Valve's hiring practices

[Dr. Delta]

This sounds exactly like a company I would love to work at.

QFT.

[marks]

Seems like a lot of successful studios follow similar methods (Naughty Dog for example (Crash Bandicoot, Uncharted, Uncharted 2))

[Terr]

I just finished my first week at my new job. Valve was among the folks I tried to contact, but maybe I ran into their spam filters or something. :/ (There was one other place where I got an automated confirmation message and a month later it turns out they didn't even know I had contacted them or something. Arg.)

[coder0xff]

I shot them an email forever ago and never got a reply. Guess I need to practice modeling more, lol. Great info.

[Zipfinator]

I shot them an email forever ago and never got a reply. Guess I need to practice modeling more, lol. Great info.

Didn't you apply for a coding position though? I guess if you're multi-talented in Coding and Modeling you'll have a better chance though.

[YokaI]

I shot them an email forever ago and never got a reply. Guess I need to practice modeling more, lol. Great info.

Didn't you apply for a coding position though? I guess if you're multi-talented in Coding and Modeling you'll have a better chance though.

Most of it probably has to do with your experience.

Most people who have been reported to getting a Job at Valve have either had a Job before with another company (a lot of sony employees have migrated to valve, according to kotaku) or have had a really good product that they personally got to show a high-up Valve employee.

I guess the best way to put it, if you want a Job at valve, your best option is to start with a company that hires more, go up the ranks, work on some big games, big names, and then have a resume and a personality they find favorable. Don't give up though, you have your entire life to work at getting a Job somewhere that is enjoyable for you. It's better to focus one "what I can do now with what I have" and make something that everyone will be stunned by.

This is just a guess really, I have no real say, but this is just what seems to be the case. Unless you have something really impressive that Valve looks at and says "hey, we can take this and make a profit on it", or even if it just looks "interesting" to them, you'll have to first find a job with another studio. You've got to walk before you can run.

[stoopdapoop]

I like this thread, great info dave.

[Dr. Delta]

You've got to walk before you can run.

And you've got to crawl before you can walk.


And like stoop said, this thread it awesome.
Dave is credit to community!

[Makkon]

Good info, man. I'd love to work for Valve, that'd be a dream job.

[joe_rogers_11155]

The current Map Spotlight is Outpost 16, a short mod made by M.Anderson. His map is of excellent quality and got him noticed by Lopers and the rest of the mod community. Below is a recent post of his that is relevant to this excellent thread.

Just thought I'd update you guys on my status (if yer interested in someone else's struggle to get a design job in videogames). I've gotten interest from a handful of major studios and have made the rounds at GDC. I did actually get the chance to have a sit down showing of my work with a Valve technical artist, and man, when talking to Valve, expect the unexpected. I was thrown for a complete loop.

She actually was REALLY turned off by the intro to my level. Apparently Valve really hates cutscenes, even if they are in game, a view that must have been recently cemented because I couldn't accurately understand the difference between mine and others in the original game, namely the first meeting of Alyx and Eli. She said "What is the player experience?" which I imagine is a Valve phrase for "gameplay." Basically, if you're hoping to get a job with Valve, I'd strongly advise to NOT have any type of sustained cutscene. The Valve artist didn't really discuss anything besides that one part of my level, as she was really fixated on it. Just wanted to throw you guys an FYI if you plan to apply there. I'm not bitter about the experience and I don't want to sound spiteful. I found their staff to be amazingly gracious and inviting. Just don't have cutscenes, in game or otherwise for over a minute or you'll lose their interest immediately, apparently.

[nub]

Interesting. I'll definitely try and remember all of this.

[Dionysos]

I say if you feel that a cutscene absolutely would work best in your game or whatever, go for it. I'm not saying valve is wrong, but progress isn't made by catering to some powerful entities wishes.

[Major Banter]

-snip-

Progressively over-opinionated this place.

[marks]

Valve does things Valve's way. It isnt absolutely wrong, it isnt absolutely right. Its just different, and it seems to work for them. The message from this thread shouldnt be "OMG NEVER MAKE CUTSCENES". Also, can we drop this "capitalism" line quickly please, it has nothing to do with the OP and subsequent discussion, or really the post which you quoted.

[[JFG]Propaganda]

I think as far as the gaming industry goes Valve is one of the better places to work, I have not heard a lot of bleeding or crying from people who work there and had some contact with Valve people and former Valve people while I was working on the CAMP project for DOD Source, they are pretty approachable and seem to care what people think about their product.