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New start, new beginnings

Life at Studio Gobo & Electric Square. My first six months...

Experiencing change of any kind is scary, sometimes terrifying, and that certainly applies to starting a new job. A little over six months ago, I walked through the doors at Studio Gobo & Electric Square's studios with the (somewhat insane) responsibility of delivering on their bold recruitment ambitions... And from where I stand today, I couldn’t be any happier with my decision.

I want to take the opportunity to tell you a bit more about my experience working here over the past six months because, in truth, I think it's worth sharing!

After working at my previous company for seven and a half years, plodding along most happily, I was approached by an old industry contact. Terry Haynes, who had now been working for Studio Gobo & Electric Square for a year himself, explained to me that the current Recruitment Manager had handed his notice in and asked if I'd be interested in having a chat.

"Trust me on this one Guy, come in and have a look, it's quality here son", he said... And for anyone that knows Terry, there is no doubt your head will be ringing with that exact sentence said in his dulcet tones in all their cockney charm right now ;)

The Interview

The interview process was unique, as the duties of my position would oversee recruitment at both studios simultaneously and I would be required to visit both studios to meet with two separate interview panels. After a couple of Skype interviews the big 'final interview day' arrived. As I anxiously entered the studio at Gobo I was greeted by friendly faces, music, atmosphere, a 6 foot samurai and 3 dogs swamping me... Anxiety lifted, comfort replacing it; home felt. Things went really well at Studio Gobo and after a bit of lunch I was in Central Brighton about to do it all over again at Electric Square. To my relief the same feelings wafted over me, along with a well received familiarity. Although they were different teams with their own projects and identities, there were undeniable similarities in the culture and vibe to each studio and I couldn't be more pleased.

What did I learn that day? The operation at hand was much larger than I had given either studio credit for. Once I'd signed my NDA I was given total trust and transparency on what the projects were and what the scope of the task at hand resembled. 150 staff, 5 projects, world class clients, world class franchises... Those numbers increasing. Over the course of the day I spoke to interviewers from different projects and disciplines and everybody had one infectious characteristic in common: genuine, utter enthusiasm. It was easy to see that the trajectory was on a tight angle facing upwards; and I wanted to be a part of it.

In truth, as I sat there, I felt like Mark Corrigan of Peep Show, my mind barking orders of what not to do rather than to do: "Don't smile too much. Ok, now you're frowning, stop frowning at him. Cut your eyes and do a knowing look... Therrre we go... Wait, don't look too confident, stop sitting like you're The Fonz! Note to self: nobody in the games industry would hire The Fonz"

Fortunately, somehow, I got the job! But what now??

Welcome

I was given the choice of hardware I would be working from and everything was set up really nicely for me on day one. Alongside a personalised card to welcome me. I was taken out for lunch with members of the team and got to meet everyone in the studio individually as a part of my first day tour. Nobody can remember that amount of names but it set me up well, so that I had a shred of familiarity with whomever I would bump into from that moment on.

More swag!

At Electric Square it was more of the same, an amazing introduction to everybody, loads of free swag (and let's be honest - who doesn't want a t-shirt with the amazing 'Electra' emblazoned on the front?!)

One embarrassing pic and company wide email to introduce myself later (I was asked to do this by the way, I didn't just insist that everyone should receive a summary of my life on my first day) and I was ready to fire! I got features on both studio's social media welcoming me to the team, as everyone does; nice touch.

Social clubs

Within an hour of being here I was receiving emails left, right and centre telling me about all sorts of social clubs that go on and I was invited to take part in: climbing club, chess club, movie nights on Tuesdays, D&D nights, aerobics and boxercise days, Overwatch nights, cooking club and plain old 'we're going for a beer on Friday if you fancy it?'.

I even got invited to help the teams build their rafts for the annual Brightonian event 'Paddle Something Ridiculous Around the Pier'...

Feed me...!

Day 1: Throw loads of delicious (complimentary) fruit in the NutriBullet and go to work on the massive selection of (complimentary) muesli, telling myself 'this is absolutely what I'm going to eat every single morning from now on forever and ever!'

Day 5: Back on to my usual of peanut butter and Marmite on toast (don't knock it unless you've tried it). That's all complimentary too... Just not as good for me :) And we get fed for free, by a real life chef! The beer fridge is always well stocked and open for business. Spoilt much? Nahhh, shhh, stop that you!

Family

Of everything that goes on here, my favourite thing has to be the emphasis on the family culture. We all hear companies advertising a 'family culture' but what does that really mean? Well, here, it's simple: not only are you a part of the family but your family is too.

Whether it's summer parties, birthdays, monthly studio parties (consisting of karaoke, Mario Kart, beer pong, Overwatch and that stocked beer fridge... But mainly karaoke), cinema days, games nights or in-house quiz nights, you're encouraged to bring your loved ones along for the ride! Given that 80% of new joiners here are physically moving from another city/country, there is often more than one person affected by the move. How nice that they're all included too... We even have branded baby grows :D

The summer party was a 4pm finish on a hot Friday afternoon in August. Taking place in Brighton's Preston Park, it had everything: a bouncy castle, face painting, a posh cocktail van, pop up diner, ice cream and family friendly games with prizes throughout the day... All totally free, courtesy of the company. Why? Because it's summer. Why not?!

The studio's best friends...

We love our studio dogs!!

They're genuinely a very big part of the family here. You're always guaranteed a warm welcome in the morning... And around lunch time. At current time of counting, I believe we have 9 overall between the studios. Procrastination has never been so fun.... Or slobbery!

One step beyond...

These past few months have seen both studios grow in size, as well as take on more exciting projects. We're now at a sturdy 6 projects and over 200 staff overall. The teams are motivated and everybody I speak to has total faith in the people at the top steering the boat. The whole staff receive weekly business development updates on projects we're pitching for, projects we've been offered and other top level plans that you simply don't get exposure to elsewhere. As is the nature of the games industry, I'm not allowed to tell you a thing about the projects - despite us all wanting to shout from the rooftops about them - but I can tell you that there is something very special happening here.

As a Recruiter, I know that the prospect of starting a new job can be terrifying, daunting and life changing. But still... Would I recommend working for Studio Gobo or Electric Square? Absolutely I would.

Author

Guy DeRosa

Guy is the Head of Talent for Studio Gobo (Hove, UK) and Electric Square (Brighton, UK), overseeing growth in all studios. In an industry in which culture is paramount, Guy believes that being a part of the community is of utmost importance, which is why you can usually find him somewhere gamesy and fun.

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Life at Studio Gobo My first 6 months...