They’re the godfathers of modern video games. Creators of some of the most beloved games of all time. For many, it would be a dream working for Nintendo, but seeing as the company runs pretty much everything out of its Japanese offices, that’s impossible, right? Well…not quite.
Programmer Anditto Heristyo recently applied for a job with Nintendo, and while he didn’t ultimately get the gig, he did document every step of the recruitment process along the way.
Which will be practical help to some, but just plain interesting to everyone else.
Real talk: out of university, I applied for a job with a certain intelligence organisation. It was gruelling, as you’d expect, because it was an important role. But looking over this stuff, I think getting in there was easier than scoring a job at Nintendo.
First there’s a “voluntary” group seminar. Then a hand-written application. Then an online test where applicants are quizzed on their Japanese, maths and…English. Heristyo says “Nintendo’s online test is the most ridiculously, absurdly, hardest one” he’s ever taken. Then there’s an “on-site test”, in either Tokyo or Kyoto, where prospective employees would meet with Nintendo reps in person and show their stuff.
After that? More interviews.
Heristyo says that he’s read anecdotally that of every 3000 people taking the on-site tests, only 300 people pass. And the final interviews whittle that back even more. Brutal.
If by some chance you’re actually qualified (in terms of language and skills) to take a shot, there’s more detail on his report in terms of what the tests are like. If you’re not, there are also pictures of hand-written applications, in case you’re young enough to have never actually seen one before.
Oh, and don’t feel too bad for Anditto. You get some sweet swag just for applying.
“So you wanna work for Nintendo?” – A guide to Nintendo’s recruitment system [Biz Japanese, via NeoGAF]
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