STAFF PROFILE: TOM, STG PROGRAMMER (cont.)
Through my scene group contacts I knew people that worked at Runecraft in Yorkshire, who put in a few good words for me and arranged an interview. I flew the nest and drove up to Yorkshire in my Smart Car with my Amiga and set it up in the interview and talked through the demos I had done and programming techniques I had used. It must have worked because even though I had no PC, DirectX or C experience, I was offered my first programming industry job straight away.
I found out that programming for a living was quite similar to programming for fun, complete with deadlines and exciting new things to learn and master. Since my three years at Runecraft, I have worked for Blue Monkey Studios, and strangely developed a keen interest in in-house tools and level editors. I then moved to London where I had a job as a tools programmer for Climax Studios. As for qualifications, I haven't got anything past the A-level stage, and an attempt at a degree was thwarted by missing one too many lectures due to all-night programming in student digs...
And now, five years after my first industry job, I am very proud to be working for Rare.
How did you get to work at Rare?
After leaving my London job, I was lucky to be living in the Midlands area at the time. I had heard that Rare were very close to where I was, and used the company website to apply for a programmer's job. Through their agency, I was given an interview and written test in Birmingham. I was one of those selected to be taken further, with another written test and interview on-site at Rare. I was offered a position with another company at the same time, but chose to work for Rare. |
