What Not To Do When You Get Hired in Video Games: Jumping Ship Early

A recent story that I thought you would like is about an ex-coworker of mine. They were hired at the same time as me for the current studio I work for as a contractor. The contract was for nine months and there was possibility of extension although no guarantees (like with most contract positions).  This person decided that they would leave the studio for another contract/temporary position at a former studio that had wanted them back. This story sounds usual, although the person left merely one month, or a little longer, after being hired. They gave three weeks notice to their current employer, which means they must have only been working for a week or so before they had to give their lead the news.

I have seen people leave studios pretty early before--especially for contract and temporary positions--but the previous record holder that I had witnessed left after three months. I suppose that this could end up being a good move for the employee, as they went to work on a studio for the Halo franchise at a well known studio. Their stated reason for leaving was because the opportunity for contract extension seemed likelier there. This was a political and proper response indeed, as I'm sure they liked the Halo project better and were already used to the production pipeline. It would have only made them look bad if they gave away too much information like saying that the current studio did not give them cool enough tasks to work on or that they didn't see as much opportunity for promotion, etc.

So, the person technically upgraded their resume although they have burned a bridge at the studio they quickly left. I don't know if I would make this maneuver personally, but also have never been presented with it. With jobs increasingly becoming temporary it seems more understandable, but I would still like to see what contacts and performance history I could develop at my current studio. I asked a senior employee on the person's team what they thought about the employee leaving. He said that the person won't be hired here again, because now he has a track record for being a jumper and there is a high possibility that he will do it again when hired ("jumper"=jumping ship). This will most likely make it difficult, by raising a red flag, for any future job search they have after they leave their latest studio. So, it may end up being a hindrance in the long run. It is very high risk tactic, high reward tactic (although the reward is not really proven unless they are hired full time eventually). I would recommend against this strategy. If you get hired in the game industry, know that your reputation will follow you everywhere, so make sure to guard it and groom it endlessly.

-Ken