Is there a secret to understanding job requirements?

JordanN

I'm still working hard to make a killer portfolio, but that doesn't mean I can't take a peak at what job positions are out there.

Today, I stumbled upon Crytek's studio austin senior environment artist page and I've been reading through some of the points. A year ago, I would have been easily scared off from what studios are looking for. But now it's like, I'm not as intimidated from such big words.

For example, one requirement is:

Strong texture painting skills

Now, if one follows and masters the polycount wiki on textures, would that qualify you for understanding painting? Obviously you need to have work to show for it, but there's no better texture artist than one who does what the experts say and understands the fundamentals of texturing.

Another requirement

Must have passion for Environmental Art and ability to see it as a character

I guess character would mean "not boring" right? I actually asked this in another thread and the answer was your work needs to have story.

There are some things I can't read into like "having shipped a PS3 game".

Am I on the right path with this?

PyrZern

Well, most of those requirement are pretty subjective. How strong skill is strong enough ? What's superior eyes to colors ? Might as well just say 'Able to show 10+ pieces of breath-taking kickass folio piece.'

Also, it's not that anyone better than A- will get the job. We don't really compete with the standard here, we're competing with other people who are also working as hard to get that position.

Fwap

I think that's exactly why they put that in there, to intimidate people into not applying effectively weeding out half of the applications already.

If they just put, must have a good portfolio, they would have a cluster fuck of applications.
Good art is good art, if your amazing i doubt they would turn you down because you don't have 3 years worth of game industry experience, with the exception maybe of a lead or a senior position because its as much team management as it is being a good artist.

this is just me speculating though

Steve Schulze

That one looks pretty straight forward. The recruiter ads that do all they can to obfuscate the position are the worst. Half the time you're not even entirely sure what the hell you're applying for.

PixelMasher

yea most of the time its a bit of a filter to save time, if somone is uncertain they dont meet the requirements, chances are they dont. on the flip side it also can give you ammo to talk yourself up in interviews by using their buzzwords from the job description.

Richard Kain

One of the secrets to understanding job requirements is that they are always unrealistic. This is especially true in today's market. People writing the "requirements" will always be asking for more, much more, than the job actually "requires."

This is not to say that the requirements are not important and worth thinking about. But it is a good idea to temper your expectations and not allow yourself to be intimidated by crazy requirements. If it seems like the job is a decent fit for your skills and experience, apply anyway even if you don't meet all the requirements.

Once you get in for an interview, it is usually possible to figure out what the actual requirements for the position are.

Mask_Salesman

Requirements are for the weak of heart, apply either way. Unless it's obviously a different field etc ofcourse.

While its hard to distinguish your own personal skill level, its not you who will ultimately decide if your art is good enough, it's the person hiring.

sprunghunt

One thing I've noticed is that almost every job requirement I've seen lately lists zbrush as necessary.

However it's not a sign that they'll actually expect you to use it while working for them.

Part of the problem is that even if you fit the job requirements they may not notice. Especially if you're applying through an automated system. You really have to plan your submission to match the keywords they're looking for to get past this.

ZacD

Job requirements is a company's dream wish list for a future employee, you don't have to fit the requirements in order to get a job there, but it helps if you fit somewhere within their vision of a ideal candidate.

ez_flow

Hey JordanN,

In my experience most of the information in the job requirements section are generic and general at best. They are good as an outline for what skills to posses, but in terms of proficiency, they are subjective to the company. If you want a good indicator of what is required, I would look at current artists at the studio. You can easily find portfolio's on linkedin. How does your art work compare to theirs? Also, I would tailor my portfolio toward the studio I'm applying to. For example, if I want to work at Naughty as an environment artist, I should have pieces that resemble what they do. Hope that helps.