Almost all of my friends know about my passion for Blizzard Entertainment and their IPs, and how working at their studio is my absolute dream and goal. They’d also know I draw so much inspiration from their games and channel it into the things I’ve made and continue to make.
Recently, I applied for the Level Design Intern position on the WoW team. In previous years, I’d apply for a few positions - 3-5. I’m not sure why I just chose one this year… but, in the past, I’ve always put all my eggs in one basket and it’s always worked- Becker College was my #1 College, and the only one I applied to, and I got in. That’s what happened this year. I applied for one position, and I got the email saying they’d like to interview me. I had the pleasure of talking to Michael Fenton, a University Relations Coordinator, and was asked to interview with their Level Design team by my industry idols - Julien Tremblay, Gary Platner, Colin Volrath, and Jim Chadwick. It was nerve-wracking, but so exciting at the same time. I felt like my portfolio stood a chance, and I knew my passion for the games and the company would help me along.
Truthfully, I was terrified, but that fear drove me to push myself out of my comfort zone and just go for it. I made it this far, right?
Four weeks after the interview, I received a call from Michael saying I didn’t make it. While, yes, I felt sad, and so disappointed in myself, I also felt extremely inspired by some of the things he told me. 30,000 people applied this year, and I got to the interview stage - something I honestly never thought I’d achieve. I’m extremely proud of that, and I always will be. I don’t know how many others reached the interview stage for the level design position, but, it doesn’t matter. I made it that far all by myself.
I used to get really bummed out after some bad news, but, something changed in me recently. I see this rejection as a sign that I’m so close to my goal - my dream. If I work a little bit harder, who knows what’ll happen next year?
Rejection sucks- it always does, no matter what or who rejects you. It’s easy to give up after that, especially after putting so much effort and time into your product. But you’ve already gotten so far, you’ve proven yourself up to this point, so why not just keep going? Ask for feedback, learn why they said no, and learn from it. Even if there isn’t a definite reason, think about places or things you’re not confident in, and learn it.
That’s what I’m going to do - which is why I’m going to channel my energy and free time into boosting my portfolio and my confidence as a level designer, in hopes of reaching my goals next year.