Punctuality is Important!

Punctuality is something that is important to any industry. It seems a little more lenient in the video game industry, though, because there are usually core hours from 10AM-4PM: this means that you can get in any time before 10AM as long as you stay until at least 4PM. Well, from my experience a majority of employees at game studios usually opt for the later option, arriving a few minutes before or after 10AM.

If you want to make a good impression and give the boss/studio less reason to fire you, then make sure that you arrive on time, every time. In fact, it's better to get to the studio early just in case you have car trouble or have to deal with unexpected events such as traffic. I usually aim to get in around 9AM or 9:30AM, and I fill this into my time sheet accordingly (for contract positions. For full time, you don't have to worry about filling in a time sheet but will still want to get in on time). If you think it doesn't matter if you're only 10 or 15 minutes late, just consider this: the more times you are late, the more you're branded at the "late guy (or girl)." This will negatively impact the way the boss or your colleagues think of you. If there are others that get in late also, then it won't be so bad, but imagine if everyone else gets to the office at least an hour early: they are going to think that you are a major slacker! It doesn't even matter if you get your work done on time and do a good job, because it's more a matter of respect and that you don't take your job seriously while they are having to show up at the same time every day.

If, though, you end up running late--as I have on a few occasions--the time you get to work is all about perception, the time that you are at your desk is the time that you got in, according to your colleagues and lead. It doesn't matter if you got to the office 30 minutes early and then took a bathroom stop and then went to the kitchen to make breakfast and schmooze with some coworkers. If you got to your desk 10 minutes late, nobody will have guessed that you were actually at the office the whole time. It doesn't matter to them. You are late in their opinion.

So, here is the trick: make sure to show up to your desk first. Even if you have to go to the bathroom really bad, stop by your desk and log into your computer. Your coworkers will notice your presence. Get your morning sync or whatever quick tools opened that you usually do. This way, you can have an automated process running in the background while you are multitasking/going to the bathroom. Now, you can lock your computer and run to the sanitation facilities and allow nature to take its course. This also works with making breakfast or running a quick errand away from your desk, and especially is important if you are indeed running a few minutes late. Five or more minutes late is not considered bad, but each minute after that makes it exponentially a more serious case, especially if it's after 15 minutes.

I used to have an art director that would have morning meetings at exactly 10AM in the morning and note the people that were late and have a conversation at their desk to find out why they were late. Basically, he was peer-pressuring people to show up on time. If you are late enough to something like that more than a few times then you will never want to be late again. Another office manager at the first studio I worked for, Vigil Games, used to walk around and make sure that people were at their desks on time. This was especially true for contractors. I'm sure he had some excel document that he used to complain to the person's lead when they showed up late. So, if you don't think people are not noticing your lateness, you are dead wrong.

There is enough politics and stress and deadlines at work, so make sure to have one less thing to worry about by showing up to work on time. That especially means looking like you at work on time, also.

-Ken

Awesome Job Listings Email Notification Setup

I am not sure if I have covered this before, but if you head over to CreativeJobsCentral.com you will find a wealth of free job listings at your disposal. The website itself is a bit intimidating, as it has a bunch of paid plans that it wants you to sign up for and also, once you do click on a job listing, it asks you to switch to a paid subscription in order to get the job details and apply. To make it easier for you, I've included the email alert sign up link here: http://www.creativejobscentral.com/seeker/job-alerts/create_unpaid.php?e=

Here is the strategy I use:

1. Setup an email alert subscription for your desired state (or, you can leave this flexible and have it display all jobs, if you prefer).
2. You will get emails daily. If you find a job you like, click on the link to see if you're a good match. 
3. Now, instead of having to pay to apply for the job: Go to the actual game studio's official website and navigate to their jobs page. This website is always the source of new jobs and should always have any listings that are found on external job gathering sites such as CreativeJobsCentral. You will also probably find that the application process is handled by email the HR manager. I find this more personal, as you can add a description about yourself and show your enthusiasm for working for the studio in your brief introduction email, instead of having a stale resume entry form with no customization allowed.

I would also recommend setting up an account with glassdoor.com. Once done, you can add job alerts by going to:

• My Accounts>Job Alerts>Create Job Alert. 
• Enter your job title in the search bar and click "search" (leave the location blank so you can get the full gambit of job results). 
• Use the filters column on the left to narrow the results (I would just leave it as broad as possible, so "freshness" is set to all and "All job types" enabled.
• Click on "Create Job Alert." It will notify you that your alert has been created.
• Go back to My Accounts>Job Alerts. Now, you can click "edit" to fine tune your result (somehow mine picked my geographical city location even though I left the city blank. It looks like you can only add one city at a time, and I'm guessing it will find surrounding cities of that city also. For the best results, I would repeat the process to setup multiple template alerts and then set major game development city HUBs that are spread far away throughout the country. Ex: Los Angeles, Seattle, Austin, Boston).

Happy hunting!
-Ken

Dealing with People Well is One of the Most Important Characteristics You Can Have

Read this book, and if you practice its principles it will change your life: How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie. It is the same course that Warren Buffet took when he was twenty years old and he still has the certificate of passing the course on his office wall.

The reason that this book is so powerful is because it teaches you profound ways of dealing with people that you won't learn in school because it's generally something personal and each person goes about it their own way. Having the talent to know how to be somebody that everyone works well with and that is known for having other people want to do good work when you request something from them is something that cannot be measured in value but will prove results and look favorably on your record. I know, the game industry is labeled as one where people are anti-social and don't need to have good interpersonal skills, but it actually matters a lot--especially now that studios are growing in overall size and the diversity of backgrounds and personalities is more varied than it has ever been.

Take this, for an example: a powerful designer at my current studio, whom I work closely with, has a knack for being sarcastic and not treating coworkers with the most respect when requesting a new task or disciplining someone who has broken a design feature with their art. I have a pretty thick spine but sometimes the way this particular designer handles things instantly makes me want to respond in turn with more negativity and sarcasm and standing firm for my own position in the argument. A few times I have typed up email responses to him, because most of his crude remarks are sent through mass emails, only to not send them and feel better afterward. This is a good learning lesson for all: never make a quick decision in the heat of the moment and speak your mind. It may feel like justice at the time, but really it will make things more difficult with you and that person and possibly get you on a "bad employee" list with your boss or other influential people at the studio.

The way I have chosen to deal with him, in person, is by being extremely courteous and understanding. I may not agree with the way he communicates but he's usually right in his requests because it's a well known fact that the design is the most important factor to get right in a game and if I don't want to serve as a road block to having the designer make the design better. What the book How to Influence Friends and Influence People constantly states is to see the situation from the other person's point of view and have compassion for their decision or argument. Especially in a situation like mine, where I am an artist and newer to the studio, it pays for me to get along with everyone and to not burn any bridges.

Your reputation really does precede you, and wherever you go in your career will be determined by how good your reputation is. Your reputation, in turn, is formed by your ability to constantly handle tasks and how you work in a team. Every studio wants you to be a team player, no matter how good you are. So, swallow your pride and even if someone may not be treating you with the respect you feel you deserve, the only way to get them to treat you better is by being friendly and welcoming to them. You get what you give, and if you are mean back to them then they will only be fueled to be even meaner and then you will regret going to work each day just because you don't like that person so much. I've seen people on teams who literally can't get along with anyone, and those are always the people who have the hardest time getting a new job and also have to settle for the least desired jobs.

So, if you want to instantly improve your career and the success you will have in the future, you will need to improve your personality and the interactions you have with everyone in life. If you get the audio book version of Dale Carnegie's book, it is super-motivating and great to listen to while you are working on that portfolio to have an even better chance of a promotion or new job! Too many people focus on their talent for producing work only, and overlook the importance of improving their personality as well. Especially in the interview, having a pleasing personality is going to separate you from the competition. So, I am telling you to not overlook what everyone else is and hopefully you will find that opportunities come easier than they used to for you!

-Ken