Work - The pros and the cons... - The Bear and Badger

Wookienopants

davyK wrote:

Wookienopants wrote:

If I never have to sit on a train, in traffic or have to be around members of the public again I'll be very happy.

That's the kicker. I live 2 miles from work. So I'm spoilt that way. The big bonus is not having to commute - real quality of life impact there.

Massive quality of life impact. I get time to do a full work day, drop off and pick my kids up from school, do housework during my lunch break or go out for a bike ride and be available for the kids dinner and bedtime everyday

Syph79

I think it helps if you have a space at home that you can dedicate to work. I have a small(ish) office and it means that I don’t feel like I’m ‘at home’ all the time, as I can step away from that room when I’m not at work. I’d imagine that could feel quite different if I was using the same space to work and relax in.

Like Wookie, it’s also helped me be more flexible with the boys and other domestic stuff.

davyK

I have an office (but it's my retro games room too). But Wifey has to work downstairs at a desk we have set up. And Daughter #1 is still at home working in the spare room.

We are lucky to have 2 living rooms, one of them pretty big. And lucky to have a spare bedroom.

Daughter#2 is working FT too but she goes to work - it's a small office with <20 people all separated.

Even with all that it's a pain in the arse. If we were in a smaller house it would be next to unsustainable.

Fair play to Virgin BB though.

Subbax

I've got a small room that I'm using as an office but that'll hopefully be used for another smaller person in the future. I think I miss working from the office, perhaps not all week but maybe 3/5. Speaking to other adults face to face has a certain something and luckily I live 15 minutes in the car from work and I like driving and cranking some loud tunes.

poprock

Selfishly, working from home is great for me. We have a large, well-lit studio in our house. I get to make nice lunches. I get to take the dog out whenever I like. I get to sleep later. I can put dinner on to cook in my lunch break. I save money and time on commuting and parking. I am master of my own timesheet. All the good things.

But for the company, and for my colleagues, it presents issues. The main ones being about how to build/maintain a creative studio culture and how to encourage/train younger talent. You learn how the creative industries work by being immersed in them. Overhearing your bosses’ phone calls. Showing your work and taking feedback. Being partnered with a more experienced colleague. Etc. None of that works well virtually.

lastant

We’re all waiting to hear what the future will be in regards to future working, although the proposed 50/50 split that was teased in the middle of last year did not land well across the business. At all.

Hoping that they’ve taken on board the concerns and come back with something like a 40/60 split in favour of WFH…even better if it’s left to our own devices as to which days to do in the office as that makes a weekly season ticket straddling a weekend feasible (and much cheaper than an annual season ticket or the actually not very flexible flexi-season tickets that they introduced).

Would also make the move to the coast we’re considering feasible, which would be a bonus!

LivDiv

When people do hybrid is it a case that everybody is in for those days or is it a flexible thing or by department?

GooberTheHat

A 4 day working we, with two days in and two days from home would be perfect for me.

poprock

LivDiv wrote:

When people do hybrid is it a case that everybody is in for those days or is it a flexible thing or by department?

Different for different firms - whatever suits really. Most companies are feeling their way through this and just testing things out.

For us, we chose to have everybody in on the same three days per week. That’s because for us the whole point of going into the studio is to collaborate.

LivDiv

Yeah thats what would make sense to me but my reasons for going in would be similar to yours so not that surprising.

Im a bit worried this is going to be an issue down the line.
We are all work from home all the time, the company was before Covid and always has been.
Plans coming up will likely end up with Jr staff. I'll be in Leeds, the other current staff member involved is in Glasgow.

MattyJ

GooberTheHat wrote:

A 4 day working we, with two days in and two days from home would be perfect for me.

Yes please. Although will probably be 3 days at home, 2 in office for me anyway

acemuzzy

Tfw when you get to the end of the day working on something and someone goes "oh did nobody say we didn't need that any more" and FML at least it's the weekend

Tempy

If GW didn’t work switch it’s marketing arm to work from home I probably wouldn’t have a job, but I agree with Poprock’s assessment. Especially as I am the new person, with no prior marketing experience - I am missing a lot of more ad hoc, flexible conversations and feedback sessions. Losing track of the amount of “sorry for the harsh feedback” prefacing feedback which is fine, just running the risk of coming across wrong due to text stripping important context. Still, it’s a living.

poprock

I had to give a press conference today on proposed changes to the school education system. I’m extremely thankful it was over a video call, so I could log straight off and leave other poor suckers to answer all the questions from reporters. (Because fuck that, frankly.)

Wookienopants

Just received bad news that I didn't get the job/promotion I was going for.

They had a tonne of really impressive candidates including some with levels of technical experience I can't hope to match.

Whilst I'm absolutely gutted my line manager called me directly and wanted to talk to me before I got the email and offered some very positive feedback so can't fault them.

I can be satisfied that I did my very best and the outcome was effected by matters beyond my control.

poprock

Sorry to hear that Wooks, but also glad to hear the firm/boss handled it quite well.

Also on the plus side is that they now know you’re ambitious.

Wookienopants

Cheers mate. Yea they always tend to handle these things well, I'm very happy with my line management and team I work in so can't fault em!

In terms of ambition my boss knows I'm in it for the long haul and I have a drive to reach the next level. He's actually been very supportive of helping me advance and move me forwards

LivDiv

Bad news Wookie but at least you put yourself out there and gave it your best shot.

Wookienopants

True, I did everything in my power to make it happen. I can't kick myself for things that are beyond my control

LivDiv

A useful take away is highlighting exactly where you fell short. It gives you a target to improve upon or a string to add to your bow. The good news is your place seems willing to work with you on that.

Rev

Just been told I need to go into the office at least once a week now. Part of me used to the home working. Increase in living costs and losing 1.5 hours a day travelling doesn't exactly thrill me if I'm being honest.

acemuzzy

LivDiv wrote:

A useful take away is highlighting exactly where you fell short. It gives you a target to improve upon or a string to add to your bow. The good news is your place seems willing to work with you on that.

Yup, much better than the stoney silence I seem to get on the odd occasions I apply anywhere!

acemuzzy

Having said that, I have a (non-game-dev) interview. That'll be my first of those for a while... eek!

RedDave2

Wookienopants wrote:

Cheers mate. Yea they always tend to handle these things well, I'm very happy with my line management and team I work in so can't fault em! In terms of ambition my boss knows I'm in it for the long haul and I have a drive to reach the next level. He's actually been very supportive of helping me advance and move me forwards

Sorry to hear that but your attitude is great and it looks like you have a boss who will help you get there. My wife has recently had a similar experience in her place (she did get the promotion though) and a lot of it was thanks to her current boss who pushed her and gave her a great reference even though they didnt want to lose a solid member of the team.

Certainly with your approach and his support its more a question of when and not if you get there.

Funkstain

acemuzzy wrote:

Having said that, I have a (non-game-dev) interview. That'll be my first of those for a while... eek!

Shit! Actual coding skills (unit testing mutation tests daily pipeline deployments without grinding everything to a halt no more endless PRs and hoping the testers pick up on the shite...) good luck bud

acemuzzy

That's the dream

Matt_82

I have managed to get a job interview as a college photography lecturer. I'm not expecting to get it as they're partway through a teaching block and I have no teaching experience but I wanted to make my intentions known.

Anyone know what I should expect in the interview? I've spoken to other lecturers but it seems my interview is to be different from theirs (I think it's the remnants of the Covid precautions) in that they had presentations while mine is an online, 45 minute, competency based interview.

Any help will be appreciated.

poprock

From my (very long ago) experience, photography can be an odd one out because it’s seen as partly technical and partly creative. More emphasis on the technical side than with other creative disciplines.

davyK

The medium enters in as a condition of the artform itself.

acemuzzy

This is basically my job

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