Mock Interview Session Instructions

Overview

This mock interview activity will help you practice technical interviews for game development positions. Working in pairs, you'll take turns being the interviewer and candidate, developing essential skills for both roles.

Session Structure (60 minutes total)

• Interview preparation: around 10 minutes
• First interview (Student A interviews Student B): 20 minutes
• Role swap (Student B interviews Student A): 20 minutes
• Reflection and feedback: 10 minutes

Interviewer Instructions

1. Both students at the beginning, should ask your respective pair about the position they are applying for. Choose a game development role that matches your partner's career goals (e.g., Unity Developer, Game Designer, Technical Artist)

2. Create a Google Doc with the data of the interview, including the questions.

3. Prepare 5-7 questions covering (you can ask claude/chtgpt to generate some):

   • Technical knowledge (programming languages, engines, tools)
   • Problem-solving (describe a technical challenge and how to approach it)
   • Portfolio projects (ask for detailed explanations of their work)
   • Collaboration (team dynamics, workflow experience)
   • Industry awareness (current trends, favorite games)

4. Take notes during the interview about strengths and areas for improvement

5. Provide constructive feedback after the session

Candidate Instructions

• Prepare your portfolio and be ready to discuss your projects in detail
• Practice STAR responses (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions
• Be ready to explain your technical decisions and problem-solving approach
• Ask insightful questions about the "company" at the end of the interview
• Accept feedback graciously and note areas to improve

Evaluation Criteria

Each student should evaluate their partner on:

• Technical knowledge depth
• Communication clarity
• Problem-solving approach
• Portfolio presentation
• Enthusiasm and engagement
• Question quality (when asking about the "company")

Sample Questions by Role

Unity Developer

"Walk me through your implementation of game state management in your most complex project."

"How would you optimize performance for a mobile game with many particle effects?"

Technical Artist

"Explain your pipeline for creating and implementing game assets for PBR."

"How would you troubleshoot a shader that's causing visual artifacts?"

Reflection Questions

After both interviews, discuss:

• What question was most challenging to answer? Why?
• What did you learn about your interview strengths?
• What specific skills do you need to develop further?
• How will you prepare differently for real interviews?

Assignment Submission

Record a video of your mock interview session and submit it on Canvas.