Practising your interview

We thought one of the best ways to help you prepare for an interview is to practise responding to questions the interviewers might ask. In this video, Chella is going to ask you a simple set of common questions from games interviewers. Have a go at answering as you watch.

Before you answer them with the video, you might want to jot down some notes on how you want to respond to each question. Then you could practise your answers without the video, before trying it with the timed video. It’s fine to practise several times until you’re comfortable. The most important thing is to say your answers out loud so you have had the practice vocalising your answers.

You can read some hints on how to respond in brackets after each question:

Can you give me a brief summary of yourself? (Think of 3–4 sentences that you would like a colleague to use to summarise you, your professional and technical skills, and your personality.)

What about our studio made you choose to apply for this role?
(Find 2 things about a specific studio that you would love to work at, such as their games, their reputation, their style or their public persona.)

Can you describe a situation where you’ve worked as part of a team?
(This can include a work scenario, or another applicable scenario but we recommend choosing examples which show creative problem solving.)

What made you want to be a games programmer or artist or designer or producer?
(This is a passion or drive question designed to give you the chance to show your commitment and enthusiasm for your chosen profession. Make it genuine and you can’t go wrong.)

What do you think is the most difficult aspect of the role you’ve applied for?
(This isn’t a trick question because everyone will find something about their jobs that’s hard. It gives you the opportunity to show self-awareness and willingness to learn hard stuff, which is part of every games job.)

What skills are you currently developing? (Another question that’s not designed to trip you up but show a studio what skills — professional or technical — you are investing time in learning. Choosing a professional skill such as negotiation or communications might be a canny answer, because everyone can improve those skills.)

Tell me about your favourite game from the last year — what did you like about it and what would you improve? (This is another opportunity to show your passion but also your analytical skills. It’s probably wise to choose a game made by another studio (as opposed to the studio you’re interviewing at), unless you are super-confident and can defend your opinions about a game your interviewer may have had a hand in building).

Can you give me an example of when you had to deliver something to a deadline? (The more complex and difficult the better.)