Absense note for Work-Based Learning (10/12/2012)

Unfortunately due to a sickness bug in the winter of 2012 I was unable to take part in this session.

I hope that I will be able to go back and complete any work set for this day, but until then I just felt it was only fair to write in my blog why the work was not put online.

Types of questions (3/12/2012)

Types of questions:

Robin Foale     3/12/2012

For this task we were asked to complete the following three tasks to do with questions that may or may not be used in interviews.

Task 1:

Leading questions are questions which almost force the answerer to respond in a certain way. By asking in a question in a certain way you can lead the person  to respond according to what they think the questionaire wants them to say rather than give an honest answer. Therefore these questions can be frowned upon as they can lead to dishonest or misleading answers. 
For examples please refer to the second task.  

Task 2:

Below are three leading questions that I will be identifying as leading questions. 

• ·         “Why do you think the Xbox 360 is better than the Nintendo Wii?” – This question implies that the person asking the question wants you to agree that the Xbox 360 is better to the Nintendo Wii, thus prompting them to agree with this even if they don't.  
  ·         “Are you making any friends?” - This question not only implies that the person may not have had any friends before, but it may also prompt them to think who they would class as a friend.  
  ·         “How would you respond to people saying that your favourite band is rubbish?” – This is a strong question as this is something personal and therefore the response may show how they deal with criticism and whether they are able to accept different opinions.

Task3:

Below are ten reworded questions from the twenty original examples adapted to the games' industry.

• ·         What's your philosophy on gaming and how does it differ from the opinions of others?
  ·         What three characteristics do you look for in a video game character...and why?
  ·         How did your two favourite video games or video game companies help you most when coming up with new ideas?
  ·         Why do you play online as often or as little as you do?
  ·         If you had to be a character in a video game, who would it be and why?
  ·         In your opinion how could the games' industry be improved?
  ·         Explain the two things you like most about this games' company?
  ·         Why do you keep returning to your favourite video game?
  ·         Which game's franchise have you respected most and why?
  ·         Tell me about another games' console you'd prefer to the one you have.
  
  

Overall:
Once we had finished the above we then took part in mock interviews using the above ten reworded questions we had come up with. The mock interviews themselves went really well as not only were the two people I worked with good at role playing, but they also took it seriously. They also came up with some good questions themselves.
Therefore the session as a whole was a lot of fun as it gave us the serious experience of sitting in an interview which was useful. It also gave us the chance to use our drama skills to make the experience interesting and realistic.   

     

Referencing:  

http://www.mediacollege.com/journalism/interviews/leading-questions.html

Curriculum Vitae (26/11/2012)

Looking back over the careers I have been interested in I decided to focus on the role of a lead game designer for now. Once I have become confident with understanding one existing gaming career then I will look at the others.

Clearly, I understand that I would not be able to step into this role imeditally and would have to be part of a company working my way towards this dream job. 

What does a lead game designer do?

Taken from the site 'BREAKING IN' I found their description for the role of Lead Designer as seen below:

• 'A Lead Designer may or may not be the person who "invented" the game's idea, but it's almost certain you'll be specifying its primary interactions. As Lead Designer, you will perform most of the tasks mentioned for Game Designer, and you'll also lead the other members of the design team to achieve the product goals. Along with producer, you'll have decision-making power regarding the design, especially in cases where your choices don't result in any changes to scope or schedule. You will participate in, and may be ultimately responsible for, the selection of the other designers on the team. Often the Lead Designer holds or shares the responsibility of representing the game to the media.' http://archives.igda.org/breakingin/path_design.htm

I then further looked online at a real job application on the website 'gamesindustry INTERNATIONAL' for a lead game designer and discovered the following job in London that paid between £30,000 to £50,000 per year: 

• Responsibilities:
  - Maintaining and tuning both single and multiplayer balancing.
  - Be Time conscious with the desire to keep to deadlines.
  - Being the direct point of contact to Artists and Programmers and being able to liaise between both departments (ideally some form of technical background or scripting would help here) - Must have shipped at least 3 very successful titles as a lead or senior GD position.
  - Draw realistic assets and natural geological features and know the difference between what works and what doesn’t with the end user in mind - Conveying ideas and clear formalisation of complex concepts.
  - Designing the start process of the game itself, down to the planning and designing of game settings - Excellent organizational skills.

• Requirements:
  - Desire to make quality AAA games on console platform.
  - Degree in a Games field or related qualification (Computer Science, Programming etc) - Above 5 years as GD including experiences as lead GD or main GD for core gameplay on mobile platforms.
  - Good A Levels or equivalent - Proficient in all aspects of game design such as gameplay, balancing, and reward system, etc.
  - 4 Years + as a ‘Games Designer’ for PS3, Xbox360 or PC - Prototyping ideas via one of those standard tools like Photoshop, Flash, Sketch-up, 3D Studio Max, Unity, Blitz, etc.
  - Experience in 3D modelling tools and scripting languages - Good knowledge of classic console video games, their flagship titles and their audience an asset.

Examples of good and bad CV's:

Looking online I decided to research examples of both good and bad Curriculum Vitae so as to get a better understanding of how to present mine and what to include. I ended up discovering a website called 'Kent' which contained two examples that would help me out under the title of 'Examples of Good and Bad CVs'.

Below, in my own words are points to remember:

Bad examples:

• Presentation is poor and/or takes up too much space. For example, the spaces between paragraphs are too big, thus making you use more pages than you should do. 
• Even including something as basic as your email address is essential as that is one of the methods they will most likely contact you with. Therefore having a silly or offensive email name is also not a very good idea and doesn't look professional. 
• As simple as it sounds don't forget to include anything relevant to the job you are applying for, no matter how small it may seem, many people miss out this oppounity. 

Good examples:

• Needs to be short and punchy. 
• Interests are divided into different groups and any that demonstrate key skills should be listed first. 
• Instead of writing Curriculum Vitae at the top of the page it should be your name in large bold letters. Personally, why not both?  
• Use bullet points to list skills as anything else may confuse the reader e.g. a negative symbol / a '-' may make them think its a negative of yours instead of a positive by mistake. 
• Save as much space as possible, but make sure that it is clear at the same time. 

My Curriculum Vitae:

From looking at the examples above I was able to update my CV as seen below.

Referencing:

Woodcock, B. (Unknown.) University of Kent. Available at:

http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/goodbadCV.htm

(Accessed on: 26/11/2012).

Unknown. (Unknown.) BREAKING IN: Design. Available at:

http://archives.igda.org/breakingin/path_design.htm

(Accessed on: 26/11/2012).

Unknown. (22 November, 2012) madjobs: Lead Designer. Available at:

http://jobs.mad.co.uk/job/494939/lead-designer/

(Accessed on: 26/11/2012).

Unknown. (29 November, 2012) gamesindustry INTERNATIONAL: Game Designer. Available at:

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/jobs/amiqus-games/uk-and-europe/game-designer-id59160

(Accessed on: 26/11/2012).

Interviews (19/11/2012)

For this session our lecturer spoke about job interviews and not only how to prepare for them, but also how to act in them.

Wanting us to go away and complete some set tasks for him I came back with the following. 

Monster Virtual Interview:

Giving us a link to a quiz type mock interview I achieved the following results:

Q: How do you respond to feedback?
A: I learn from it.
Result: 80 points. This is a good answer. You're showing that you are comfortable with critique and you know how to use it to your advantage. Improve you answer by saying that you actively encourage feedback.

Q: Whats your biggest strength?
A: Identifying problems and fixing them.
Result: 100 points. This is a great answer. Every employer is looking for people who can help move their company forward and problem solving is a key part of that.

Q: Can you explain your last three job moves?
A: I just felt like changing.
Result: 20 points. This answer isn’t very good. Without a clear understanding about how you have got to this stage in your career, your interviewer won’t be able to judge if you have thought about why you want this job.

Q: Why do you want to work for us?
A: I share the same values as the company.
Result: 100 points. This is a great answer. It shows that you've researched their business and found out what they stand for. Try to describe the values you hold dear and how they relate to you.

Q: What other interviews have you been for?
A: A few, but this is my main priority.
Result: 100 points. This is a very good answer. You're showing that you're in demand, but your also making it clear that this is the job you really want.

Q: What do you know about our company?
A: You value innovation and creativity.
Result:  100 points. This is a great answer. You're showing that you have done your research, not only into their products, but also into what it's like to work for the company.

Q: How long would it take you to make an impact in the role? 
A: I pick things up very quickly.
Result: 100 points. This is a great answer. You're not putting any specific dates in the interviewers mind, but you're showing them that you are willing to learn the way they do things and then utilise your new skills.

Q: How do you react to other people at different levels?
A: I'm comfortable conversing with anyone.
Result:  100 points. This is a great answer. You’re showing the interviewer that you can deal with subordinates, and make a good contribution in senior management discussions.

Q: Whats the meaning of life?
A: To make the most of it.
Result: 100 points. This is a great answer. It shows you have put some thought into it and that you're a person who will take full advantage of the opportunities that you're presented with.

Q: Where will you be in five years time? 
A: In a role where I can continue to develop.
Result: 60 points. This is a pretty good answer. It shows that you're hoping to progress your skills, although in five years time you should be looking more at using your skills, rather than developing them.

Overall: A final score of 860 out of 1000. 

Dream job interview questions:

Looking back at my previous research on jobs I would love to go into I thought of four questions that I would ask at the end of the interview for my dream job as a Lead Designer.
These are my questions below:

• As a company how much freedom do you give your employees to work on their own ideas?
• Do you set targets for your employees and offer appraisal? 
• Do you offer training within your company for new employees?
• What do you personally value most in your employees? 

Examining Body Language: 

For my last task I was asked to examine body language and give 5 examples of both good and bad.

Good examples:

• Sitting up straight. 
• Keeping eye contact. 
• Good firm handshake.
• No fiddling what so ever.
• No looking at your watch.

Bad examples: 

• Slouching or sitting over casually. 
• Not keeping eye contact / looking down all the time.
• Inappropriate greeting.
• Nervous mannerisms.
• Appearing bored.

S.M.A.R.T. goals for my weaknesses (12/11/2012)

Specific - How am I going to achieve this?

Measurable - What steps do I need to take to get there?

Achievable- How will I know I have achieved it?

Realistic - What will be the proof of my success?

Time based- When do I want to have completed my goal by?

Below are my S.M.A.R.T goals that I have set myself in order to overcome two of my key weaknesses.

• Weakness 1: Sentence structure – I either write too long a sentence or they are not in the right order. 

S: Practice writing articulate sentences whilst avoiding too many irrelevant words.

M: In order to accomplish the above I will need to write down my sentences with as few a words as possible. Once I have figured out my initial sentences then I will be able to add more detail to them.

A: When someone can read my sentences and understand them without reducing them by at least half of its original content, then I will know I have overcome this weakness.

R: The proof of my success will be notable when I can produce informative, but to the point sentences. 

T: Realistically I feel I will be able to accomplish this task in at least three months time. With this lengthy duration I make sure that I am used to writing in this way.     

• Weakness 2: Spelling similar words e.g. ‘they, their and there’ and 'are and our' which I still find confusing.

S: By paying more attention to the above words when I write and read through my work in order to choose the correct form of spelling the word.

M: Perhaps on my wall in my room next to my work station I could write a list of what each one of the words I struggle with means and when it is used in a sentence. That way I have something to refer to.

A: I will know that I have accomplished this task when someone can look over my work without finding spelling errors.

R: When I can write full papers without any need of a spell checker what so ever then I will know that I can spell and use my words correctly.

T: I would like to be able to correctly spell ‘they, their and there’ by the end of the first or second mouth next year. My full spelling ability on the other hand I feel is still a couple of years away, but with what I have accomplished throughout the years so far I believe that this is a realistic target. 

Tips for writing (22/10/2012)

As I am very interested in becoming a writer for both the story and characters seen in video games, I decided to ask my lecturer his opinions on writing. I did so knowing that he loves books and thinking that he might also write them.

Now whereas he hasn't exactly written a book he has invented stories which he tells his child. These stories sound as if they would be fun for a child as he also incorporates life lessons into them so that they teach something as well.

He also gave me a fundamental rule that I should keep to, USP. Which in this case stands for Unique Selling Point. What he meant by this was that if you didn't include something unique in your story then it might not 'stand out from the crowd'. I can understand this as I already go by this rule whenever I try and come up with ideas for games.

He also suggested that I make sure that the world I create has rules and follows them so as to determine both the worlds atmosphere and limitations e.g. how does the magic or science fiction in the world work?   
 
He also advised that I should avoid working myself into the ground. After all, if your dead tired but feel you can add something then you should take a break. That way your brain gets the rest it needs and you can come back to it fresh, rather than just making mistakes during the previous session and wasting time. 

I personally also believe that the characters within a story should always have human qualities and weaknesses, as one thing I hate in any medium is when the hero is completely flawless and indestructible. I think these kind of characters are harder to get attached to as its hard to believe that such a character is in danger at all.

With all this great advise I'm going to try even harder now to come up with better ways of telling and writing stories, and hopefully also improve my spelling and punctuation in the process. 

New personal goal:


Write at least a chapter of the story I have in my head each month. That way I keep consistently adding to my work and I can come back to it later in the following months with a fresh mind in order to edit and change it.

SWOT analysis of myself (22/10/2012)

SWOT analysis of myself:

Robin Foale  22/10/2012

Strengths:

What advantages do you have? 

• Kind. 
• Polite.
• Friendly.   
• Dependable.  
• Can look at things from different perspectives.  
• Has a strong moral code. 
• Considerate. 
• Team player.
• Open to new things.
• Hard working. 

What do you do better than anyone else?

• Vivid imagination.
• Time management.
• Critiquing.
• Ability to push myself to work for long periods of time.
• Perfectionist.  

What facilities and resources do you have access to?

• Laptop.
• Scanner.
• Home consoles.
• Handheld devices.
• The internet.
• Digital camera.
• University equipment.

What do people who know you see as your strengths?

• Kind.
• Good writer.
• Good artist.
• A people person. 
• Loyal.
• Nice hair! 

Weaknesses:

What do you have difficulty with?

• Punctuation.
• Stuttering due to trying to articulate.
• The odd spelling e.g. ‘they, their and there’ I still confuse with one another. 
• Learning and remembering things due to my short term memory.
• Selective hearing.
• Sentence structure – I either write too long a sentence or they are not in the right order.

What could you improve?

•       My punctuation and spelling. 
•       Improve my writing speed. 
•       Ability to work alongside distractions. 

What should you avoid?

• Over analysing both myself and everyday occurences. Also critiquing things can be a good thing but can also lead to me ‘winding myself up’.
• Comparing my work to others. After all, I will get better over time and everyone is different.
• Getting over sensitive over the littlest of things.  
• Spending too much time on things.  
• Getting stressed or frustrated with those who don’t understand what I am saying, even though I think that what I am saying is clear.

Opportunities:

Where are the good opportunities facing you?

• My current course at Plymouth College of Art.
• My workplace – Tkmaxx.
• The internet – numerous websites have all the information I could ever need in order to know more about the industry and how to get into it.
• Amateur productions and the drama workshops I go to with the Youth Music Theatre. 

What are the interesting trends you are aware of?

• Steampunk.
• Gaming.
• Anime and Manga.
• Movies.
• Comics. 
• Drama.
• Role Playing. 

Threats:

What obstacles do you face?

• Other people’s skills (whether it’s long time professionals or those that are generally better).
• What is your competition doing?
• Getting in touch with different companies.
• Practising their skills.
• Looking up the industry.  

Are the required specifications for your job, products or service changing?

•       More companies are looking for individuals that can cover multiple areas and not just a few.

Is changing technology threatening your position?

•       YES! Technology will and is always changing thanks to new discoveries. Therefore I need to keep up with these changes in order to keep up with the times.

Financial concerns?

•       None at the moment but if I needed to move in order to work I would perhaps have a problem financially.

Could any of your weaknesses seriously threaten your business?

• As I would love to write the stories and characters for video games in the future I do fear that my fair from perfect punctuation and spelling skills could bring me down.  
• My selective hearing and short term memory could get me into trouble due to possibly missing newly assigned tasks and/or deadlines.