The Journey

Ok so not really $100 Billion, but still.

I’m at the end of my most recent journey…a journey that has ended in a wonderful opportunity and something I’m quite proud of. Here’s the lowdown:

I was let go from TinyCo in May. It was a shock to me. I didn’t see it coming, I had no warnings or guidance about it at all. Looking back, it was probably for the best. TinyCo discovered my portfolio online and approached me about a UI Artist gig there. They told me they thought I could raise the bar of quality across the board on their games and help them ship world class products.

The longer I stayed there, despite loving my coworkers and the work I did, the more I started to notice this wasn’t the case. None of my differing opinions were really welcome; In my opinion the priority was focused on maintaining the curve, not being ahead of it. (They weren’t really even that into games, believe it or not.)

So while I was very upset at being let go, I think it was a blessing. I won’t deny TinyCo did a lot for me…they got me to California…which is probably the most important thing that’s happened to me. For this, I’m eternally grateful. But it was time to move on.

I immediately began a job search, and sent out several resumes and portfolios. My first interview was with ngmoco:) and was immediately hired as a contract Junior Designer in the Internet Marketing department.

(I also interviewed at Whiskey Media, and was offered a role. Sadly, it fell through; obviously it wasn’t meant to be.)

I started working at ngmoco:) as a freelancer within days of my offer. The people at ngmoco:) are amazing…it’s a really cool company with huge ambition and great employees. However, the role I was in wasn’t the one I dreamed of. I was far away from UI Design and creative work, which is what I feel most passionate about at this point in my career.

Eventually I was contacted by Zynga. They wanted to interview me for a couple of different UI-focused roles. I interviewed with the Web Division and Mobile Division for UI Artist positions. After a few interviews and phone calls, I was offered a full time position in their Mobile Division. This is where I’m heading. I’m incredibly excited to be joining a company who’s leading an industry and working with people who genuinely enjoy games. Half of my interviews took twice as long as they should’ve because we got started on rants about Mass Effect and L.A. Noire. I have a feeling that there’s a lot of great work to be done and that I’ll be a part of a lot of fun and exciting projects with great people, and I’ll do tons of learning to boot.

It’s been an arduous journey, and one that I couldn’t of made without some great friends and fantastic colleagues. I can’t wait to start this new chapter of my life at Zynga and make some amazing games that the world will love playing.

Obviously I’ll keep you all informed…thanks for reading and let’s party!