An overseas player who shares the content of his job-seeking letter and reply sent many years ago to the game company Valve unexpectedly raised the subject on Twitter. When Shaurya Seth was only 15 years old in 2015, he had the courage to enlist Valve and ask for advice on future advancements, and now he is a software engineer living in Edmonton, Canada.
Unsurprisingly, Valve did not reject it in a purely tyrannical manner, responding to a letter with a sincere letter with specific recommendations, which his netizens described as “the warmest rejection”.
Seth did not reveal what he had sent for employment at the time, but he recalled that he was the student himself, asking not only about the job search process, but even about the subject of what to go to.
A letter from the Valve Recruitment Department was written by a staff member named Ben Jackson, who, while making it clear that he could not be recruited, gave an article-by-article response that could be used for life.
Valve: What matters is not education, but passion and ability.
In his reply, Ben explained first of all that there was no fixed formula for the recruitment of Valve and no myth of which university is easier to study. He noted that:
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What is needed in Valve is someone who can achieve the highest standards in the world in their respective fields and can contribute independently to games and services.
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Most employees have over 7 to 10 years of experience in the industry, some of whom are of academic origin and others have no relevant degree at all.
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The real difference between the best talent is the ability to communicate, the ability to understand the needs of players, and the way in which best solutions can be developed.
Ben further emphasizes that these competencies are often not learned in schools or quantified through diplomas, but rather are derived from the enthusiasm and practical experience accumulated through sustained investment.
At the end of the letter, it says, “You should start making games on paper and on computers. The key is continuous creation and practice.”
Seth stated that he was encouraged by the letter, which, although he did not end up in the game industry, he grew up and became an engineer in machine learning and software.
After Seth shouted to the responders, “It was a great encouragement to me as a child. Thank you, Ben, for receiving a large number of comments from netizens, and commending Valve for not forgetting to offer sincere advice after refusing, which is a response that will change the direction of young people throughout their lives.
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Valve not only runs the game distribution platform Steam, but has also built the classics of Half-Life, Portal, Left 4 Dead, Counter-Strike and Dota 2, and launched hard bodies such as Steam Deck, Steam Machine, Steam Frame.
According to past public information, in 2021, the number of employees in Valve was about 336, belonging to a small group of elite companies, but the business culture was known for its unique “blank management”, with no traditional level of management, to stimulate creativity and product innovation through a free atmosphere.
The pro-people attitude of “G fat” Gabe Newell, the boss, is also a topic of after-player tea. He is the founder and executive director of a player, but he does not play the role of a superior in the company. He used to interact with the player in public and to entertain himself in promotional films, and in 2022, Steam Deck himself delivered to some players.
I didn’t think that Valve made the player fat, that even the recruitment department had the goodwill to read the letter after years, and that the netizens could still feel the sincerity and urge.
For many young people who are on the road to creators or engineers, Valve’s “no notice” becomes the most valuable career guide.