Before I even started working at Traklight, I was recommended to go to a meeting known as Game CoLab. There I learned the basics of game development and the software to do so. The people there ranged from small children to their parents, from beginners to programmers. The presentation itself was very comprehensive in explaining what you needed to do to make a game as well as learning why you are doing it. If you ever had a question, the presenters would be eager to help as well as the people around you often were able to help as well. The team focused, group mentality really prepared me for the experiences I would have at Traklight. By the end of the day we had created a simple game and had the knowledge to expand upon what you did and create something larger. I would definitely recommend checking Game CoLab out and attending one of the events.
The first day at Traklight was an interesting one. The atmosphere was not what I expected; it is not a caste system like you think when going into a new company. You call your boss by their first name and you feel more like an equal. But you know what you need to do, coworkers give you a definite path in which you should follow. As the newest member, and the youngest, I don’t feel out of place. Working out of Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation (CEI) is fun since everyone sits at the same table and can collaborate or ask questions without being housed in a cubicle, it really makes it feel like everybody is on the same page. With whiteboard walls which you can write down your ideas and suggestions and someone can add onto it and reply, along with diagrams of business plans and outlines can keep you up to date without having to ask.
There was also much more to the job than I thought, which is a nice challenge. When I first started working I thought that I would just be receiving information that I would then post to Facebook. It turns out that here you are kept busy with things that are important to the business. For example, this blog post, I did not expect to be recounting my experiences with company related events and activities but, here I am writing this, as well as helping film an ad that will be used to help spread the word about Traklight, Webinars, Crowd funding, and other things. It really feels like you are contributing.