Well darn. My contract at Zynga ran out of juice today. Dusting off all the job hunting tools and gonna get cracking.


Tomorrow. Cause I really need a day off ;3. If you're reading this I am in the market for a position, please contact me if you think I got what you need. Have a great day!

Wow this place has been gathering dust. So I got a job last April at "Zynga" on something I still can't talk about. Jumped around to several roles and finally got transferred to an automation team. Sadly my contract will run out soon and if I'm not re-hired I'll have to look for another job. So I'm polishing off the ye old' resume and I remembered this blog was on my resume.

I'll definitely update it a bit more now that I might have to be on the hunt! Of course I'm pretty happy at Zynga, but it's better to be safe right?

Been networking and calling and applying and calling and applying and interviewing. It's a dance I know all too well =). At least some cool game related companies are hiring now. Something to definitely look up to.

 For the longest time I was simply just trying to get into the video game industry. Then I succeeded. I really enjoyed my short tenure at EA, even if I had the misfortune to join up just as they were firing 1500 people. There was something missing though, I'm still definitely looking for work but now I'm considering other options. People are actually beginning to show interests in the ideas CWS Software and it's a hell of a long shot, but I'd be happy working for myself more then at a place like EA.

 Over the past two years I've helped a team build a feature complete 3D space game with a fully implemented in game editor. I then recruited about fifteen talented people to work for free on several projects, they share the dream. We all just want to make video games, but the barriers of entry are very high indeed. Something I know pretty well at this point. But maybe it doesn't have to be that way?

 This came about last week when I interviewed for a code monkey position and instead through force of personality and a couple of lines about my managing of projects at CWS got recommended as a technical project manager. "What the hell is a technical project manager?" I thought to myself. Well it turns out it's what I've been doing for two years and haven't noticed, it suddenly dawned on me as I called more then a dozen people I manage to discuss trying to get materials together to pitch to investors. I can't honestly say where it will go from here, nor how successful we will be. But it sure beats waiting around for job responses and twiddling our thumbs.

The job hunt still continues. After being officially laid off last Friday (December 18th), I'm officially job hunting and eligible. Time to polish off some books and get back to studying.

The job hunt continues! It seems that EA decided to lay off my studio a few months after I was hired. Bummer, I got a couple months to find a new job though. So time to polish off the site and hope the recession is ending with a block buster holiday season. With some of the games coming out, I should hope so :3. Now off to check to see if my senior project files still download.

Anyway, in commemoration of this new step in my life, so similar to the one before, I'm updating the character sheet.

Status: Project managing three games, recruiting/game designing for them as well, looking for a new job, taking care of all the people with flu back home.

Name: Christopher Lee
Classes/Levels: 1st Level Game Designer and Programmer / 1st Level Martial Artist
Race: Human(ish)
EXP: 1500/3000
Hit Points: 8/8 (+2 Bonus for living through layoffs and corporate hell)
Armor Class: 11

STR: 9
CON: 10
DEX: 12
INT: 13
WIS: 15
CHA:14 (Changed to reflect current status as a reluctant project manager.)

Current Skills in use: Blogging (+2), Game Design (+6) , Job Hunting (+3)

Feats: Die hard, Skill Focus (Programming), Iron Will.

EQUIPMENT
Weapon: Keyboard
Armor: None
Accessory: Dilbert Book (+1 to looking smart)

Did a little maintenance on this old girl and put up a link to my linked in profile on the left! And cleaned up the resume and my old files. Woot?