This is the most challenging place I’ve ever worked, and I wouldn’t leave for anything.
Pros
• So many resources to learn if you put the effort in. I’ve never had anyone at Riot refuse to help or teach, nor have I ever had a request for additional education (classes, books, etc) be denied if they made sense. • Our hiring standards are very strict, and results in us getting the absolute best people. Some don’t work out, but they are given the opportunity to improve. Working with such talented people is very intimidating, but also satisfying. I’m constantly impressed by what my team is capable of and have complete trust in what they’re doing. • I recently had some personal challenges and it was impacting my work – instead of getting reprimanded, my manager asked how he could help and the result not only alleviated some stress, but actually helped me to resolve the issues I was having and take care of things at home. • We’re a very collaborative bunch – we’re always relying on our team mates to help provide some expertise or even just an opposing viewpoint. • We like to experiment – sometimes it turns out good, sometimes it doesn’t, but we always get some learning out of it and you’re not faulted for failing unless you do it repeatedly without learning.
Cons
• It can be very hard to get something done. Regardless of how good an idea is, how easy it might be to pull off, we’re always under staffed which results in having to fight to get a project off the ground, let alone released. • Work-life balance is very difficult, especially for new people. It’s very easy to be taken in by the culture at Riot and forget about the outside world. And if you’re not very experienced, this is even more important. Some people get burnt out, some people let their personal lives fall apart; others are self-aware enough to manage their balance well. • We don’t really train people very well, instead we throw them in the deep end. I could see this being either a pro or a con but ultimately I think we could be doing a much better job of trying to figure out what we should teach people when they start, and how we might be able to ensure they have the tools they need to get started. • Being a regional office, we have very limited opportunities for career growth. You really need to be able to tie your satisfaction to your output, not your job title or management opportunities.
