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Final Fantasy 14's battle system planner, Hikaru Tamaki, has revealed the unconventional method he used to get his job at Square Enix.
Taking the stage during Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival in Anaheim, California today, Tamaki introduces himself as a Square Enix developer of 13 years, having started at the company in September 2013, "four days after the launch of A Realm Reborn." Before that, Tamaki says he was "a writer and editor for a game magazine," which gave him a unique perspective on game development. "Before long, I had developed an interest in making games myself," says Tamaki.
So, what did the aspiring game developer do next? Obviously, he went to Square Enix's careers page, picked out a job he felt he was qualified for, and sent an application... No, actually, he rather cunningly used his position as a games journalist to his advantage. Instead of having to jump through the usual HR loops and job interview circuit, he gained direct access to the man in charge, Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida when he was asked to interview the veteran games developer.
"I had already played a lot of Final Fantasy 11 and Final Fantasy 14 1.0, and I thought I could use that to get my foot in the door. So, when I was assigned by the magazine to do an interview with Yoshi-P, I used the opportunity to ask him for a job," Hamaki says.
"Of course, I didn't want Yoshi-P thinking I was kind sketchy, so I asked my boss ahead of time if he could call up Yoshi-P and let him know what I was about to do," he adds.
Yoshi-P, who is sitting next to Hamaki in this conversation, chimes in with his own insights, explaining that Hamaki's lack of experience at the time meant he would have to start "from the bottom" in a "part-time" capacity. Hamaki was apparently fine with this, telling Yoshi-P, "'I can do anything that you ask.'
"He was really serious about this. He really wanted to be a part of the Final Fantasy 14 team. He's a really good gamer too. He's pro-gamer level," adds Yoshi-P to a visibly flattered Hamaki.
Hear that, kids? The key to getting the job of your dreams is to get a different job that gives you access to the person in charge of the job of your dreams, and then just ask them for a job. I know I'll be looking out for any opportunities to interview whoever's in charge of Disneyland.
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