Interview

How to get a job at Berlin mobile developer Wooga

Head of HR Vera Termühlen reveals top tips

How to get a job at Berlin mobile developer Wooga

Following our coverage of Vera Termühlen's appointment as Wooga's new Head of Human Resources, we got in touch to get further insights about Wooga and its approach to hiring.

If you want to work at Wooga - the full list of vacancies is here - then take heed of Termühlen's responses!

She will be overseeing recruitment, after all.

PocketGamer.biz: Can you explain what Wooga does, and what attracted you to join the company?

Vera Termühlen: Wooga has made quite a name for itself as one of the most popular mobile games developers, creating five global hit games so far, including Diamond Dash and Jelly Splash.

Besides the success as a games developer, Wooga has built an amazing company culture with an international, lively and engaging environment that I’m looking forward to contributing to.

Are there any specific areas/disciplines you're currently hiring in?

We are always looking for outstanding product people, engineers and artists in order to be able to continuously create hit games. Currently we are recruiting for a Senior Systems Designer and for Engineers.

Woog'a gearing up for Apple Watch

We’re also exploring new territory and are on the look-out for someone to join our team as Apple Watch Product Lead and help us come up with innovative games for this new and exciting platform.

As you're overseeing recruitment at Wooga, what do you look for in candidates?

Wooga is creating games exclusively for mobile devices, which is a relatively new discipline in the industry and which is evolving constantly.

It is very important to us that the candidates are a great fit with the hiring team.
Vera Termühlen

There are just not that many superstar game designers and engineers out there that hold a specific degree in their profession, so we are heavily relying on the portfolios we receive with applications.

On the other hand it is very important to us that the candidates are a great fit with the hiring team. Wooga’s company culture is very special and relies heavily on independent teams and individual responsibility, that’s why it’s important to only hire talent that fits these requirements.

Why do you think Wooga is a good place to work?

Wooga already has a strong company culture, which is based on the vision of the founders. They have taken all the good experiences from their previous professional experiences and replicated them here at Wooga, while at the same time trying to weed out all the mistakes they have seen at other places.

Diamond Dashis one of Wooga's biggest hits

Encouraged qualities in Wooga employees are self-reliance and responsibility, there is no emphasis on control through management and the game teams operate very independently.

However, Wooga has turned six at the beginning of the year and our employees have grown with us during this time.

One of my focus areas will definitely be the mapping of career paths for our superstar employees to ensure that we give them the necessary perspective to retain them for years to come.

What advice would you have for someone trying to get into the games industry?

As mentioned before, this industry is so new and ever-evolving, so my piece of advice for people wanting to make it into the games industry would be to start making their own games and include them in your application.

It has become fairly easy to design your own game with software that is widely available and nothing shows your creative potential as well as your own game. When it comes to choosing an education, there are lots of different options.

If you know that programming is definitely for you, go for the classic computer science studies, as they will provide you with the necessary foundation for a lasting career in this field. If you are not quite sure yet whether you are the product, engineering or art type, go for a more general topic first.

Many universities and game design schools provide classes that offer insight into all aspects of making a game and will help you find your area of potential, which you can then take a deep dive into.

To view all vacancies at Wooga, visit its jobs site.

Features Editor

Matt is really bad at playing games, but hopefully a little better at writing about them. He's Features Editor for PocketGamer.biz, and has also written for lesser publications such as IGN, VICE, and Paste Magazine.