Getting a job at a Qand A position, as a 3d Artist
polycounter lvl 9
Hey guys, so one of my teachers told me a video game company that is local is looking to fill a few positions some being QA spots and one 3d generalist, my question is what are the chances somebody in the QA department can move up to do something like become a junior artist at a company, is it worth it to wait around in a studio til they have a position? Has anyone ecountered this sort of question before?
Replies
Most QA jobs are also contract, with a minority of studios having a high turn over of staff so opportunities are thin. If you decide to go for the QA position make sure that in your interview you seem really interested in it and don't use a phrase like 'I'm doing this so I can get an artist job' as that's a quick way to get declined.
If I was in your position and it was local I'd go for it just for some additional studio experience/money, if you're a decent employee and your work is good you'd stand a good chance of moving up if the opportunity appears.
One thing: don't call it "Q and A" in an interview, as that means "Questions and Answers", not "Quality Assurance".
although having dedicated Q and A people sounds like a useful thing too
I didn't move up through QA, but did QA right out of college and made friends with some artists. I was eventually let go as part of a layoff, but I kept in contact...a few years later, they were looking to bring on an additional artist and I got fast tracked in because several people recommended me for the job.
I should say though, I didn't get the job specifically because I knew people and worked there in QA...that alone won't get you a job, it just helped put my resume/portfolio in front of the right people. I would consider myself very lucky, as I haven't seen many artists come up through QA either.
So should you do it? Its not going to guarantee you a shot at getting in as an artist. I personally think the experience is cool. I enjoyed it because it was my first chance to get in at a studio and see how game development works. Also, I ended up enjoying searching for bugs. But like other people have said...it is indeed difficult to work on that portfolio when your crunching. So you kinda have to weigh things for yourself.
Also, if your going to do it, make sure your taking a QA job in-house at a studio, its entirely different than doing publisher QA. Working in-house means you are actaully around developers, but if your working at a publisher QA facility, your not going to be anywhere near those people.