Job Application Process

dazzlinggamer

Hello everyone,

I wanted to ask about the job application process. Since I am still very new to it, there is a lot I am not familiar with and it seems like there are some well-versed individuals here on PolyCount so it seemed like the right place to ask.

So currently, I have received responses from a couple of companies expressing interest. Generally speaking, they said they would get in touch with HR to see if they can set something up and then get back to me in a day or two However, it has already been a few days so I am not sure exactly steps I should take. Thus far all communication has been through e-mail.

Should I e-mail them again or try to call them instead? Should I just let them know I am still interested or should I ask for an interview to try to expedite the process? I would appreciate any insight into this.

imbueFX

Being patient in situations like this is critical. It's easy to start to worry and become impatient. But if a company responded with interest, trust me you're in a good spot.

I'd say if it goes more than a week, just send a polite follow up over email. I can tell you from experience, HR people do not like it when applicants get pushy and call or email every day.

Ultimately you just have to ride the wave Good luck!

Eric Chadwick

We have some good info on our wiki about the whole interview process. Feel free to ask more questions too.
http://wiki.polycount.com/CategoryGameIndustry#Interviews

Slum

Eric, you should change your username to Eric Chadwiki.

I kid, I kid. Sort of!

dpaynter26

Yeah if a week or so goes by maybe just send a simple email asking if anything else has happened with the potential employment, ive gotten a lot of phone calls and "im going to setup a meeting with HR" and then never heard anything back after emailing and even calling my contact back after a week or so and they completely COMPLETELY ignore me sooooooo Good Luck! And just be polite and see if anything has changed:D

Andreas

Slum wrote: »

Eric, you should change your username to Eric Chadwiki.

I kid, I kid. Sort of!

He really should!

walreu

Yeah, i'm thinking same with others, wait a week or so and then politely ask what's up..

I'm in the same spot right now. It's bit hilarious actually. I met this CEO at Nordic Game and he said that they need workforce quickly and i said i will send application and CV blaah blaah, everything seems awesome.. so i sent (to him and to the firm). I hear nothing from them.
Few weeks passes and i ask from him in LinkedIn what's going on. He says that their recruiting person was on vacation and asked me to send the application again directly to him so he will check it out. Again, it's been a week and i've heard nothing. The funny thing is that everytime i go check out his LinkedIn profile, he visits mine

But i guess he will respond in couple of days when holidays end and the work week starts.

Same thing with the company that i got to do the art test with. The first time they contacted me was exactly month after i sent the application. After that it took several days/week everytime they responded to messages etc.. It's slow stuff always.

Eric Chadwick

Sorry about linking to the wiki so often. It's just that there's so much valuable info out there. It pains me not to share it when I see someone grasping at straws. Maybe I should change my name, heheh.

dazzlinggamer

Thanks everyone for your responses to my thread. I did actually check out the Wiki, it has a lot of useful tips on interviewing and what to do after the interview and so forth.

However I am actually wondering more about the process of getting to the interview. That is the part I have had difficulty with so far, the potential employers are taking quite a while to set it up. Should I ping them again to remind them or anything? All advice and response are appreciated.

Thanks again guys!

imyj

In my experience, the best and most efficient approach I would recommend is to make sure that you always keep your emails short. Send a sentence or two and leave it at that. Always end the email with a question. People working in games companies get hundreds of emails in their inbox on a daily basis. By keeping things short, you're more likely to get a response. Too often people send lengthy emails when the reality is that they'll look at your URL or LinkedIn and get a lot of information from there. If you haven't received a response after a week has passed then send a follow-up email asking if they received it; occasionally emails aren't received - especially if you use a custom host. If you don't receive a response after that email, then I would wait a little longer and send your original email again. If you don't receive a response after that then I'd take it as a hint that they won't be replying. This doesn't mean that they're not interested, but at least you'll be on their records and they'll get in touch if they need you.

Eric Chadwick

Yep, Liam's advice is excellent. More advice here: Art test and no response, normal? That thread highlights an awful truth in this industry... that game dev HR is usually very poor about handling applicants.

Lazerus Reborn

Le hijack averted~

dazzlinggamer

Thanks for the ideas imyj, I will definitely try that. Can others provide input as well?

dazzlinggamer

So an update on this, I have interviewed with them twice and last Thursday I was asked about references. Today I got an e-mail that they are still in the process and they hope I am still interested. I guess this is good news but the whole process seems to be taking a long time... Is this normal?

Ghostscape

When things take longer, it usually means you're being considered but you're not necessarily the first choice. A few weeks is normal, regardless.

A few months is not.

dazzlinggamer

Thanks again everyone for the tips and advice! Guess what, I got the job!

Ghostscape

Congrats dude!