IS IT TIME FOR FORMAL EMPLOYMENT AGAIN?
I got headhunted by four recruiters on LinkedIn, one last week and three the other day. The first one is offering a Web3 senior 3D job. Nice, I will try out for it. The rest are recruiters who are connected with people I've worked with in the past, my usual short-term freelance 3D jobs.
Although the organization wasn't named by the first recruiter who contacted me, the fact that there is only one organization on LinkedIn that is hiring for such a position, with a job ad that mentions some things that are also stated in the email, left no room for doubt in my mind as to who they are.
They are a Web3 gaming DAO here in the Philippines and other parts of Southeast Asia. And what is making me consider applying for it is the fact that I had applied for a 3D artist position with them, same time last year, but never heard anything from them at all.
I think my application was not entertained as some friends have surmised that I was too senior for the position I was interested in. So, maybe now is the right time to get involved with them, and my gut instincts are telling me so.
Am I really the right person for it? The only way to find out is to try out for it. That, I will. I'm just finishing up a small gig before I go all out on trying to snag this big fish.
One thing that is enticing me to try out is the 110k PhP (equivalent to 2k USD) monthly salary, which is typical of an animation senior here. But since this job is a regular one, and not just a short-term gig, the prospect of working for them for such a monthly income for several years is one thing to consider it.
WHAT IS A 3D DEVELOPMENT LEAD?
Not being fully knowledgeable about the position, I asked ChatGPT to describe it for me, and got a nice, thorough description of it. It is a job that sounds a lot like a managerial and supervisorial position, with art creation responsibilities included.
It is like my former responsibilities as a senior artist in my previous jobs in the animation studios I've worked in, and I wouldn't mind wearing the hat of a senior or lead again, and mentor a group of junior artists to ensure their successful growth in their careers.
And below is the job description from LinkedIn.
About the job
- Managing, rallying and developing a 3D/2D artists team
- Overseeing and organizing the art production to meet the requirements in terms of quality of the project while respecting technical, time and budget constraints
- Building up the art direction for the project by working closely with the Art Director and the Technical Artist
- Participating with the Lead Developers and the Technical Artist to the development of the pipeline and the tools needed to complete successfully the art production
- Creating 3D and 2D assets (Props, Environments, Characters, Textures…)
Requirements
- At least 6 years’ experience as a 3D Artist and ideally a first experience as a Lead
- An excellent knowledge on how we develop a game, the constraints and the interactions between all the trades of the production
- Strong knowledge on current 3D software (3DSMax, ZBrush, Substance…)
- You have good communication skills and you are known for your art appraisal.
- You have a great team spirit and you are proactive.
- A good art perception
- A professional English proficiency
- Familiar with 3D engineering would be a plus
- Other tasks may be assigned
Benefits
- HMO
- Work From Home
- Tokens
- Leave Credits
- Training & Development
Source: the job's page on LinkedIn
HARD, BUT DEFINITELY WORTH PURSUING
As you can see in the list, this position is a big pair of shoes to fill! While I have had some supervisorial responsibilities in my previous jobs in the big animation studios I've been employed at in the past, our organizational structure was a lot simpler.
Just because Miss Recruiter thought that I may be a good fit is no guarantee that I'll be hired for it. Still, it's better to try and fail, than not try and never find out at all. I might learn a thing or two about myself in the process, particularly where I'll be lacking.
This is going to need a lot of research, learning of new skills, and upgrading of existing ones, as higher levels of expertise are required for the basic skillsets needed. But, training will be offered, where it is needed. So, I hope I get in, even if I start at just at sub-lead level.
I am still working on a short gig right now, and once I'm done and no request for revisions come in, I will talk with the recruiter and get the ball rolling on my application. And I'll update you on this, whether I get the job or not.