By Jordan Kimura

Blizzard is the premier interactive gaming and entertainment company in the world and what a pleasure it always is when LearningFuze friend Dahmian Owen comes to share his insights. As a Software Developer Manager at Blizzard, Dahmian talked about how to become the next-generation developer. It starts with a good first impression and solid skills.

3 things that Dahmian specifically looks for in the interview process:

• Passion

Where there is passion, motivation shall follow. The passion has to be there to learn the new technologies that companies seek. Keep active on an open source community (i.e. Github) and develop those side projects. Learn by failing and keep going. Companies are looking for a strong foundation of coding skills and a variety of languages. Also, companies like Blizzard give bonus points for a passion for their particular games.

• Knowledge

Understand your tools, make cool stuff and make sure you know how your code works. When approaching a roadblock, make sure to identify the problem at hand and fix it. Whether it is troubleshooting a bug in the code or enhancing a system for optimal efficiency, understanding the problem is a crucial component in saving time and company resources.

• Communication

The ability to communicate logically and creatively will be gold in the tech industry. Blizzard’s projects are team-focused and what brings it all together is communication. Problems, concerns, and challenges are all solved together so passion, communication skills and the ability to interact with other members of the delivery cycle are extremely valuable.

There was an interactive Q&A session where Dahmian addressed questions based on his experience as a developer.

Q: Are interactive resumes recommended?
A: It depends on what you want to highlight whether it’s front-end, back-end or UX/UI design. It is important to understand what you are applying for and have a portfolio that emphasizes those skills.

Q: What should one learn on the side to gain an edge in the interview?
A: Learn something that you are passionate about. If you don’t like C++, don’t do it. If you like AngularJS, learn it. Your passion will help guide you in what you should learn so you can maximize your potential.

Q: What is an average day in the life at Blizzard?
A: Amazing. We are big on learning and growing. It is also important that everyone is happy and the majority of the workers stay for the long-haul. Most people show up at 9 or 10 in the morning. We have a standup around 10 and there is an amazing cafe. Passionate people work together on projects and love coming to work every single day.

There it is, straight from a software developer manager at Blizzard – Impress in that interview process and get your foot in the door of companies that want to hire developers!