Pat Murakami ⋅ Palatine, IL Institute for Corporate Productivity ⋅ 25 years experience

Hi Michael - Thank you for your service! While I am not as familiar with this industry as others, I will say that the Human Capital area of all companies gets inundated with questions and resumes. It may be that you need to seek out your answers in other ways. Have you looked at Glassdoor or on chat sites for the industry? By asking the HR department you will get the party line. By talking to those that actually do the job you are thinking about training for you can get a hands on perspective. I looked on Linked In and there are several employees from Blizzard there - if you are not on Linked In - get on. But be careful and take your time to make your profile as professional as possible - it is your "first look" by many companies. Then reach out and ask them your questions. It is a just a suggestion - Good Luck!

Stephanie Arnold ⋅ Lake Odessa, MI Cargill ⋅ 10 years experience

Hi Michael,

In addition to the great advice you've already received, you might try connecting with someone at Fantasty Flight Games' gaming center in Roseville, MN. True, it's not Blizzard, and they aren't necessarily video game heavy, but they are a big player in the gaming community and could potentially be a springboard into networking with others in your field of choice. You might be able to start by asking to talk to someone at the gaming center and then see if they can refer you on to someone in the HR office. Bit by bit you can start networking and getting closer to Blizzard and others.

- Stephanie Arnold

Ali Hoban ⋅ New York, NY AOL ⋅ 5 years experience

Hi Michael,

I agree with Pat's advice, finding a person to contact through LinkedIn could be much more fruitful than contacting the general HR department. I would start by making sure your LinkedIn profile is in its best shape, then start your search for employees that work at the companies that interest you. You should see if there are any other veterans at these companies, as that common ground might increase your chances of eliciting a response. On this note, check to see if any employees are from the same town, graduated from the same school, are members of the same LinkedIn groups, etc.

When you are ready to message a few choice employees, give them a quick snapshot of your career thus far (including your military experience) along with your questions. The example questions you used in your question are very straight forward and should be easy for any employee to respond to, so I wouldn't change the wording of those.

Best of luck to you,
Ali, ACP AdvisorNet Staff

Joseph Ferrari ⋅ Clermont, FL Citi ⋅ 17 years experience

Hi Michael,

I was approached by a recruiter from EA last year and interviewed with them. They scan LinkedIn for key words so make sure your info is specific to the job you want. Also, I look through a company's job openings and write down anything I am not familiar with so I can research it. And in Orlando we have a monthly "Tech Meet Up" where folks in the tech industry meet to showcase local companies, share info, etc. I checked meetup.com and in Norfolk there are a few related meetups (JavaScript, Ruby, PHP, coders) Also, I would do a weekly search for upcoming job fairs that have a technology focus.

Best of luck,

Joe

Mary Beth Myford ⋅ Fleetwood, PA Eurofins Lancaster Labs PSS ⋅ 25 years experience

Hi Michael,

I would use email to introduce yourself, what you are looking to accomplish, but then ask if you can call them to spend 10 minutes to give you information to help your job search. Be clear that you want information, not necessarily a job from them. Put them at ease.

You need to have a conversation. You need to make a connection. 95% of the people you ask, will gladly give you some time and advice.

I hope that helps.

Mary Beth

Michael Valero ⋅ Norfolk, VA U.S. Navy, Petty Officer Third Class ⋅ 6 years served

Did exactly what you've said for LinkedIn, so right now, I'm just waiting.