The day consisted on an hour-long tour, followed by a panel meeting during lunch and five one-on-ones for a total of seven hours. Some of the folks I spoke with during the day were super laid-back, more concerned with getting to know me as a person. (Everyone is a lifelong gamer. If you are too, you'll never run out of things to talk about!) Others clearly had more at stake and grilled me to provide solutions on-demand for uncommon but urgent interdepartmental conflicts. My most grueling interview process to date. Many interviewers gave me creative problems to solve, challenged my solutions, and even pushed back when I defended them, which was pretty exciting! They have a very clear idea of what they need from a new hire and aren't afraid to poke at you a little to see if you bleed or roll with it. If you're thin-skinned or precious about your ideas, you'll need to change that if you want to fully enjoy the atmosphere at Riot and provide the best value for your colleagues. Naturally I'm disappointed about not getting the offer, but I appreciated hearing from the hiring manager personally, and I was asked to keep in touch. Every employer likes to say they'll "keep your resume on file," but I get the feeling people here are actively looking for an exact, ideal candidate rather than a "fill," and anyone close to reaching their standards may actually have a good chance in the future. Super challenging interview, overall. I'll be checking up on them again in the future.

After an initial phone interview, I got to speak with the team lead for about an hour over the phone. We spoke about the job and my experience, and I learned a ton about Riot and its culture. It was cool to see how the job would collaborate with the other sections. I never felt intimidated, and it was a very worthwhile experience.