Placement Year Review at Jagex LTD

The Role

Role Description

My job changed multiple times throughout my year at Jagex.

Initially I was working through appeals and reports. Then I moved onto Technical Support, Quality Assurance and direct Customer Support.

Eventually I specialised mostly in Quality Assurance.

1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

On a Computer Games Programming degree I could only hope I would get as close to development as possible. Working in Quality Assurance for the majority of my time was a fantastic opportunity for me.

The Jagex bonus schemes were a fantastic motivator all year round

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I was regularly approached by other members of staff who needed my specialist opinion. This made me feel very important and valued.
If I ever needed something from other members of staff they were always happy to help me and would happily give their time to do so.

3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I received feedback and support from management on an almost daily basis.

Any time I expressed concerns to any managers within Jagex they would immediately do everything in their power to help me.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

On a daily basis I was furiously busy throughout the entire day. This was completely by my choice as I prefer being busy all day. If there was ever a moment that I wasn't busy I would go looking for more projects to work on.

5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

For the most part I was essentially in control of one of Jagex's products. There were 2 members of staff who had more authority than I did for that project however they always gave me all the recognition for all the work I put in.

6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

The only skill I have learned to help me in my degree is my Attention to Detail. Performing QA on an ever-evolving game is very challenging and I feel I have developed my skills to help me next year.
The other skills I have learned at work such as Team Working, Adaptability and Integrity are valuable life assets which I have strengthened at Jagex. Their Skill-Building programs are fantastic at developing these skills.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

As a Games Studio, Jagex is generally very laid back. All teams have good morale and a strong work ethic.
As a 24/7 service the office is regularly made exciting during holidays and late shifts but the work is always made top priority.

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Because Jagex took on such a large number of placements the placement program was set up very well and followed as closely as possible. The program allowed me to see all the facets of the company and move wherever I could in the company.

9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

The company supplied everything that could possibly be required by my job and then even more. The Skill-Building Courses the company run taught me so many life skills and were completely paid for by the company and ran on company time.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

• Flexi Time
• Sports and Social Club
• Subsidised/Company Gym
• Financial Bonus
• Company Parties/Events
• Staff Sales/Staff Shop
• Healthcare/Dental

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

As one of the top placements at Jagex in 2010/11 I was offered a position in their Ambassadorship program. This means I have a job waiting for me once I finish University.

Other Information

12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I got on amazingly with all the other placement students. We regularly went out to town on nights out or just to each others' houses to play games/chill out.
We had a good relationship with many of our other colleagues at jagex also and made fantastic friends with many of them.

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Cambridge is a relatively expensive area to live in in comparison to my home town and where I go to university as they are different types of town.
However I managed to get by spending much less than I expected as I have a good mind for saving money.

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Cambridge is quite a prestigious city and doesn't have many of the mainstream clubs however it has everything I could want; multiple rock clubs, pop-music clubs and multiple pubs.

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

With the staff internal message boards we received regular invites to different events from random people from all over the large company.
We also took part in company holidays where teams would go outside of work just to bond and build team morale.

In addition to these questions, is there any extra information you would like to leave about your experiences on your work placement that other students may be interested in?

I can't go on enough about how good a placement year I've had a Jagex. Moving from my 2-3hour working days at university to a 10 hour Shift Pattern in a full-time job was a big step however jagex did everything they could to ease me into this.

The job offered to placements is a Player Support Representative however they offer the opportunity to move practically anywhere in the company which you show a talent for and will even help you to get there.

Review 20/31 for Jagex LTD

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