Zynga is one of the largest social game developers in the world. Zynga helped pioneer this market with their hit IP Farmville that took Facebook by storm. Currently, they are focused on Words With Friends 2 and Zynga Poker.
Even though Zynga had over $1 Billion in revenue last year they still operate with a startup mentality. Each of their game teams has flexibility in the ways they market, design, and develop their properties. They understand that each game needs its own brand so they allow teams to be as creative as they want in building these social games. Zynga wants independent thinkers who want to blaze their own path. Some of their best IPs were ideas by people on the team so they aren’t afraid to lead with a looser style because they trust their employees. This is because Zynga hires people who game and understand what customers want from their experiences.
Zynga was one of the first companies who set out to connect the world through games. The company goal is to make games people love and to keep bringing changes to make the experience even better. The best way to understand the culture is their namesake, Zynga. Zynga was the founder’s American Bulldog, an extremely playful and at times human-like dog. Her carefree and loving nature is what Zynga wants to capture in each of its experiences, whether you are tending your digital crops or if you got a royal flush in poker.
Interns at Zynga get all the office perks of a full-time employee, get to work on projects that directly impact Zynga’s users, and get to build their professional network. All internships are paid and offered year-round, so keep checking for openings. Their internship programs prioritize learning and mentorship, and interns are able to shadow multiple teams and learn how teams work cross-functionally.
The interview process at Zynga moves quicker than the average company and is typically 4 to 6 steps.
You should hear back from a recruiter at three weeks max after applying to set up an initial phone screen to quickly go over your background and see if you should be moved to the next round.
The next round consists of interviews with a more technical focus that depends on your desired role. You can expect around two to three of these. These will be back-to-back and over the phone.
The final interview will go over both the technical and the non-technical (aka your soft skills) to ensure you’re a good fit for the role and for the company. Typically the last interviewer will also be your manager. After this last step, you will receive onboarding information or feedback as to why it didn’t workout after the calls.
Reach out to your alumni network or employees via LinkedIn and see if they can offer you insight into Zynga and the interview process
Do research on Zynga, such as their culture, current projects, company goals, etc.
Impress your interviewers with your knowledge of social gaming, included but not limited to its history, current market trends, and Zynga’s biggest competitors in the space.
The positions are very competitive to get, so doing your research and preparing for behavioral-type questions is imperative.
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