QA is often considered the entry point of the game studio. Many developers, artists, and designers start out in the QA ranks, using the department as a stepping stone to get to their final job.
But what about those people who want to turn QA into a career? These are the people that get up every day with no other goal than to make a developer cry with the sheer amount of bugs they are about to rain down upon him like fire and brimstone during the Rapture.
Great testers like these are pure gold to a game studio. Unfortunately I've seen too many of these brave souls come into my office for an interview, full of passion about games, but not much else. No one ever told them that all of their training and test experiences have not adequately prepared them for a full-time job at a game studio.
In this article, I hope to expose some of the not-so-obvious skills necessary to compete in the QA job market. You will be able to use this knowledge to not only wow your next interviewer with your bug finding skills, but also with your ability to be a long-term and productive member of the studio.
Research the Company and Their Products
One of the first questions you are likely to be asked in an interview is what you know about the studio and their games. Not having a good answer here won't disqualify you immediately, but it definitely starts you off on the wrong foot.
Game studios, like all companies, are very proud of the products they release. At a minimum, the three areas that you should be prepared to talk about are: the studio itself, what products they release, and who their main competitors are. You don't need to be an expert in any of these areas, but putting in a little effort will show the interviewer that you are willing to put in the effort for your job as well.
If you are a big fan of that studio's games, this part is easy. If you've never heard of that company or have never played their games, be prepared to spend several hours researching these things online. You shouldn't think that this knowledge is just for the interview though. Being able to call up features and competitive info at any time will make you a much better tester and that much more valuable to a company.
