HR Perspective: 5 Tips to Ace the Interview Stage in Canada’s Gaming Industry

By November 25, 2014Career Advice

Landing your dream job can sometimes feel like an impossible feat, but when you’re passionate about what you want to do, the pieces of the puzzle seem to fall together by themselves. We sat down with the head of our Human Resources Department at Big Viking Games – Ana Ivanic, and asked her to share some of her personal stories when it comes to the hiring process.  Take a look at Ana’s top five tips for getting your foot in the door and your name noticed!

Tip #1: Don’t overlook the minor details in the resume & cover letter

Let’s get the easy stuff out of the way. There are a few things that HR will deem as direct ‘write-offs’ when looking to hire, such as: are there typos in your resume? Is your cover letter clear and concise? These are some of the questions you should be asking yourself before applying to any job. It might seem ridiculous to read this type of advice because it should be obvious, but you’d be shocked to see how many people misspell even the company name. We once had a candidate misspell their email address, so when it came to getting a hold of them it made things pretty difficult to schedule an interview!

It’s the first impression we get of you, so be thorough! Quadruple check everything, and even ask your friends to look it over in case you missed something. Always make sure to take pride and consideration in everything you hand out – even if it is just a resume.

Tip #2: Make sure you’re really passionate about the job you’re applying to

 It may seem cliche, but it is one of the biggest attributes that we look for when hiring you. When we say passion, we don’t just mean that you take pride in your work (which is something you should obviously do), but we want to know that we are hiring someone who doesn’t just see what they do as a job. We want employees who are passionate about what they do both inside work and as a hobby.

For example: When we hire Artists, the main component we look for is their portfolio. Are the projects inside just from school and various assignments? Or are they pieces they did in their spare time just because? Examples like this are important because it shows us that you have a passion for what you do and are proud to showcase your work.

A great thing to start now, especially if you are currently a student, is to begin to perfect your craft in your spare time – whether it’s your drawing capabilities, networking skills, or your ability to write. Practice makes perfect, and we’re always looking for people who are constantly willing to improve!

 Tip #3: Do your research!

This is one of the more common mistakes that applicants tend to make when reaching the interview stage of the process. Many fail to understand just how important it is to know all the details, such as  who is interviewing you and what the position entails. It’s essential to research the company before hand to make sure you know exactly what they do and how they do it. You wouldn’t book a plane ticket without researching where you’re going first, right?

Same thing is recommended when applying. So, when you email us to follow up on your resume and ask if this position is still available in London, England, we begin to question whether you really know anything about the position – and yes that is a true story. Point being, always do your research!

Tip #4: Make sure you’re a cultural fit

This is one of the most important and sometimes one of the trickiest things to understand. Cultural fit is a huge component in any organization and it’s important to understand the culture of the company you’re looking to work for prior to applying. You could have more experience than anyone else and have the greatest interview ever, but if you aren’t as excited about our culture as we are, then you might not be for us! Culture in general is something we take pride in and we want our employees to do the same so we urge anyone looking into a job to do their research before sending out that initial resume!

 Tip #5: Persistence is important, but so is patience

 At some point in our lives we were all taught to always follow-up with everything we do, however, there’s a huge difference between being persistent and going overboard. As you may or may not know, all applications from our site are done through Jobvite – an Applicant Tracking System. Jobvite sends out a confirmation e-mail that your resume has been received and provides you with a link to check the status of your application. We get that most of you are eager to know the status and we applaud your enthusiasm,  but as a recommendation directly from HR, we suggest you check that link first before sending us 10 emails – in a row.

These are our top five tips to help you land your dream job! Big Viking Games is always hiring, and if you think you’re a good fit, feel free to check out our careers page!

ANA
Ana Ivanic is the head of our Human Resources Department here at Big Viking Games and is responsible for hiring the majority of our staff. Ana’s strong leadership and communication abilities has helped to grow and shape Big Viking Games to what it is today!