software engineer

senior software engineer

artist

quality assurance tester

designer

Electronic Arts

Contractual employers are the bane to anyone who works with EA. You are limited in the amount of total time you can spend working for EA, which gives very limited opportunity for growth to the requirements needed to stay within the field. 3 years, that's what they give you.

I'm not saying that it's a bad place to work necessarily, but the limited potential and the deadlines are migraine-inducing. Even when you work over your allotted time to fix mistakes and ensure everyone else can progress in an efficient manner, trying to make my coworkers within the build department, the entire team, and management's lives easier of my own free volition and will was looked at with disdain and reprimanded on multiple occasions, even when the work was a necessity in regards to build deployment testing for release.

I worked as a contract qa tester at first, but was moved into the build deployment section. The guy who makes sure that every system within the testing facility is up to date with the needed builds. The one who ensures that none of the builds are faulty and conveys to management any issues that would halt testing. I'm not good at speaking in one on one/face to face conversations, so I have a difficult time with the interview processes. But being promised to get back to me within the last year of my contract about becoming a blue-badged EA employee that wouldn't get laid off, just to have them skirt off the issue until my contract ran out was a bit of a slap in the face. I stopped caring about the job at the last 3 months after I realized what was occurring so that I could prepare for the eventual layoff. It's ridiculous for those that are/were actually looking to develop a career in the field.

I had one great manager who took the time to improve our innerstanding of the business/performance/philosophy and worked with us while employed there. I considered him a great mentor and friend, but other than that, management/hr reps only seemed to care about themselves.

It's a great place to work if you are looking to get paid for a bit and can be fun at times, but terrible for career aspirations and goals. All in all I would not recommend.

What I do on a typical day at work/have learned:

1) Evaluates and tests new or modified software programs and software development procedures used to verify that programs function according to user requirements and conform to establishment guidelines: Writes, revises, and verifies quality standards and test procedures for program design and product evaluation to attain quality of software economically and efficiently.

2) Reviews new or modified program, including documentation, diagram, and flow chart, to determine if program will perform according to user request and conform to guidelines.

3) Recommends program improvements or corrections to programmers.

4) Reviews computer operating log to identify program processing errors.

5) Enters instructions into computer to test program for validity of results, accuracy, reliability, and conformance to establishment standards.

6) Observes computer monitor screen during program test to detect error codes or interruption of program and corrects errors.

7) Identifies differences between establishment standards and user applications and suggests modifications to conform to standards.

8) Sets up tests at request of user to locate and correct program operating error following installation of program.

9) Conducts compatibility tests with vendor-provided programs.

10) Monitors program performance after implementation to prevent reoccurrence of program operating problems and ensure efficiency of operation.

11) Writes documentation to describe program evaluation, testing, and correction.

12) May evaluate proposed software or software enhancement for feasibility.

13) May develop utility program to test, track, and verify defects in software program.

14) May write programs to create new procedures or modify existing procedures.

15) May train software program users.

Management:

Management is really relax but knows what it takes to get the job done in the end.

Co-Workers:

My Co-Workers are very friendly people to work with and have a great knowledge in the field.

Hardest Part of My Job:

Trying to find new things to learn daily.

Most Enjoyable Part of My Job:

I think the most enjoyable part of my job is being able to work with the people I do in this industry and have the same passion as I do.

The day consists of doing tasks to make sure functions in the Apex Legends game are working, adhoc and writing bugs, 3-hour playtest where you play the game as it's intended, and retesting bugs (specific night shifters only). When performing tasks, you will need to talk to other testers and ask for their help (eg verifying something looks ok in third person). By talk, I mean you use a chatting service called Slack. Sometimes the other person isn't paying attention, so you have to tell them in person.

Pros: This is a nice laid-back job where you can sit in front of a computer and test games. 
- Free coffee and fresh fruit
- 1 hour lunch break where you can do anything (eg play Smash or watch videos online). Fridge and microwave in break room. Frozen food and snacks can be bought as well.
- Low entry ceiling
- No manual labor or standing required. You get your own desk (may have to share with a day/night shift person)
- Testers are really cool, and most of them are anime and gaming nerds
- Friendly towards women. Bathrooms also have pads.
- Zero tolerance towards harassment. If your coworker is harassing you, just report to HR
- You are making a huge difference in the Apex game, and you can offer feedback to make the game better (surveys)

Cons
- The contract is 3 months long. After your contract ends, you have to take a 3 month break (called "furlough") before starting a new contract
- There is a limit of 3 contracts. After 3 contracts here, you can't come back. This is a new thing that started in 2019 "behind the scenes" without telling the testers specifically. This started after the raise from $9.50 to $11.75
- Little chance to advance in the job. QA testers have first dibs on the QA analyst job, but it's unlikely to be hired into the position as a tester
- EA is such a big organization so they care more about themselves than they do about you. They institute ridiculous policies that make testers' lives harder

Slight inconvenience
- Some testers will shoot you when you're trying to test a feature 
- Not enough micro-USB cords or headphones/mics, so make sure you bring your own.
- For night shift, you have to get up and queue a lot of empty stations and a lot of them don't have cords

Most enjoyable part of job: playtest
Hardest part about job: Having to queue up a lot of stations to run a test (night shift problem)

I worked the day shift from 7-4. Testers arrive before the "Full Time" EA employees and would start and end the day with shift reports, emails from the game developers as well as keeping track of testing times. Each tester was assigned a specific area to test and would have a checklist from Pre-Alpha, Alpha, Beta, and Final testing stages during the development process.

All testers were only working for a set time according to their contract. Either a tester worked full time for a year, or they worked part time for 18 months. After which they are put on a furlough, but are guaranteed their position back after 3 months. The "Full Time" EA employees did not have this same contract. The testers were paid by a company named PRO Unlimited, and the EA employees worked directly for EA. Needless to say the majority of the EA employees let the title of their position go their head and treated their co-workers as beneath them in social status. This does not apply to all of them just most of them.

Doing the checklists would be the most meticulous part of the job which wasn't hard at all. The checklists were Excel spreadsheets that for everything tested it was either marked as Pass, Fail, Not Applicable, Blocked, or Cannot Test. The main goal of tested was not to see if something worked, but if you could break it. Worked there gave a lot of insight as to the difference between playing a video game, and testing them.

Employees had to have at the very least a general computer knowledge. Knowing more than others didn't give an edge in the workplace for people to see, and would be just looked over. The IT staff there was comprised of only 3 people. Server Administrator, IT Head, and the third would mainly replace the hardware for a system to bring it up to minimum specifications for what it was needed.

I personally loved my job. they did not pay us whatsoever what we deserved. 9 an hr when others were making 12 for less the work i was doing.

but it didn't matter. the management there sucked, the policies sucked. i didn't get what was promised or this and that. but the relationships i had with my coworkers and some of the customers i had is what really made my job.

i was there for a little longer than two years and had gotten everything down perfectly. I was on every type of support they had and was on all levels of support as well. wether it was phones, chat, or email i have done. intro support, tier 1, 2, escalation, warranty, terms of service.

the only thing that i did not like about the job was its security. you didn't know when you were going or who was going. they laid you off then acted like it didn't matter. I have seen so many people let go. And the pay. i was on so many teams, been higher level support, taken cases where i have to go fix someone elses mistake. I never got any raise or to know that someone who works for another ea campaign who strictly is chat, has no dress code, has less work than me, is making almost four more dollars than me. And im doing teir 1,2 phones and email?!? come on. thats what messed it up for me.

I will admit i have learned a lot from this job. I have taken skills with me that i may be able to use in other fields of work. I have become more professional, I have learned so much about computers, software, and video games. I have had such fun times with my coworkers. I have had some of the funniest conversations or have heard some of the funniest things while on the phones with these people. I loved it. Its just sad it is no longer here in austin, or at least the campaign i was on.

To specify, this is for the Baton Rouge Testing Facility.

Get in, get your experience, and get out as fast as you can. This location does not offer professional growth.

At first this seems like the perfect job. You're working on video games but that's where the good qualities end.
First and foremost: This is a low cost facility. 
The bulk of the work force is made up of contract testers that are forced to take a 3 month furlough after 12 months.
This means that after 12 months of work, you are unceremoniously laid off for three months. They are constantly trying to find more friendly ways of saying this but it doesn't make it any better.

Getting a full time position comes down to who you know, not how you perform. If your boss likes you? You may get a promotion.
This leads to an unhealthy and unfriendly environment where people are more concerned about sucking up and trying to befriend their leads instead of doing their job.

Zero job security or chances of promotion: Currently the location is not back filling any full time positions. If a full time employee is fired they back fill the position at one of their many foreign offices.

When questioned about opportunities for increased compensation, the management here has gone on record saying that their pay rates are competitive and that you're taking the pay they offer for the opportunity to work in the gaming environment. That is all the compensation they believe you deserve.

Electronic arts has learned that happy employees are productive employees. Studios have recreation centers, snacks, free foods, cheap sodas and relaxed environments. Time in and out is not strictly monitored. As long as you get your work done and it is done on time and good, then they don't mind.

Benefits are top notch, you can't get better medical coverage than this. You get promotions if you show skills, initiative and dedication. bonuses and stop options are also included. Pay is industry standard for the work everyone does. 

Managers very, but sometimes leadership can be short sighted when it comes to design, but others are much better.

Co workers are usually fantastic. All of them have a love of games and the work they do. Naturally you can have some odd ones but even they are fun to work with.

RIF's, Layoff and long term. EA has a problem with layoffs. Every year they hire and fire people. Sometimes it is because they ramp up staff to complete a game, then cut the staff after it is released. But it makes long term unpredictable. Certain positions, upper management, tend to stick around, but lower positions not so much.

Work is challenging, but teams help each other out and keep people challenged to learn new stuff.

Honestly, it was the funnest, most challenging place I ever worked and would love to go back to work for them if I could.

Overall, Electronic Arts Tiburon studio is a fine location and great place to work with constant team communication, great facilities and nearby cafes where you don't ever have to leave work and drive to get lunch. The management was always friendly and my co-workers were always ready to help and even just chat. The most difficult part of the job was learning the company's standards and proprietary software, but once you get the hang of it, you progress like you never knew you could.

The team was constantly supportive, but there was a lack of feedback and constructive criticism. I understand that that type of communication may be detrimental in that line of work, but it was something I would have appreciated coming from my team and manager more often. 

Contractors are also treated with a little less love than permanent staff, but that was to be expected. However, it seemed that contractors were more expendable in that regard and hardly ever felt the possibility or encouragement to advance to a permanent position with the team. 

Despite all of that, I would definitely consider working at the studio again and with the opportunity of a permanent position would be more preferable. Definitely a fantastic place to work at!

Everything about the workplace environment was excellent from the people to the facility itself. My manager was absolutely amazing. He was always clear about goals and expectations, he always took the time to reward us when we got ahead on our work and motivate us if we got behind. The major issues with working at the company are that there is virtually zero chance of moving from a contractor to a true role. There is a blatant and abhorrent corporate lack of empathy or understanding for any of their "lower" employees. Firstly there were mandatory three month "furlough periods" after twelve months of working there. At the end of my furlough I went to re-apply and was simply ghosted only to hear later that the entire branch of the company in my area was shut down without warning and every single contractor lost their job. The decision to do this had clearly been made over a year in advance as evidenced by the date on the letter addressing all of the workers being addressed a year and some months prior to the date it was sent out.
Unfortunately within my state this company was the only option to enter the industry and now that is gone. The only other option simply doesn't pay enough to live on and has the same horrendous contract system and issue of closing offices and reopening them elsewhere.

1.  A typical day at work starts off with checking my email.  Responding to file requests or any support needed by the A/R department.  Sorting and distributing the mail 2-3 times a day.  Filing away the A/R Invoices. Mailing out invoices.  
2.  What I've learned at the A/R department was my role on the team and what it accomplishes for the company.  
3.  The management was great. They would tell us time and time again that they managed our work and not our time.  They were very rewarding and generous.  
4. My co-workers were awesome! They looked out for me when they thought they needed to by telling me what was top priority.  They also helped me stand out and let the management know how much they needed me so that my contract could be extended.  We were a well managed team.  
5. The hardest part of the job was rare.  I would be providing analyst support(data entry) and the computer would freeze.  I would call the I.T. dept and they would forward me to the software provider support team.  They would walk me through what needed to be done in order to perform better.
6. I never dreaded coming to work.  The most enjoyable part of the job would be anything that involved "filing".  Such as boxing them at the end of the year and shipping them out.  Anything that involved working with my hands. 

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