will be asked prior to the interview and think about what you would answer. Basically come up with all the possible questions and the respective answers to them and then learn them roughly by heart. You will be able to answer the questions much quicker if they are asked, and that will make you look more confident and like a quick thinker. However, don’t answer all the questions as soon as they’re asked – sometimes a small deliberate pause while you appear to be thinking can indicate that you don’t rush your decisions, which is also a trait that employers like to see.



    Your Questions

    A job interview does not just exist for the company. It also exist so you, as the interviewee, you can ask them questions and figure out whether or not you even want to work at their company. You are interviewing them while they interview you.
    Apart from the obvious questions (what they are working on/how big is the team/what tools do they use/and so on), which you probably already know the answer to after their introduction, there are several other questions you can ask them on a job interview.


  • What is the ambition of the company? What does it want to achieve in the next five to ten years?
  • What do you hope to achieve with the current game/project?
  • Can you describe the organization and the scheduling? What kind of steps do you take to minimize the need to work overtime? (a very justified yet dangerous question as it can make you come across as lazy.)
  • What exactly will my tasks include and what will you expect of me?
  • How much creative freedom will I have?
  • What are the most important house rules? (working hours/eating behind the desk/and so on)
  • Will you help me relocate?
  • Is the company privately owned? And how is the project funded?
  • What do you like most about your company? And what do you like least? (This can be asked both to the hiring staff you meet with, and to the other developers you happen to meet as well.)


    		•
    If you get the chance, also try to have a chat with a couple of regular developers and see if you can figure out if they are happy and how long they've been employed by the company. If most people have only been hired recently, and it is not a start-up studio, it can mean that a lot of developers have left recently, for whatever reason.