senior software engineer

software engineer

producer

principal software engineer

product manager

Zynga

Zynga is the king of beating a dead horse and then blaming the stick for not going fast enough.  There is precisely zero attention paid to all of the terrible choices made when designing a game, so they just keep getting made again.  Zynga is fantastic at getting a short-term return, but has proven consistently blind to the long-term effects of that work.

As for the day to day, there is so much time wasted scrambling to get things done that they always have to be done at least twice, because something will inevitably get missed and need to be fixed.  Deadlines are short and work volume is completely unreasonable, so the overtime is absolutely constant.  This isn't the worst thing if you are hourly and don't have anything better to do, but if you're salaried, or have a family, then it is just constant stress as you try to dig yourself out from under the pile of work that you're doing for not nearly enough money.

Basically, if you want to see the corpse of the company that made you hate facebook games as it shambles through a hollow parody of game development never quite realizing that it died five years ago, then give Zynga a try.

When I first started, I really appreciated the fact that I made my own schedule, i.e., that I can come into the office at variable times; and that I was able to work independently, experiment, and learn the ins and outs of my position on-the-fly. Before the company became "corporate," upper management did not peer over your shoulder. There were plenty of perks, like free food, gym membership, and an on-site nutritionist.

Once Zynga started hiring former employees of big corporations like Yahoo, that's when the culture changed and made going to work less enjoyable for me. Management was more uptight, they started micro-managing more, and the product being produced was lower quality, making it less enjoyable for me to promote. This is the reason why I left when I did.

I know Zynga's reputation isn't exactly sterling as of late, but my experience working at their headquarters in SF was wonderful.   Everyone I met was incredibly nice, the employee accommodations were top notch, and despite being the young intern I felt like the work I did was important.
The general issue I detected is that (at least in my department) no one was fired up about the game we were in charge of making.   Mind you, there wasn't any real negativity present in meetings, but there felt to be a general malaise and confusion about what we were making.
That's not to say that I wasn't surrounded by sharp, talented people.  Rather, I felt that our efforts would have been better put to use on a game project with a more clear vision of what would make it fun.

In short:  Great environment, nice and talented people, a bit unfocused vision.

Day 2 day: Created texture sheets in Photoshop and geometry(complex planes) in Maya, animated geometry and particles in Unity.

What I learned: Learned Mobile pipeline for mobile games. 
Learned animation tools for efficiency in Photoshop / Maya / Unity
Learned whats to be expected for an animator in the mobile gaming industry.

Management: Management was amazing. They had several meetings a day/week to discuss everything from art fixes to schedules to company wide events. Anything I needed, they could help, or at least know which way to direct me. 

Hardest part: Integration of assets and functionality of assets into the game engine

Most enjoyable: I loved everything about this Internship.

I was at Zynga during a time of rapid transition, including three different CEOs and a round of layoffs. Ultimately, I found the people there to be better than the organizational structure and the top-level strategy. This was on the mend by the time I had left.

A typical day had several meetings but mostly my superiors gave me the flexibility in order to do what I wanted and needed to. The hardest part, however, was that sometimes the requirements were vague or the tasks were very daunting. I felt like I didn't learn as much as I could have from the job, mostly due to a lack of documentation.

The people there were great, though, as were the perks and compensation.

It's difficult to give an overall review for Zynga.
As a contractor involved with the launch of two major titles, the work experience can be like apples to oranges.

One project would require the team to work an unknown number of hours in a day typically between 10 to 14 and occasionally the 17 hour shift. Then expect a punctual return the next day at the normal start time.
The other attempted to create a somewhat normal cadence.

However the fast pace and long hours allowed for contractors to pick up a wide variety of experience.

Colleagues mostly trickle into the office between 9 and 10am and fill racks near the entrance walls with bicycles. The environment is colorful and friendly with large banners representing the company's portfolio of projects. Each desk is personalized by its occupant. The conference rooms are named and themed after nearby game teams. Kitchens an cafes are fully stocked and puppies greet each other during breaks at a dog park on the roof. Most people put in a little more than 50 hours a week and everyone works REALLY hard.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the job was when I first started and working at a video game company that I always was a huge fan.  Working here was definitely my dream job.  

Although at the time I was hired they were going through several structural changes to management and leadership.

When I left Zynga in 2017, I felt overly stressed for just working there for a short time, due to the energy and work environment.  I think 2 years later the company most likely is doing much better.  I honestly don't know, but I wouldn't work there again. 

I wish the best for those currently working there now.

The early days were fantastic.  Pay was strong, career advancement was great, perks were better than 99% of companies out there.   Unfortunately the company is now in its downswing and has been sinking for some time.  

Work life balance is difficult in a San Francisco based game studio.  Do everything in your power to get onto a profitable game team for your job security.  Those that find themselves on unproven projects or in remote studios are at high risk for layoffs and will not get as much pay or bonuses as other teams.

Zynga is alot of work, beyond anything I expected. However, I learned from Zynga that a good team makes any job a reality. My manager really brought the team together by giving us the freedom we needed with the limited structure zynga required. The hardest part of the job was the volume of work needed to be done in a given day. At the end of the day the most rewarding thing was going home everyday knowing that my job was complete for that day with all the work that needed to be done actually done.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Senior software engineer 5 salaries reported	$140,602 per year
Software engineer 5 salaries reported	$39.00 per hour
Producer 3 salaries reported	$118,333 per year
Principal software engineer 3 salaries reported	$185,000 per year
Product manager 3 salaries reported	$165,333 per year

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