Patryk Suchy Recruiter & Career Consultant
I help senior gamedev professionals get into conversations for roles they actually want in 60 days or less.
Your Move - CONFIRMATION BIAS - why they are planting the evidence
Hey Little Pineapple, Last issue: the person who went before you (missed it? it’s here: THE CONTRAST EFFECT). Today: You will find out why first impression is EXTREMELY important when you interview for a job. You’ve heard the line. Interviewers decide in the first few minutes and spend the rest looking for reasons. And to be fair it’s half true. I’m going to show you both halves, because one of them is a myth people love repeating, and the other is a trap you can actually do something about....
Your move - THE CONTRAST EFFECT - Why you want to follow a disaster
Hey! I had an applicant who was arguing with me once when I rejected him. I told him that based on the other candidates in the pipeline in doesn't make sense to present his application because they are clearly a better fit than he is and it will be setting him up for failure. He replied in a snarky way, but the idea was he didn't realised recruitment process is based on how other people perform. I remember reading that and thinking: my sweet summer child. "So much of this IS about how you...
Your Move - The Anchor - why the first number wins
Hey, I’ve had this one in a drawer for a while. Today it comes out. I’m launching a series inside this newsletter on the psychological phenomena quietly shaping recruitment. Every two weeks: one of those pesky little things influencing your outcomes, how to spot it, and more importantly what to do about it. How to use it, instead of getting used by it. Let’s start with the big one. ANCHORING - why the first number in salary negotiations wins (and it doesn't have to be theirs) Imagine this:...
Took me 4 months to send one text message
Hey Little Pineapple, My entire life I was around 80kg (or 175 lbs in this weird metrics) Never really had to think about or focus too much on what I ate. I was just lucky enough to get a good mix of genes, enough movement and activities. But then, bam - lockdown. And suddenly I don't walk, I don't move a lot, tried to do some yoga and other exercises you can do fairly comfortable in small apartment. Then I started feeling sluggish. Not all at once. But one day it just hit me: I felt heavier...
This LinkedIn advice makes me angry
Hey Little Pineapple, There's one piece of advice on LinkedIn that's gross and pisses me off every time I see it: “Hire for potential. Skills can be taught.” We like the sound of that, of course we do. Because it sounds like the kind of hiring philosophy that gives everyone a fair shot. It's also complete bullshit. Back in my Michael Page days (recruitment agency, my first recruitment job) a colleague of mine got a gig from a client. They asked him to find a replacement for a women working...
Stop thinking in job titles, start thinking in Tuesdays
Hey Little Pineapple, Just get back from Poland. Been there for 3 weeks - lots of coffee and catching up with friends. There's this strange thing about visiting people you know well but don't see often. You get this bird's eye view of their lives. You can clearly see what happened in the last few months since you last met. And with all of them, one topic kept coming up across every conversation: what they're doing with their lives and whether it's the right direction. Specifically about work....
Interview psychology, bias, and your brain
Hey Little Pineapple, Today we're diving into the psychology of interviewing. Fair heads up, it won't be a quick social media style read, so grab a coffee and let's get into it. Let me ask you something first: how long do you think it takes a hiring manager to decide whether they want to move you forward? Here's the good news and the bad news. Good news: the "you're evaluated within the first 60 seconds" thing is a myth. Usually that first minute is small talk or making sure everyone can hear...
I crushed his dream on purpose
Hey Little Pineapple, I had to crush someone's dream. I was working with a client, let's call him Bob. Bob wanted into gamedev. And he was already ahead of most people with whom I have this conversation. He'd done the thinking, did his research and picked a direction: Producer. Maybe game designer if the stars aligned. Bottom line - he knew what he wanted. And when he was telling me all this, his whole body changed. Talked faster. Posture immediately got more straight. I saw his eyes lit up....
The less qualified candidate already applied.
Hey Little Pineapple, You've probably heard the Hewlett-Packard famous finding, even if you don't know it's them. It's been in TED talks. Leadership books. Repeated at HR conferences like a god damn gospel. Hell, even Sheryl Sandberg put it in her book Lean In. The claim: women apply for jobs when they meet 100% of requirements, men apply at 60%. There's just one problem: nobody can find the original study. Because it doesn't exist. It was an internal anecdote at HP that someone repeated...
Feeling desperate is human. It also kills your chances.
Hey Little Pineapple, Every time when I have an interview, and I mean every time I always ask why someone is even interested in the role. And as you can imagine people give various answers, but mostly they can be boiled down to 4 categories: 1) Role is logical next step in their career (bonus points if they can justify and show why) 2) They aren't really looking for anything, but have enough info (usually from me hehe) that it piqued their interest and they would like to find out more 3) They...
I help senior gamedev professionals get into conversations for roles they actually want in 60 days or less.