In the wake of the EA acquisition there have been some major structural changes at PopCap. Where once there was a large Studio with an art team, now there are a lot of little studios with the artists on each of those teams answering to the Franchise Head of each of those smaller teams. So, no Studio Art Team, no need for a Studio Art Director. As of midnight last night I am available for immediate employment. ;)
All in all, it’s gone well. I got a nice severance package and I feel pretty good about my prospects… the game industry is flourishing, even in this crappy economy, and there’s a lot of this sort of work in the Greater Seattle Area. We have some breathing room, so we don’t need to find something right this second... we want to get the right position and we want to stay in this area.
Sue has been absolutely awesome… I don’t appreciate her nearly enough. All in all, I’m not sorry to see 2011 go, but I'm ready for the adventure that lies ahead! Happy New Year and Allons-y!
23 comments:
Rick,
I am floored! I can't believe they let you go! I know you talked about that possibility but I never thought it would really come to pass.
I know you don't want to have to move again but if there's anything you want me to do regarding job opportunities at SOE or here in San Diego let me know.
Rick,
Social gaming is so hot right now, If I'd get off my ass and get a few more Flash examples, I could get hired. There's a lot of little start ups.
You'll move right into some hot start up or similar with your background at Popcap .
I had you confused with Zynga and thought the big problem for you was going to be shenanigans about how the IPO went down. Then I realized you were Popcap and had nothing to do with Zynga.
Zynga is SF isn't it?
Good luck.
Don't get any unemployed rhythm going. It's hard to break the habit.
Plus, you are the maestro of Linkedn. I'm going to pay attention to your updates when you do LinkedN this go round.
Rick, you'll find something soon. I have no doubts a chap of your skills will be in demand.
Rick,
Wow, sorry to read this. First time in months I go on this blog and am floored. You are in strong position and Ellis is right, there are lots of startups, I keep seeing ads in my email from jobsites that ask for your precise qualifications. Until you gracefully land somewhere, welcome to the new normal.
OMG, Rick!
I just saw your post ... right after I posted my new year greeting ... and I feel like I got the wind knocked out of me!
But despite the immediate disappointment, I still feel that 2012 will be a good year for all of us. Hold on to that positive feeling. The support of family and friends will help see you through to a much better situation.
I really am in a good place with this... we don't have any immediate money worries and there's a lot of activity in the game industry up here. Zynga just opened a shop up here, so that is a possibility, and there are a few places that are looking for some AD help up here. I'm already hitting the ground running, at least as much as I can during the holiday season. Now that we are past New Years, after everyone has cleared their email inboxes and had a fit of meetings to remind themselves of what they are supposed to be doing this year, I will start trying to get their attention again.
Thanks for the concern and nice comments about my prospects... it's all very encouraging. :)
Just saw this Rickley. So sorry as well. You and me both are looking for work. 2012 had better be good or I'm going to skip it and go straight to 2013. If I hear about anything I'll let you know. I know 343 Industries was doing a lot of hiring these past couple of months, you might want to check them out. I want to stay in San Diego or So Cal if I can so I'm struggling to find either concept or storyboard work down here. Pain in the ass. And Jeff Ranjo won't give me any of his Disney money which I think is just wrong. He's always hated my art.
Jeff is the 1%.
Scott, seen this:
http://jobs.gamasutra.com/jobseekerx/viewjobrss.asp?cjid=28614&accountno=20104
There's some ex-SOE folks there, so Tom and I could put in a good word for you.
Oh, LinkedIn Mojo:
-when you leave a company, write a bunch of recommendations (you can do this any time, but it's best to do it when you leave because all the people and their qualities are fresh in your brain) Half of them will write you a recommendation in return. People almost never read letters of recommendation or contact references, but some will read your recommendations in your LinkedIn profile.
-Linked in has a pretty good internal search engine for finding job openings, and you can search by region... I've been looking under "Art Director Seattle" and getting good results. Those results will provide connections within your contact list, so that can also be helpful in getting hooked up with the actual hiring manager... the best person to get on your side!
-Connect with HR people from companies you are interested in. That way, you turn up in THEIR search results when they are looking for people with your skill set.
-LinkedIn isn't Facebook... don't be timid about connecting with people you barely know. Also, don't be afraid to ask a friend for an "introduction" to connect to someone in your friends contact list. In fact, you can surf your friends contact lists for people you know but aren't already connected to.
Dang. I know good stuff will come out of this for you both--but still...dang. That's a lot of unneeded Holiday worry.
However, it is heartening to read your positive attitude(s)!
Scott, re:Ranjo...now's the time to go to his boss with that video of Jeff in that, um, compromising situation down in T.J. Tell him it's a job for you, or YouTube's hottest new searchword combo will be "ranjo + donkey."(...ah, the early days of TAG--which I missed completely!)
Seriously, I'm keeping the chakka beads shakin' for both of you (and Ellis!) in this New Year. Knock 'em dead out there! And please keep us updated via the blog if you can.
p.s. we have spent the last two months living waaay out in the wilds of Virginia and have had very little internets. Prior to that, it was moving madness...so I apologize for my TAG absence (TAG-scence?) lately. You are all in my heart always.
All except Ellis, who I keep in my front pocket 'cause it tickles more that way....
I didn't know you were looking for work again Scott. Was your last job a contract position that recently expired?
Marty. Your card just tickled my mailbox. Great shot of Blair.
SCOTT. When does the NDA run out on what you did on the Halo Space Ranger work? I'd like to see it.
Thanks Rick. I'm trying precision with the LinkedIn. Are you using the deluxe version that costs money? I have to ask for introductions to connect to people I don't know
No, I haven't signed up for the upgraded version of LinkedIn. If you can find an email address for a person then you don't need the paid version of LinkedIn. It's typically not hard to get an email address... some deductive reasoning will get you pretty far. Also, a lot of folks have websites or blogs that provide an email address. There's only been a couple of times that I've been completely stumped. Just don't be shy about asking for introductions from your existing contacts for people you don't know.
Sorry to hear Rick, I wondered if you might get caught in the fallout of the EA buyout. Never trust a suit sitting in a boardroom to look out for the good workers. Anyway I haven't posted in awhile but have been surviving since my UI ran out back in April. Picked up a few freelance gigs since, EBay my worthless junk online and waiting for the possibility of a full time gig possibly in April, I'm onboard with the deal but all the hush hush stuff is being worked out behind the scenes. Until then, I'll be hustling for a few more freelance gigs and more EBay liquidation to keep me afloat till then. Then again it may not happen either, April seems a long ways away at this point.
Good luck on your Hush Hush deal, Jim!
Thanks Rick, I hope things work out for you too.
Tom, it ended a few months ago. Now I'm looking for either permanent or contract work, preferably in Ca. Let me know if you hear of any Concept or Storyboard openings. And make sure Rick doesn't hear about any of them. You know how grabby he gets.
I'll keep my eye out for you Scott. How's Cork been?
I've been missing drawing Cork and I want to get back to it soon. Just been focusing on looking for work and creating some painted concepts.
I'm only grabby when you are around Scott.
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