Start Your Video Game Career: Proven Advice on Jobs, Education, Interviews, and More for Starting and Succeeding in the Video Game Industry by Jason W. Bay

Author:Jason W. Bay [Bay, Jason W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub

What if I keep applying for jobs but I never hear back?

Do you imagine that game studios are “professional” companies with a rational, organized system for interviewing and hiring new employees? Bad news: the opposite is true. Many studios are small, disorganized, and under-staffed. If you’ve applied to a company that didn’t respond to your job application, there are many reasons why it might have fallen through the cracks — and it may be up to you to give them a nudge to push the process forward.

First of all, crazy as it might sound, some companies might simply lose your application. It could be stuck in their applicant tracking system, or lost in somebody’s mile-high email inbox. Even if your application has made it into the hands of a hiring manager, they might be overwhelmed with their “normal” work (programming, producing, etc.) and don’t have time right now to consider your résumé. It’s even possible that they’ve moved to a different position, or have left the company — and left your job application in limbo.

Or, it may be that the job you applied for is no longer needed. In the games business, things change quickly — teams get cut, and game projects get rebooted, redesigned, or canceled. Whenever a big change happens, management needs to rethink their staffing plan, and you might be left wondering why they didn’t get back to you. If they do get back to you, it might be to tell you the job is no longer open.

What if they’ve seen your résumé or interviewed you, but then decided you’re not a fit for the role? Normally, somebody at the company is supposed to call to let you know that they aren’t moving forward with your application. But less experienced managers might drag their feet because, let’s face it, it’s no fun to be the bearer of bad news. Experienced managers are comfortable delivering this bummer of a message, but they might procrastinate if they’re not good at handling conflict.

Are you surprised and a little frustrated at how often these professional-looking companies drop the ball in such unprofessional ways? You’re not alone. It’s one of the most complained-about aspects of any job hunt. The solution is to take the process into your own hands. Sometimes, all it takes to get the ball rolling again is a little push in the right direction. Here are some approaches for you to try:

Contact the recruiter or hiring manager to ask if they can give you a status update. This could remind them that it’s been a while since they’ve worked on their hiring responsibilities, and prompt them to move it forward.

If you applied through an applicant tracking system, check to see if your status has changed (for example from “submitted” to “under review”). If not, then at least you know it’s not a problem with your résumé – the ball has been dropped on their side.

If you have a contact inside the company (as a result of your networking efforts — you’ve been networking, right?), ask them to talk with the hiring manager.

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