BigKid.com.au

A few questions for Krome.
1. Where in Brisbane are you located?
2. The position is described as “entry level position”. What level is this? Is there an industrial classification for the position?
3. Is there a corresponding pay level for the position? Or will the pay depend on one’s professional skill?
4. Are there any qualifications necessary for the job besides being “an avid gamer”. Secondary or tertiary schooling required? Degree, diploma, certificate in QA Testing?
5. Is there on the job training?
6. Is the job permanent? long term? short term? Will there be a job when the testing is finished?

Hope you can answer these questions for us all to see.

Regards
Jack

I don’t know any more than what’s been posted here by Rob, but just as a FYI, here’s a few (hopefully helpful) tips from someone who’s been working and job-hunting in IT for a few years now.

“Entry level” is a common description for many jobs and normally means just that… you’re entering an industry at the absolute bottom so industry qualifications are not really necessary and don’t expect a good wage.

When you’re curious about where a company is.. check their website and normally under the “contact us” section there’s an address listed. The Krome website only lists a PO address, but you could assume (correctly) from this that they are in Fortitude Valley.

Hope this helps… but I wouldn’t get too picky before you apply, I hardly ever see job ads that contain anywhere near the level of detail you see in Rob’s post.

I’m not the official “online presence” for Krome, so don’t sue me if this is not 100% correct…

1. This is probably something you could find out for yourself, I don’t know how many times the Centerlink “Interview Techniques” seminars told me to “do the groundwork”. To save you the trouble of opening the phone book, or looking at the website.. we are in Fortitude Valley, right near the Brunswick St. Train Station.

2. Entry level means exactly that.. the bottom rung on the ladder to the top of the game development (or any) industry.

3. There is a corresponding pay level for the position, but I am not sure on what the exact details are, so I won’t repeat them here. Ask in your application letter if you like, or wait till the interview.

4. Being an avid gamer is not as important as the abilities listed in the job description (being able to clearly communicate with other team members, being able to find bugs, what causes them to happen and try to find a method to repeat the bug on demand, so that the dev team can fix it.) Of course, it probably helps if you are an avid gamer, because you are going to be playing games day (and night) all week.. Extra qualifications are always nice to have, but afaik not required…

5. Yes, there is on the job training, for the first few days.. if you don’t “get it” after that, then you are probably not the right sort of person for the job.. same as any job. Everyone makes mistakes, but continously making them would show that you aren’t even trying to learn..

6. I believe the job will be for a few months at least, but once again, I’m not the guy doing the hiring.. All testers who have worked with krome ended up with a job after their testing was done. Not all of them moved on to other jobs within krome, some people are happy doing what they do.

I’d like to make the point that a lot of people seem to miss.. QA means that you will be playing the SAME game, minimum 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, with some long hours thrown in (when we stuff the build and stay back till very late, you get to stay with us testing it.. :). It takes a lot of dedication to the job to manage that.. however, Krome is a great place to work.. the environment is nice, the people who work there are great, and the management takes good care of everyone…

You could always apply for the job, get an interview (if you’re what we are looking for) and maybe start work.. if you find that you don’t like it, you can always leave.. I’d say give it a shot, if you’re interested :)

Unifex.

Jack,
To be blunt, if you believe you can get a job as an artie or programmer now, don’t apply for a QA position, just send in your resume. If you want to be either but aren’t at the position where you can make it professionally, then try out for a QA job. If you’re good at using tools to make mods, you might also try QA. If you like games and are able to string a few sentences together (both orally and on paper) and are not a total d***wad (if you don’t know, ask your friends), then apply.

It’s a casual job that pays the same as a junior working in a store (though if you’re older, you don’t get more), though there are more hours and the job isn’t bad. You do have to play the same game over and over and if you can’t play without a keyboard or mouse, forget it. And none of our titles are PC RPG, FPS or RTS.
On the plus side, no one has ever been laid off (yet) from QA after a project is finished(though it is possible), and one or two non-performers have been let go, but the large majority of former QA people have gone on to other positions (production assistants, level builders, arties, programmers and even a few producers) within the company and elsewhere. It’s entry level but there is definietly scope for promotion within a year.
My two cents.

Thanks for the info fellas.