Oh another thing, if you don't get the job, ask them if they feel you would fit in for another position. I know a few people that got different positions doing this and then ended up loving that position more.
I think I actaully heard this said on a similar thread here on Polycount, but another point to help you feel less stressed:
On the point of being yourself, if you don't get the job, it might be for the best. They might have felt that you wouldn't gel with the other people there, which is fine, because it wouldn't be fun to work in an environment if that was the case. And if they don't think your art is what they want, then that's ok too, cause you don't want to find yourself in a position you won't be able to keep up with.
Basically, 'whatever will be, will be", so just be your best self presenting your best work, and let whatever is best happen after that If they don't think you're a good fit, than fine, you woulnd't want to work there anyway. There will be other, better jobs out there
I'm not saying this to ready yourself for failure, but just something to hopefully calm yourself with so you don't start fretting "but what if I don't get the job, but what if I don't get the job!!"
We're all hoping for the best, though! Good luck!!
Go with the flow, seriously. Ive read through all youve had to say regarding your preparation, and seen your work. As long as your not rigid, or come across as a douche youll get the job.
Actually, I just went to the future and came back, the job is already yours.
Go with the flow, seriously. Ive read through all youve had to say regarding your preparation, and seen your work. As long as your not rigid, or come across as a douche youll get the job.
Actually, I just went to the future and came back, the job is already yours.
Trust uncle Haz.
Haha, ok thats good to know!
Seriously I can't thank you guys enough for your support, Im glad that you all think I will do well and just knowing that helps my confidence a lot!
Also it'd be good to let them know that it would not be an issue for you to move closer the their location, makes it reassuring for them.
Maybe find out more about the people you're speaking to on LinkedIn and bring it up, most of the time they wouldn't mind talking about what they do, though not so much if not announced yet.
Beer shots aside, maybe get on some "practice" phone interviews with other people if you feel the need to.
And bringing in on hand work samples that the studio haven't seen is always good, maybe a figurine of boobs if you're also into characters.
Smile for the cameras, be prepared to be grilled and keep it on the level.
Like everyone says, try to relax and be yourself. If you know the job and are enthusiastic about games and art then that passion and drive will come through no problem. The key things that the interviewer(s) will be looking for - assuming they already like your portfolio - are your attitude to work and how you would work/interact with others.
There are a couple of 'classic' questions that seem to get asked quite frequently: what are your best/worst qualities as an artist; what would others say about where you need to improve your work etc. I've found it difficult to answer these questions very satisfactorily in the past so with questions like that it's worth working out a response in advance, I think.
Definitely bring a paper copy of your portfolio with you as well. I forgot to do that when I went to Blizzard and I felt like a bit of an idiot for turning up with nothing.
There are a couple of 'classic' questions that seem to get asked quite frequently: what are your best/worst qualities as an artist; what would others say about where you need to improve your work etc. I've found it difficult to answer these questions very satisfactorily in the past so with questions like that it's worth working out a response in advance, I think.
there's lots of easy ways to say things you need to improve without saying your a bad artist. "I need to better implement zbrush into my work flow." "I'm not too familiar with the keyboard short cuts in maya because I mostly use xsi, and that could really speed up my modeling."
Exactly - you want to acknowledge weaknesses as areas you are keen to improve on. This should be a given anyway, but it's worth emphasising that you know where you need to improve and that you are working to better yourself.
Thanks guys for bringing up some interview questions, those were really useful. Can anyone else remember any more questions they might have been asked in an interview, that would really help me and anyone else that reads this thread.
I like to ask about management style and get a feel for the team. Do they let the artists just go and hope the milestones get made? Do they micromanage? What do they do to encourage good morale among the team?
I also ask about crunch. Some of the REALLY big names (without naming any specifically) have cultivated an attitude that it is a pleasure to work with them at all times and if you crunch, that's just more time for you to be grateful you are working with the company. (This has not been my personal experience, but the experience of several friends within the industry. EA used to be famous for being one such company, as you can find out if you read the EA_spouse livejournal.) If you really want to sacrifice yourself on the altar of potential burnout, then you probably don't need to ask about crunch, but from what I can tell, a well-run team has a good producer who really knows how to schedule things and front load schedules so that you don't have three month crunches where you see your SO for approximately ten minutes every night, right before you go to bed. So I have asked what the studio attitude towards crunch is. Or what they do to avoid crunch? During crunch times, what allowances do they make for family time? (If you are young and just starting out, crunch is maybe less a problem, but a lot of folks I know have families and kids by now. I know one art director who would schedule an hour block EVERY night to make sure he could read his daughter to sleep.)
(This is all stuff you would ask near the end of the interview when they ask if you have any questions. It's also something you'll have to feel out for yourself, if it's the right time to ask. Every studio is different and has different management styles though, and you want to be sure that the place is a good fit for you.)
Are there any specific things to avoid saying or doing during an interview to prevent coming off like a douche? And are there any questions to NOT ask?
Are there any specific things to avoid saying or doing during an interview to prevent coming off like a douche? And are there any questions to NOT ask?
Um well as far as coming off like a douche, I dont know it should be pretty obvious..to most people, just mind your manners and be polite, that would probably be the biggest thing people sometimes don't remember to do, don't interrupt and remember to listen as much as you talk.
I can comment on what things you CANT be asked by the interviewee
1. you can not be asked to say if you are married have a bf/gf whatever
2. you can not be asked about your sexual orientation
3. if your a woman you can not be asked if you plan to have children and if you are pregnant (and I'm pretty sure they are not suppose to ask about children at all but this is a gray area)
If you are asked these questions it should kinda be a red flag to you about this company, but if they do ask you have every right to say your not comfortable answering and they hopefully wont take offense, because its completely illegal. This is something just to watch out for, it doesn't always happen, but it could.
Are there any specific things to avoid saying or doing during an interview to prevent coming off like a douche? And are there any questions to NOT ask?
Interviews are normally to see if you'd fit as a member of the team, be comfortable to talk to, relaxed, open to conversation, and sane.
Yeah, refrain from talking about your cats too much, and whatever you do, do not show them how awesome you are at replicating cat meows.
What if the game you would be working on is Hello Kity 18? Then you can even help do some voice overs, and thus make you a better choice because you are useful in more than just art? I would probably mention it......
During crunch times, what allowances do they make for family time? (If you are young and just starting out, crunch is maybe less a problem, but a lot of folks I know have families and kids by now. I know one art director who would schedule an hour block EVERY night to make sure he could read his daughter to sleep.)
I've always really hated this attitude, and still do even though now I have a family to come home to. Being young and single does NOT make your free time any less valuable than a person with a spouse and/or kids. And this attitude that it somehow does needs to die quickly. The free time is for the person's well being. Other people might make easy scape goats to get proper treatment, but even going home to play WoW or sketch, or just take a nap is just as valuable and should be treated as such.
There is none of this Family employees time > single young employees time.
At this point I'm pretty much dying to NOT have free time though, I don't know what to do with myself. But I'm sure after awhile of working I'll miss it again.
I've always really hated this attitude, and still do even though now I have a family to come home to. Being young and single does NOT make your free time any less valuable than a person with a spouse and/or kids. And this attitude that it somehow does needs to die quickly. The free time is for the person's well being. Other people might make easy scape goats to get proper treatment, but even going home to play WoW or sketch, or just take a nap is just as valuable and should be treated as such.
I think the line here is pretty fine. I agree with you in principle, but if someone has a child at home that they never see because of excessive hours, that is more important than missing a Kara raid in WoW or whatever, because the employee isn't the only person affected.
Absent parents are not good for children, and comparing that to missing time playing or drinking or whatever doesn't really work. I agree that a single person's time is of the same value as someone with family responsibilities, and people shouldn't be discriminated against for not having kids, but it's certainly more flexible because they're only managing their time and any such changes only affect them.
I think the line here is pretty fine. I agree with you in principle, but if someone has a child at home that they never see because of excessive hours, that is more important than missing a Kara raid in WoW or whatever, because the employee isn't the only person affected.
Absent parents are not good for children, and comparing that to missing time playing or drinking or whatever doesn't really work. I agree that a single person's time is of the same value as someone with family responsibilities, and people shouldn't be discriminated against for not having kids, but it's certainly more flexible because they're only managing their time and any such changes only affect them.
You're looking at it the wrong way. It's the employers job to not abuse their employees. What the person is going home to is immaterial, it's their personal time they go home to, period. Some people use it to read to their kids, some use it to binge drink. It's none of the employers business, and they don't get to create a sliding scale of how legitimate your personal time is to impugn on.
You're looking at it the wrong way. It's the employers job to not abuse their employees. What the person is going home to is immaterial, it's their personal time they go home to, period. Some people use it to read to their kids, some use it to binge drink. It's none of the employers business, and they don't get to create a sliding scale of how legitimate your personal time is to impugn on.
I think though that this problem isn't all the company's doing. We blur the lines ourselves by staying at work because we are single and have nothing else to do. I know a lot of people who willingly work extra hours in their free time, so after awhile it becomes expected. Sometimes we need to realize our free time is good for us too and stop ruining it for everyone else :P
The interview got rescheduled unfortunately the art director came down with a cold over the weekend and had to take a sick day, but he called me to let me know, and hopefully he will be better soon and will let me know when I can come in..so I guess I just have more time now to prepare!
I don't really have much to add other than 'be yourself.' Branching from what someone said about practicing questions and so forth, I have personally found that the interviews that went the smoothest for me are ones that I didn't 'really' prepare for. I find that if you focus too much on questions that 'could' be asked you end up wearing blinders. I think the questions they will ask you already know the answers to...I'm sure you know what the most challenging part of your career has been, how you've overcome conflicts with teammates, what your favorite games are...all that jazz. If you rehearse over and over, at least to me, you might come off as a bit rigid.
Another thing I'd say is 'don't bullshit them.' You'd be surprised. You get into a situation where you REALLY want the job and will give them the answer they want to hear. Now you get on shaky ground for more in depth answers or end up getting the job and failing miserably because you over sold yourself...Definitely not saying you would do this, but I've seen it :P
I do some interviewing at my current job, but I can't remember what you legally cannot ask...you basically said it, no questions about sex, religion, family, ethnic background, etc. Including anything that could be subtle like - 'Is that an Irish name' or whatever.
They obviously like your work or else you wouldn't be going in. Just relax, stay calm and be honest.
Fucked if I know, technically they're breaking the law - at least in Canada.
Something like this, I guess:
It could be pretty easy to make a slip like that...maybe it wasn't the best example...just something funny I remember from my training. So, I dunno, if it really bothers you I guess you could report them to some better business thing and get the guy fired. If you're a sane person and don't get offended by harmless questions, I guess you answer 'No, it's Scottish...' or whatever.
Yeah, when trying to get to know someone illegal questions can be kind of relative, I mean obviously if you are just having a conversation with someone talking about your kids or whatever and they ask if you have kids thats just getting to know them, but in an interview it could be taken the wrong way, it all depends on what you choose to become sensitive about, and its good just know what you have the right to not talk about.
Another thing I wanted to mention on here is a question my boyfriend asked me when we were practicing, and this is why I think its good to practice questions.
"Why should we hire you over anyone else we are considering for this position."
At first I didn't have an answer, I just hadn't thought about it really, actually I think anyone that had the same qualifications for that job deserved it as much as I did, but I obviously cant say that. So I had to think about it and we came up with 3 or 4 different reasons.
Practicing questions is not to serve the purpose of memorizing every answer you are going to give, but at least if you practice questions and there is one you have no clue about at first you are not caught off guard in the interview and you have a chance to consider some possible answers before hand. Because some questions are easy to answer but other times they are questions that some people just don't think about. But if you do get asked something you don't know the answer to at first don't be afraid to pause and take the time to think about your answer, just try not to do it in a way that reveals your unsureness, lol and don't freak out.
"Why should we hire you over anyone else we are considering for this position."
Good question there. I really wouldn't know how to answer that. Without seeing the other applicants, you can't really say you're work is better (would sound conceded anyway), can't really say you want it more (generic answer). I would just list your best qualities and tell them how well you think you would 'fit' on their team. I'll have to add that one to my list of interview questions
Yeah its really hard sometimes to think of why your better when all your confidence so far has been in your art, I have good art so I should get this job, but like you said you can't really say that here. You have to think of reasons that make you stand out apart from all the other artists that have good art. Those things can be personality traits, or maybe your effort to go above and beyond to learn like coming here on polycount
Maybe you could add that you are passionate about your work, but I would throw that in there with something else because by itself it sounds generic too. Just remember results and examples are always the best way to avoid sounding generic.
Good stuff in this thread. One question that I was asked in an interview once that TOTALLY threw me off was "....what are you wearing" (it was a phone interview.) It was a pretty chill interview but I was in a "serious answering" mode so I paused for a second....then we all just started laughing. I didnt get the job, but it was good practice. I think the biggest thing you can do is literally just relax, take a few deep breaths (but dont hyperventilate) and like others have said...be yourself. Dont try to overly impress. Just sale your strong attributes and if you have a little left to be desired in some areas, just point that out. Like in my case, "yes...my rigging isnt as strong as I'd like it to be, so I do want to improve in that area as well as all areas." And like others have said, dont overly prepare. You'll end up sounding like a robot who rehearsed their lines 100 times.
The interview got rescheduled unfortunately the art director came down with a cold over the weekend and had to take a sick day, but he called me to let me know, and hopefully he will be better soon and will let me know when I can come in..so I guess I just have more time now to prepare!
yeah no I wish I knew what day but I guess you never know when someone is going to not be sick, he said he didnt want to give me a day and have to cancel again and he would just let me know once he was better. All the waiting is driving me crazy though...
I had an interview an hour after I had a 14 hour flight from Aus as well as a 4 hour train journey from newcastle, If you have literally spanned half the world then gone straight to an interview its good to point it out
The employers were actually impressed I had the energy to attend the interview!
Do not shiver in front of him and have a friendly behaviour.....not too friendly though. From my past random interviews I figured out that if you be friendly and ask them questions regarding their company (I assume you have done the homework in terms of knowing the background of the company) they really appreciate and take it as your determind interest to join the company.
Do not chew gum while having an interview....Have your samples ready to show your work and explain him how it can be beneficial to their company. If you have a product plan (which I do before actually drawing stuff that contains the storyline and race details...and edit as I think along with it...basic idea of what I want to do) Than that is a plus.
Be confident, and proud of your work.....(I never tried the proud part myself but will do on my next interview if any)
Replies
I think I actaully heard this said on a similar thread here on Polycount, but another point to help you feel less stressed:
On the point of being yourself, if you don't get the job, it might be for the best. They might have felt that you wouldn't gel with the other people there, which is fine, because it wouldn't be fun to work in an environment if that was the case. And if they don't think your art is what they want, then that's ok too, cause you don't want to find yourself in a position you won't be able to keep up with.
Basically, 'whatever will be, will be", so just be your best self presenting your best work, and let whatever is best happen after that
I'm not saying this to ready yourself for failure, but just something to hopefully calm yourself with so you don't start fretting "but what if I don't get the job, but what if I don't get the job!!"
We're all hoping for the best, though! Good luck!!
Actually, I just went to the future and came back, the job is already yours.
Trust uncle Haz.
Haha, ok thats good to know!
Seriously I can't thank you guys enough for your support, Im glad that you all think I will do well and just knowing that helps my confidence a lot!
Maybe find out more about the people you're speaking to on LinkedIn and bring it up, most of the time they wouldn't mind talking about what they do, though not so much if not announced yet.
Beer shots aside, maybe get on some "practice" phone interviews with other people if you feel the need to.
And bringing in on hand work samples that the studio haven't seen is always good, maybe a figurine of boobs if you're also into characters.
Smile for the cameras, be prepared to be grilled and keep it on the level.
Best of luck.
There are a couple of 'classic' questions that seem to get asked quite frequently: what are your best/worst qualities as an artist; what would others say about where you need to improve your work etc. I've found it difficult to answer these questions very satisfactorily in the past so with questions like that it's worth working out a response in advance, I think.
Definitely bring a paper copy of your portfolio with you as well. I forgot to do that when I went to Blizzard and I felt like a bit of an idiot for turning up with nothing.
there's lots of easy ways to say things you need to improve without saying your a bad artist. "I need to better implement zbrush into my work flow." "I'm not too familiar with the keyboard short cuts in maya because I mostly use xsi, and that could really speed up my modeling."
I also ask about crunch. Some of the REALLY big names (without naming any specifically) have cultivated an attitude that it is a pleasure to work with them at all times and if you crunch, that's just more time for you to be grateful you are working with the company. (This has not been my personal experience, but the experience of several friends within the industry. EA used to be famous for being one such company, as you can find out if you read the EA_spouse livejournal.) If you really want to sacrifice yourself on the altar of potential burnout, then you probably don't need to ask about crunch, but from what I can tell, a well-run team has a good producer who really knows how to schedule things and front load schedules so that you don't have three month crunches where you see your SO for approximately ten minutes every night, right before you go to bed. So I have asked what the studio attitude towards crunch is. Or what they do to avoid crunch? During crunch times, what allowances do they make for family time? (If you are young and just starting out, crunch is maybe less a problem, but a lot of folks I know have families and kids by now. I know one art director who would schedule an hour block EVERY night to make sure he could read his daughter to sleep.)
(This is all stuff you would ask near the end of the interview when they ask if you have any questions. It's also something you'll have to feel out for yourself, if it's the right time to ask. Every studio is different and has different management styles though, and you want to be sure that the place is a good fit for you.)
also, all the jobs i got were through connections. one was my uncle, the other was my university.
If you got into the interview stage then the answer to that question is yes.
Um well as far as coming off like a douche, I dont know it should be pretty obvious..to most people, just mind your manners and be polite, that would probably be the biggest thing people sometimes don't remember to do, don't interrupt and remember to listen as much as you talk.
I can comment on what things you CANT be asked by the interviewee
1. you can not be asked to say if you are married have a bf/gf whatever
2. you can not be asked about your sexual orientation
3. if your a woman you can not be asked if you plan to have children and if you are pregnant (and I'm pretty sure they are not suppose to ask about children at all but this is a gray area)
If you are asked these questions it should kinda be a red flag to you about this company, but if they do ask you have every right to say your not comfortable answering and they hopefully wont take offense, because its completely illegal. This is something just to watch out for, it doesn't always happen, but it could.
You'd be surprised.
Interviews are normally to see if you'd fit as a member of the team, be comfortable to talk to, relaxed, open to conversation, and sane.
What if the game you would be working on is Hello Kity 18? Then you can even help do some voice overs, and thus make you a better choice because you are useful in more than just art? I would probably mention it......
I've always really hated this attitude, and still do even though now I have a family to come home to. Being young and single does NOT make your free time any less valuable than a person with a spouse and/or kids. And this attitude that it somehow does needs to die quickly. The free time is for the person's well being. Other people might make easy scape goats to get proper treatment, but even going home to play WoW or sketch, or just take a nap is just as valuable and should be treated as such.
There is none of this Family employees time > single young employees time.
It is probably because they actively know it does not only influences the employee but also his surroundings.
I think the line here is pretty fine. I agree with you in principle, but if someone has a child at home that they never see because of excessive hours, that is more important than missing a Kara raid in WoW or whatever, because the employee isn't the only person affected.
Absent parents are not good for children, and comparing that to missing time playing or drinking or whatever doesn't really work. I agree that a single person's time is of the same value as someone with family responsibilities, and people shouldn't be discriminated against for not having kids, but it's certainly more flexible because they're only managing their time and any such changes only affect them.
You're looking at it the wrong way. It's the employers job to not abuse their employees. What the person is going home to is immaterial, it's their personal time they go home to, period. Some people use it to read to their kids, some use it to binge drink. It's none of the employers business, and they don't get to create a sliding scale of how legitimate your personal time is to impugn on.
You're absolutely right, it isn't and they don't - or shouldn't.
I think though that this problem isn't all the company's doing. We blur the lines ourselves by staying at work because we are single and have nothing else to do. I know a lot of people who willingly work extra hours in their free time, so after awhile it becomes expected. Sometimes we need to realize our free time is good for us too and stop ruining it for everyone else :P
[ame]
On a more serious note, be yourself and be confident in yourself. You'll do fine. Don't over think it or worry, just take it in stride.
I don't really have much to add other than 'be yourself.' Branching from what someone said about practicing questions and so forth, I have personally found that the interviews that went the smoothest for me are ones that I didn't 'really' prepare for. I find that if you focus too much on questions that 'could' be asked you end up wearing blinders. I think the questions they will ask you already know the answers to...I'm sure you know what the most challenging part of your career has been, how you've overcome conflicts with teammates, what your favorite games are...all that jazz. If you rehearse over and over, at least to me, you might come off as a bit rigid.
Another thing I'd say is 'don't bullshit them.' You'd be surprised. You get into a situation where you REALLY want the job and will give them the answer they want to hear. Now you get on shaky ground for more in depth answers or end up getting the job and failing miserably because you over sold yourself...Definitely not saying you would do this, but I've seen it :P
I do some interviewing at my current job, but I can't remember what you legally cannot ask...you basically said it, no questions about sex, religion, family, ethnic background, etc. Including anything that could be subtle like - 'Is that an Irish name' or whatever.
They obviously like your work or else you wouldn't be going in. Just relax, stay calm and be honest.
Something like this, I guess:
It could be pretty easy to make a slip like that...maybe it wasn't the best example...just something funny I remember from my training. So, I dunno, if it really bothers you I guess you could report them to some better business thing and get the guy fired. If you're a sane person and don't get offended by harmless questions, I guess you answer 'No, it's Scottish...' or whatever.
Another thing I wanted to mention on here is a question my boyfriend asked me when we were practicing, and this is why I think its good to practice questions.
"Why should we hire you over anyone else we are considering for this position."
At first I didn't have an answer, I just hadn't thought about it really, actually I think anyone that had the same qualifications for that job deserved it as much as I did, but I obviously cant say that. So I had to think about it and we came up with 3 or 4 different reasons.
Practicing questions is not to serve the purpose of memorizing every answer you are going to give, but at least if you practice questions and there is one you have no clue about at first you are not caught off guard in the interview and you have a chance to consider some possible answers before hand. Because some questions are easy to answer but other times they are questions that some people just don't think about. But if you do get asked something you don't know the answer to at first don't be afraid to pause and take the time to think about your answer, just try not to do it in a way that reveals your unsureness, lol and don't freak out.
Good question there. I really wouldn't know how to answer that. Without seeing the other applicants, you can't really say you're work is better (would sound conceded anyway), can't really say you want it more (generic answer). I would just list your best qualities and tell them how well you think you would 'fit' on their team. I'll have to add that one to my list of interview questions
Maybe you could add that you are passionate about your work, but I would throw that in there with something else because by itself it sounds generic too. Just remember results and examples are always the best way to avoid sounding generic.
no
DO IT!
The employers were actually impressed I had the energy to attend the interview!
hahahaha..I actually imagined that
On Serious note:
Do not shiver in front of him and have a friendly behaviour.....not too friendly though. From my past random interviews I figured out that if you be friendly and ask them questions regarding their company (I assume you have done the homework in terms of knowing the background of the company) they really appreciate and take it as your determind interest to join the company.
Do not chew gum while having an interview....Have your samples ready to show your work and explain him how it can be beneficial to their company. If you have a product plan (which I do before actually drawing stuff that contains the storyline and race details...and edit as I think along with it...basic idea of what I want to do) Than that is a plus.
Be confident, and proud of your work.....(I never tried the proud part myself but will do on my next interview if any)
Good luck