ok perhaps im reading too much into this but long story short I've been fairly unsuccessfull at finding another IT job, market saturation + no real qualifications other then hands on experience has'nt really done me any favours so ive been working to try and get away from it, I was thinking that I could expand on what arty and 3d **** ive been doing and go try get a job at a games dev, something I've always wanted to do. anyway long story short I was rolling around codemasters site and noticed they had a IT tech job offer going in b'ham not too far from me, shits n giggles I applied expecting nothing back. I got an email back asking me if I'd like an interview, I was over the moon at first but now I'm feeling apprehensive. with the IT sector being as ****ed as it is you can get better qualified IT techs for ten a penny, are they interested in all the things ive done outside of my job role ie, beta testing ut maps, 3ds, art and all the other industry related goodness? I've always aimed high personally but in reality ive fairly low self esteem and tend do me a little modest (?) about my abilities. what do they want? ive hardly slept a wink since the email on friday and the confirmation email this morning just made me sick to my stomach help
Don't try and second guess them as you will be worrying pointlessly. If your invited for an interview they know your capable of doing the job, they just want to see if your personality will fit in with the organisation. Be yourself but perhaps do not go on a rant about 'console tards' and you'll be fine. Remember what job you have applied for. If its as an IT support person then do not emphasise your 3D work too much. Once your in post then look for opportunities elsewhere within the company.
Well, I wish you luck! Wasn't your system in CPC? It may be worth bringing the copy along - something to talk about.
Aside from professional experience, it is mostly about seeing if you're a d*ck or not. Nobody wants a rigid, non personable person working in their company, unless they are REALLY good at what they do. Show you're a fun guy, can do the job, and are hard working and you stand a damn good shot above somebody who may be slightly more qualified than you (on paper) but is not someone who strikes up a rapport with the interviewer. Also nerves are a good thing, it means you're about to challenge yourself! Keep confident, keep fun, and don't sell yourself short! Good luck pal!
Gunsmith, having worked my way up from being a games tester, through to an IT Helpdesk and now most recently getting what I wanted for my career (IT Consultant), I can honestly say that first off, just be yourself. If you are one person in the interview and another once you start the job, they will notice, and notice fast. There's no point putting on a fake face in the interview. Also, while many people here will tell you that in IT it is all experience over qualification, that is true, up to a point. I didn't have a single qualification on my person (IT-wise) until I hit Senior Engineer. At that point I start Microsoft training. However, hitting anything higher (for example, I've just become an IT Consultant), I'm now training in much more obscure things, and this is where you beging to specialise your talents. Personally, I would say Codemasters are more likely to look for experience over qualifications for the role you mentioned, so don't worry about requalifying and the like. However, one tip I CAN give you is to make sure you ask THEM questions too... - What are their career progression paths? (ie. Is it difficult to move on and up in the position or do they recruit from within first and external second?) - Do they offer training or specialisation to continue your career development? (ie. Will they put you on courses that allow you and them to benefit from you learning something?) - Do they offer any subsidising/incentives for achieving targets in career progression? (ie. Do they offer a bonus or pay increase if, for example, you attain a certain qualification in a certain time period?) Those kinds of questions show you are looking at a long-term commitment to the company and will allow them to see your enthusiasm. Also, for games companys, make sure you are aware of their catalogue, both present and past, of games. Bringing up THEIR products in conversation will really put you in their good books and also show that you care about the interview and the company enough to do some research. When I used to work at EA, I worked on many games including Shogun: Total War, Black & White and Theme Park World, amongst others, and stuff I mentioned in my interview about ideas for future sequels in things like Theme Park World and the like actually ended up making it into the game! Working in the games industry is tough, so I salute you. I only made about 3 years there before I couldn't take it anymore and moved to engineering and support, and from there to consulting. Best of luck mate. PS. Also, I hope you're flexible with working hours. When the development teams hit crunch time, you'll be there supporting them on the same hours! Expect to get tired!
Bout time someone thought about paying you to do what you do Best of luck! And seriously, they're asking you for an interview, they obviously see something worth finding out more about. You applied for a laugh, so if you don't get it you're no worse off. If they like you then a winner is you etc, you can't go wrong!
Codemasters are a wonderful company to work for, now they're out of financial troubles (only just) you've got a good couple of years a head of you
Gunny, best of luck to you. I agree with what was said in the past: You're invited for the interview. That means that you're a suitable candidate. Your CV already states that you have no formal training, and that you are very busy with other stuff. This seems to appeal to them. If I were to put myself in their shhoes, I'd reckon: They are a games company. They look for open and honest people that understand the business, are creative, and have an absolute passion for what they're doing. In that light, I'd almost assume that they're interviewing you BECAUSE of all your extracurriculars, rather than in spite of those. They can see you are a creative person that LOVES the industry, and takes it very seriously. They also see in you the potential to possibly slowly move you into other departments where you might be worth more to them. I'd assume that an artist such as yourself is worht his weight in gold when compared to a normal IT Tech (no disrespect to any IT Techs, I just reckon that skilled and talented artists are substantially harder to find and pay for). This makes them see a possible long-term investment in you. The interview in this case (If I may hazard a guess) serves to establish a few things: 1) Are you the kind of person that makes a long term commitment to break into the scene? 2) Will your personality gel with the rest of the team(s)? 3) Do your salary expectations fit in with the budget they have allocated for the spot. In that light, the best advice I could possibly give you is to be yourself, be honest (no use BS'ing them), Tell them about your passions with regard to games development. And hope that the salary you want/need fits their pockets. Further: Know all about the company you can. From who's who to their history, their games, which ones you've played, what you thought. What OS do they run, etc. The more you know about them, the more they'll know you're serious. Oh, and while the Crysis shirt (come on... you MUST have one, being as much of a fan as you are... ) might seem like it shows passion for games (and it does), it's also an EA game... so maybe not the best of ideas... Good luck, Gunny.
Having spent much of the past couple of years trying to find a job (only to have three come through in the last couple of weeks), my best advice would be to be yourself and not worry too much. I found I did much better in those interviews where I was most relaxed for whatever reason (applying for a job inside my "comfort zone", for example) than those where I was unduly nervous. Codemasters have already seen your application and/or CV, so they know who you are on paper; the interview is to see what you're like in person, and whether your personality will fit into the company. As Ph4lanx said above, make sure you ask sensible and pertinent questions, it'll show you have an interest in the company. Another question I've often asked is where the interviewers see the company in five years - it shows that you have commitment in mind, but also shows whether they have that same commitment. You might also want to raise the issue of Reliance Big Entertainment and how that affects the company's plans. You might also want to take along some examples of your work - A4 size, nothing more - in case you get asked or you have the opportunity to raise it. Bottom line: RELAX. Be yourself.
Hey gunsmith, With you knowing 3dsmax and its temperamental license managing system you will be an advantage than most other it techs out there, i would pimp that ability in the interview as you have a useful set of skills which they can use.
just a quick heads up, I had the interview on monday and what an interview. I went in and was imidiatly shoved into the most ****ing awesome racing setup ever and spent half an hour racing with the exec producer of F1 before being thrown into thier boardroom and meeting the head chaps, it went well. on the way back i had an omen telling me something was good, I've always been after a mustang and whilst sitting in traffic guess qhat pulls up next to me? yup, a GT500, even got talking to the guy in it who gave me a VIP v8 orchestra whilst we were waiting. sure enough i just heard back today, i got a 2nd interview at thier southam office next week. fingers crossed
NO amount of rep would show you how impressed I am you managed this! As October said before, it's about time someone gave you a well paid job dude! Congratulations on getting the second interview - now do all us real gamers a favour.... nail that sucker!
