Electronic Arts

Super nice people on the team. It's a great summer job in a sunny city with lots to do.

There's overtime towards the end of projects, which is nice, seeing as the salary is pretty low.

• Little to no possibilities to get a permanent contract or move to a different position either at EA Madrid or the studios (unless you're friends with the right people, in which case a new position may open up at the office for someone with a profile suspiciously like yours).

• Only permanent employees can apply through EA's internal career database (AFAIK). Localization experience from EA Madrid sadly doesn't seem to count for anything when applying for positions at other EA locations. Also, don't expect to get a referral from your team lead, or at least not a personalized one.

• Benefits—gym access, medical checkups, career plan, lunch money, etc.—are only for permanent employees (you can work for 2 years before they have to either make you permanent or stop renewing your contracts).

The EA Actions are great on paper. Take them to heart and make sure they are actively followed throughout the entire organization. Act with integrity, as you so nicely put it yourselves.

Temps at EA Madrid are largely treated as though they can easily be replaced, even if they are amazing testers and/or test a language that is difficult to find people for. At least send them off with proper recommendations for their next possible gig, especially if they want to move on within the company.

I think for a place like EA Madrid, where people aren't really expected to stay for long because permanent positions are few and far apart, 'Learn and Grow' is the most important EA Action, especially the part about developing yourself and others. There are great testers who have worked at EA Madrid for years, who don't do their best anymore because they are not learning anything and there is no career development. There is great potential that is not being harnessed.

If localization experience had been valued at other EA locations, or if we could have learned other skills that would increase our chances of moving within the company, I would have gladly stayed. In the end, I moved to a different company to gain the experience needed to move on to a studio.