Day two of our blog take over celebrating International Women's Day. Today we are talking to Sarah King - our Talent and Office Administrator.
What did you study and how did that impact your career?
I studied Business Management at the University of Dundee. During my time at Uni I gained an understanding of HR, marketing, statistics, some law and accounting. This gave me an insight into how businesses are run and how to manage people which has been invaluable to my developing career. My role within the games industry is constantly evolving and I find having such a large and varied pool of knowledge to draw from helps me act quickly and match whatever the day brings.
How did you get into games?
I got into games completely by accident. I never really considered a career in the games industry as an option for someone outside of the development team, that was until just before I graduated when I was offered a job with a small software company, making games for corporate learning and development. I started out working in sales but the company was so tiny that I was involved in almost all the day to day decisions and testing. Being so close to the development process and seeing the passion and dedication of the other staff inspired me to continue working in such a creatively driven environment.
I worked with some really talented and fun people and it was a great first post Uni job. After a while I needed a change, I joined Tag just over a year ago to head up their recruitment and help manage the office and haven’t looked back since.
How does the reality of working in games match your expectations?
It’s not all indoor slides and bean bags! We know how to have fun but we work in a very normal office. It is also not mandatory that you are a die hard gamer to be able to work in the industry. I love the industry, I also really enjoy playing games but I would never consider myself a hard core fan, when I was first starting out in the industry I thought this would make me a bit of an outsider or put me on the back foot with office chat but this hasn’t been the case so far.
Why do you think people should want to work in this industry, what makes it great?
From my experience the best thing about working in the games industry is the people. My role at Tag is unique in the fact that I get to work with every person in the company, because of this I feel that I am most qualified to say that there is not a bad egg amongst them. I find it inspiring to be around so many wonderfully talented and creative individuals and I am privileged to help build and develop teams to the best of their potential.
What advice would you give others trying to get into the industry?
It is great to have talent in your chosen field but it is equally important to work on and develop your soft skills, I see so many candidates who neglect to mention them or just don’t feel that they are important. My top soft skills for the games industry are, being a good communicator, listening, being able to work as a team and being open to and willing to give feedback.
Also, keep trying ! The industry can sometimes be a tough cookie to crack, so don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t all happen at once. It will happen for you in good time. Keep pursuing your dream, network, work on yourself and do what you love.