Game testing is a rewarding and challenging career that requires passion, skills, and knowledge of the gaming industry. If you want to land a game testing job, you need to prepare well for the interview process. Here are some tips on how to ace your game testing interview and impress your potential employers.
Before you apply for a game testing job, you should research the company and the games they produce. Find out what genres, platforms, and audiences they target, and what their mission, vision, and values are. This will help you tailor your resume, cover letter, and portfolio to match their expectations and needs. It will also show that you are genuinely interested in working for them and that you have done your homework.
When applying for game QA jobs, there are three main factors which need alignment between your experience and the role: seniority, speciality and domain experience. Seniority: Role titles are confusing! QA testers != QA engineers. Check the role description. Does it focus on testing, test planning, management or something more specific? Speciality: Functional, compliance, art, audio, embedded, publisher; the list of test specialisations is long and varying. You need to align or else prove you can make the jump. Domain experience: The most mis-understood. This can include SDLC type (agile, waterfall), game genre, platforms, monetization (GaaS) and even game feature ownership. Companies want to find the best match for their circumstance.
This means learning about the company's history, products, and culture. It will show the interviewer that you're interested in the company and that you've put in the effort to learn about them. You can find this information on the company's website, social media pages, and news articles.
1. Know the company and its culture; 2. Know your career path and what led you to choose this branch; 3. Understand what motivates and inspires you to pursue opportunities in the gaming industry; 4. Demonstrate your immersion in the gaming world, your knowledge of trends, and your understanding of game mechanics, UI/UX easier to handle, Target audience, etc.
A game testing portfolio is a collection of documents, screenshots, videos, and other evidence that showcase your game testing skills and experience. It should include samples of your bug reports, test cases, test plans, test scripts, and feedback. You should review your portfolio before the interview and make sure it is relevant, concise, and organized. You should also be ready to explain your testing methodology, tools, and techniques, and how you solved or prevented any issues or errors.
This part of the article is deeply flawed. Testers cannot make copies of bugs, screenshots or test plans if they want to remain employed. Unfortunately, most companies aren't too keen on sharing details of how buggy their game is. Instead, a game QA 'portfolio' is more likely to consist of presentations, articles, vlogs and technical achievements like creating your own game assets, designs or code projects. Creating your game and testing it is also a great showcase of both technical and testing skill. Ofcourse, all of which is secondary to your direct employment experience. Because testing work is difficult to share directly all QA folk need to find creative ways to explain and showcase their skill and experience.
If you have a portfolio of your game testing work, be sure to review it before your interview. This will help you refresh your memory on your past projects and accomplishments. If you don't have a portfolio, you can start creating one by collecting samples of your work, such as bug reports or test plans.
Communication is an essential skill for game testers, as they must collaborate with developers, designers, producers, and other testers. Before the interview, it's important to practice your communication skills and be prepared to answer common questions such as your strengths and weaknesses as a game tester, how you approach testing a new game or feature, how you prioritize and categorize bugs, how you write bug reports, how you handle feedback and criticism, and how you coordinate with other testers. Additionally, you should also be ready to ask relevant questions such as what are the main goals and challenges of the game testing project or team, what tools and processes are used for game testing and bug tracking, what is the game testing workflow and schedule, how is the game testing quality and performance measured and evaluated, and what are the expectations and responsibilities of the game tester role.
Game testers need to be able to communicate effectively with developers and other testers. This means being able to clearly and concisely report bugs, as well as collaborate with others to solve problems. You can practice your communication skills by doing mock interviews or by participating in online forums or communities.
Sin duda será muy importante cómo te comunicas en la entrevista y qué puntos de vista aportas en cuanto a tu opinión en el testeo de videojuegos. Pero, todavía será más importante la capacidad de fijarte en el detalle, de reconocer un error gramatical en un texto o un simple doble espacio. Por supuesto, prepara ejemplos de videojuegos a los que has jugado para poder comentar casos concretos. Si son de la propia empresa desarrolladora en la que estás haciendo la entrevista, todavía mejor.
If you are applying for a remote game testing job, you should test your equipment and internet connection before the interview. You should make sure that your computer, microphone, webcam, and headphones are working properly and that you have a stable and fast internet connection. You should also check the software and platforms that you will use for the interview, such as Zoom, Skype, Discord, or Google Meet. You should also have a backup plan in case of any technical issues or interruptions.
Make sure your computer and internet connection are working properly before your interview. You may also want to test your headset or microphone, if you'll be using one.
Make sure everything is working correctly: webcam, microphone, webcam settings (focus, blur, etc.), interview space organization, be spontaneous and authentic, and maintain eye contact.
One of the best ways to prepare for a game testing interview is to play the game that you are applying for. This will help you familiarize yourself with the game mechanics, features, graphics, sound, and story. It will also help you identify any potential bugs, glitches, or errors that you can report or discuss during the interview. Playing the game will also demonstrate your passion, enthusiasm, and knowledge of the game and the company.
Si vas a trabajar para una saga en concreto, te pedirán que conozcas dicha saga. Antes de la entrevista echa un vistazo al lore de la misma, intenta jugar al juego si no lo has podido hacer nunca y prepárate para poder hablar de él con los entrevistadores.
If you know that the interview will involve testing a specific game, take some time to play the game beforehand. This will help you familiarize yourself with the game's mechanics and controls, and it will also help you identify any potential bugs.
Learn about the company's game approach, target audience, game mechanics, profit objectives, etc. Also, keep in mind what improvements you can bring, such as attractive features, etc.
Finally, you should relax and be yourself during the game testing interview. You should be confident, honest, and professional, but also friendly, curious, and creative. You should show your personality, passion, and motivation for game testing and the gaming industry. You should also be open to learning, feedback, and improvement. Remember that the interviewer is not only looking for your skills and experience, but also for your fit and potential as a game tester and a team member.
Remember, most of the people who will be interviewing you are gamers themselves. They want to make sure you will fit in with the culture at the studio. Try to relax and show some of that nerdy personality so they know you'll fit right in!
Un equipo de testeo está acostumbrado a trabajar en grupo y depender unos de otros, compartiendo archivos, comentando bugs, etc. Ellos están deseando sumar gente proactiva y entusiasmada al equipo, ?no te dejes llevar por los nervios!
To prepare for a game testing interview: 1.Read the job role description and requirements carefully. 2. Study game testing concepts such as bug tracking, game genres, glitches, and testing methodologies. 3. Practice your testing skills by playing a variety of games. 4. Learn common testing tools. 5. Research everything about the company, including the types of games they work on.