English translation · Reader alias: XingzhouRead the Chinese original ↗
Echo correspondenceNO. 06
Second exchange / For Airing
From Xingzhou
A new opportunity: should I change course?
Reader alias · Xingzhou
NO. 06Letter
Xingzhou to Airing
Airing,
How have you been? I check your blog now and then and noticed you have not posted much recently. I wonder whether you are busy working on something interesting!
To keep it brief: after asking you about [mobility company] and [cloud services company], I accepted the latter’s offer and began an early internship there. I have also been actively seeking better opportunities during spring recruitment. Today, April 17, I passed the technical interview at [game company]. The HR interview is on [date removed]. If I receive an offer, how would you weigh these two options?
Roughly speaking, one is a backend development role at [cloud company’s team and product details removed], with [location and compensation removed]. The other would be game server development at [game company and studio details removed], in [city removed]. I do not know the base salary yet; [estimated range removed].
I would mainly like to ask:
· Should I choose [game company] or stay at [cloud services company]?
· What is game server development like, and would it make changing jobs later easier?
· The games industry probably involves substantial overtime. What level of compensation would make this work worthwhile?
I would be grateful for your guidance!
NO. 06Reply
Airing to Xingzhou
Xingzhou,
I hope this finds you well. Life has indeed changed a little recently. I expect to share a monthly post in the next couple of days; do come and read it when you have time!
Back to your questions: first, congratulations on getting a suitable offer. I will answer these three questions directly from my own perspective.
1. Should you choose [game company] or stay at [cloud services company]?
With the information available, I cannot give you a firm recommendation. Purely in terms of development, I would choose [game company]: game server work offers greater product and technical challenges. In terms of location, I would also choose it. The internet industry is more developed in [new work city], and there are more opportunities nearby in [neighboring city].
But you also need to consider:
· What is the atmosphere like in your current team at [cloud services company]? Joining a new team has an adjustment cost. If the atmosphere at [game company] is poor, it could affect your work.
· How do your direct manager and their manager at each company treat you and the team? Can they shoulder responsibility? How much attention and support do they give newcomers? For the prospective employer, reflect on your interviews and impressions to reach a reasonably informed judgment.
· How do you feel about [current city]? If you have family, friends or other reasons to stay, could you really leave them behind?
You need to listen to yourself and make the choice that fits your present situation.
2. What is game server development like, and would it make changing jobs later easier?
I am optimistic about game technology. Gameplay is diverse and expectations for the user experience are higher. Engineers are often expected to think about game design from multiple angles, with more product involvement than in enterprise projects or traditional consumer projects. I would therefore expect relatively rapid growth, which would help in a later job search.
3. The games industry probably involves substantial overtime. What compensation would make it worthwhile?
It depends on how the annual package is structured. Based on the total alone, [specific compensation assessment removed], I think it would be a good opportunity.