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I agree with you there...I was specifically told by the HR of one company that they would provide feedback for my test...I did a pretty good job on it, handed it in after about 6 days, and never heard anything but a pre-fabbed "Do not reply to this email" rejection letter...a month and a half later.
I have friends that work there too who were giving me suggestions and were pleased with my outcome, but all I got were crickets as far as "what I did wrong" goes....
I don't mind being told I suck, but at least being given suggestions that will make me better - is always better than nothing.
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Ahh I know what company this was for and lately it seems as if they think they are the best shit on earth. Being a startup at that. Offering less money on the west coast in San Diego where the cost of living is crazy compared to what a few companies on the east coast (North Carolina) are offereing.
It's not clear from your post sorry. The test is to model, texture, hair sim and rig a character? Or is the test to *only* rig an existing character?
Any Art test that looks like it could take more than 2 days of your time is unreasonable. A test isn't usually accompanied by any kind of a contract no. I don't know what you mean by 'poor PDF' but a document outlining the details of the test accompanied by a piece of concept Art is fairly standard. You should be able to ask your contact a question if any aspect if the test is not clear.
Sounds like a lot of work indeed.
For that ammount of work it should be an actual production asset. Make a contract so that they have to pay for it in case they accept it. Make clear that they have no right on your work whatsoever if they don't accept and pay it.
If you have serious doubts if you can trust them, send pics and movies first and get a written approval on that. (Pics and movies of mesh, rig, binding in animation etc. )
Nothing is ever 100% save though.
You have to know if it is worth the effort to you. Mind you might be working for nothing for quite some time and that would still be quite some advantage for them, to be able to simply retreat, say: "No, we don't like it." and not pay anything. On the other hand, they don't know you either, so it is kind of fair.
Try if you can talk to them and persuade them to give you a smaller test and then get a real commission for that single char after that, so the work relationship can grow with time.
How much time did they give you? Like daz said more than 2 days is a bit stretch. Even more so when you have a full time job already. I know some tests I have seen or done are a week and some were longer. I passed on the longer ones. I just don't have that kind of time for a test.
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They said almost 3 weeks to complete the entire char. I´m a full-time job, but it´s Ok. The big problem is just the "intelectual properties" of the job itself.
Don´t fell confortable giving a "ready to render" character freely.
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Yeah thats a bit iffy and it would be hard to tell if they were to use your character in game or whatever and not just say well we modeled that with our in-house guys.
Is it a bigger company? Startup? You should really ask them about the ip on this.
Is it good/wise to go back to a company and ask them to re-do an art test after they told you that your test didn't meet their expectations, but you definitely know that you could do better the second time around because you were too nervous/scared/busy the first time ? Is it a good idea to email them again and ask for a re-match ?
Im asking because i did an art test last week (which was my first one ever done for a job) and the recruter told me that it wasn't good enough.
I know i could have done better and the company would probably benefit from my talent a lot more than me benefiting from them, its only that i wasn't in a good mood to be tested. So i kinda would like a re-match to prove myself. Any suggestions welcome
Is it good/wise to go back to a company and ask them to re-do an art test after they told you that your test didn't meet their expectations, but you definitely know that you could do better the second time around because you were too nervous/scared/busy the first time ? Is it a good idea to email them again and ask for a re-match ?
Im asking because i did an art test last week (which was my first one ever done for a job) and the recruter told me that it wasn't good enough.
I know i could have done better and the company would probably benefit from my talent a lot more than me benefiting from them, its only that i wasn't in a good mood to be tested. So i kinda would like a re-match to prove myself. Any suggestions welcome
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Well one thing you could do is email them and ask. It can't hurt can it. Just don't tell them they need you more than you need them. Geez...
You could also take whatever feedback you got, make changes, and send back in with a breakdown of what you changed and how long it took you.
I agree, except leave out the part about not doing well because you were "moody"... that pops up a red flag that you might be one of those types that won't be consistent, someone who might balk at perfectly-legit requests, just because they don't feel like doing it on a Tuesday, or whatever. Not saying you are this kind of person, just try not to give them that impression.
haha nice. Funny as this may be compared to what I have mentioned in this thread. I was asked if I would be interested in an art test today. I accepted. The reason I was asked to take the test was because I do not have a lot of hand painted / stylized work in my portfolio and from work done recently. SO I have no problems with trying to show them that I am capable of the work.
so if you really liked a company, but didn't do so hot on the art test the first time around, but knew your mistakes and strengthened them, when is a good time to reapply? and would they give you another chance?
Just to throw an idea out there, and granted as Freud would say sometimes an art test is just an art test, Ive been involved with more than enough as part of a hiring process to realize that a test is not always what it seems.
First the basic assumption that those that are reviewing you know what they are doing and what they are looking for is not always framed based on your assumptions. In the first place those that do dont waste their time on those that think they can walk the walk so if youre actually sitting in front of someone its only because you have demonstrated a skill set even on a fundamental level that makes them want to check you out further.
Second those that do can smell their own so if youre a poser or trying to get in based on someone elses work you will be weeded out with in the first 5 minuets.
So why an art test?
Everyone that I know has their own rendition or variation of the test and is not designed to see if you can actually do the work but rather to see how you react under battlefield conditions. There have been more times than I count when I had to deal with an individual who froze in the line of fire and actually had to complete the very work for which they where hired for in the first place. The notion that you can actually decided want you can or cant do is not an option when the power that be is only interested in results.
So an art test could be a means to see how you react to a specification that could or would have been assigned to you on a daily bases. If you cant get it done in the timeframe set out in the specification then there is the probability that you will react the same way when the real bullets fly.
Here is a suggestion but its very risky, which getting the job is in the first place.
If you know that there is no way on earth you will be able to complete the specification then cheat. Re-use, re-task, buy, purchase, find help and use every resource you have at your disposal not to produce the final result in the manner you wish but as demanded by the specification in an effort to simply get it done.
You dont have to lie about it and might not be the solution they have in mind but companies are always looking for those that simply have a skill to get things done and at the very least will make them consider you further rather than hearing you say that you cant do it and eliminate you as a possibility.
Replies
I agree with you there...I was specifically told by the HR of one company that they would provide feedback for my test...I did a pretty good job on it, handed it in after about 6 days, and never heard anything but a pre-fabbed "Do not reply to this email" rejection letter...a month and a half later.
I have friends that work there too who were giving me suggestions and were pleased with my outcome, but all I got were crickets as far as "what I did wrong" goes....
I don't mind being told I suck, but at least being given suggestions that will make me better - is always better than nothing.
[/ QUOTE ]
Ahh I know what company this was for and lately it seems as if they think they are the best shit on earth. Being a startup at that. Offering less money on the west coast in San Diego where the cost of living is crazy compared to what a few companies on the east coast (North Carolina) are offereing.
Any Art test that looks like it could take more than 2 days of your time is unreasonable. A test isn't usually accompanied by any kind of a contract no. I don't know what you mean by 'poor PDF' but a document outlining the details of the test accompanied by a piece of concept Art is fairly standard. You should be able to ask your contact a question if any aspect if the test is not clear.
For that ammount of work it should be an actual production asset. Make a contract so that they have to pay for it in case they accept it. Make clear that they have no right on your work whatsoever if they don't accept and pay it.
If you have serious doubts if you can trust them, send pics and movies first and get a written approval on that. (Pics and movies of mesh, rig, binding in animation etc. )
Nothing is ever 100% save though.
You have to know if it is worth the effort to you. Mind you might be working for nothing for quite some time and that would still be quite some advantage for them, to be able to simply retreat, say: "No, we don't like it." and not pay anything. On the other hand, they don't know you either, so it is kind of fair.
Try if you can talk to them and persuade them to give you a smaller test and then get a real commission for that single char after that, so the work relationship can grow with time.
They said almost 3 weeks to complete the entire char. I´m a full-time job, but it´s Ok. The big problem is just the "intelectual properties" of the job itself.
Don´t fell confortable giving a "ready to render" character freely.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah thats a bit iffy and it would be hard to tell if they were to use your character in game or whatever and not just say well we modeled that with our in-house guys.
Is it a bigger company? Startup? You should really ask them about the ip on this.
Is it good/wise to go back to a company and ask them to re-do an art test after they told you that your test didn't meet their expectations, but you definitely know that you could do better the second time around because you were too nervous/scared/busy the first time ? Is it a good idea to email them again and ask for a re-match ?
Im asking because i did an art test last week (which was my first one ever done for a job) and the recruter told me that it wasn't good enough.
I know i could have done better and the company would probably benefit from my talent a lot more than me benefiting from them, its only that i wasn't in a good mood to be tested. So i kinda would like a re-match to prove myself. Any suggestions welcome
I got a question ?
Is it good/wise to go back to a company and ask them to re-do an art test after they told you that your test didn't meet their expectations, but you definitely know that you could do better the second time around because you were too nervous/scared/busy the first time ? Is it a good idea to email them again and ask for a re-match ?
Im asking because i did an art test last week (which was my first one ever done for a job) and the recruter told me that it wasn't good enough.
I know i could have done better and the company would probably benefit from my talent a lot more than me benefiting from them, its only that i wasn't in a good mood to be tested. So i kinda would like a re-match to prove myself. Any suggestions welcome
[/ QUOTE ]
Well one thing you could do is email them and ask. It can't hurt can it. Just don't tell them they need you more than you need them. Geez...
You could also take whatever feedback you got, make changes, and send back in with a breakdown of what you changed and how long it took you.
I agree, except leave out the part about not doing well because you were "moody"...
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Damn that sucks big time for me. I'm always gonna have moody in my posts, emails, what have you. I'm FUCKED!
First the basic assumption that those that are reviewing you know what they are doing and what they are looking for is not always framed based on your assumptions. In the first place those that do dont waste their time on those that think they can walk the walk so if youre actually sitting in front of someone its only because you have demonstrated a skill set even on a fundamental level that makes them want to check you out further.
Second those that do can smell their own so if youre a poser or trying to get in based on someone elses work you will be weeded out with in the first 5 minuets.
So why an art test?
Everyone that I know has their own rendition or variation of the test and is not designed to see if you can actually do the work but rather to see how you react under battlefield conditions. There have been more times than I count when I had to deal with an individual who froze in the line of fire and actually had to complete the very work for which they where hired for in the first place. The notion that you can actually decided want you can or cant do is not an option when the power that be is only interested in results.
So an art test could be a means to see how you react to a specification that could or would have been assigned to you on a daily bases. If you cant get it done in the timeframe set out in the specification then there is the probability that you will react the same way when the real bullets fly.
Here is a suggestion but its very risky, which getting the job is in the first place.
If you know that there is no way on earth you will be able to complete the specification then cheat. Re-use, re-task, buy, purchase, find help and use every resource you have at your disposal not to produce the final result in the manner you wish but as demanded by the specification in an effort to simply get it done.
You dont have to lie about it and might not be the solution they have in mind but companies are always looking for those that simply have a skill to get things done and at the very least will make them consider you further rather than hearing you say that you cant do it and eliminate you as a possibility.