Talent Acquisition Manager Charlotte Pook is an absolute BOSS at shaping our work culture and connecting skilled talent with our exciting roles. We decided to chat with her to learn more about her journey!
" see myself first and foremost as an ambassador for the studio. My role is to make sure people understand all the amazing work ES & Lively are doing while creating an environment where they feel comfortable discussing their career aspirations and experiences.
I love meeting new people and hearing about their journeys, whether professional or personal stories they like to share. Getting to know people is essential. Beyond the people-facing parts of my role, I also handle the typical ‘recruiter’ stuff, like administrative tasks, headhunting, scheduling interviews, and extending offers. We work across all disciplines to stay sharp in every area.
We also dedicate a huge chunk of time to educational initiatives, because our industry becomes more diverse when young people are made aware that it’s a space for everyone.
I’m really passionate about making the games industry accessible, especially for neurodivergent young people or anyone who feels 'different', and I know our studio has the same goal. I want students to know that we exist because, unlike other industries that can leave you feeling like nothing's achievable, I feel like the games industry is a place where you can reach out and people will find a way to help you. Like, if I'd known the games industry was an option when I was younger, I might have saved myself a lot of time and aggro and gotten into games before I was 30!
To be honest, I didn't even know I could! I was working in motor trade recruitment and rotting like, “help me”! I thought you had to be a programmer to work in games. It was only until my good friend who used to work at Electric Square contacted me that I knew it was an option. He recommended I speak to our Head of Talent (at the time), there were some admin roles open, and I reached out. About six months later, they said, “Actually, I've got a recruitment role”! It was my first industry role and I’m still here 5 years later!
It’s funny because now, as a toddler mum, I don’t get to play as much as I’d like. But I started playing games from a super early age. My first console was my aunt's Game Boy. I played Bart Simpson’s Escape From Camp Deadly, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, and all the Donkey Kong Game Boy games on it.
Growing up, my next-door neighbour, Michael, was like a sibling since we were both only children. He had all the good stuff: the Super Nintendo, PlayStation, and an N64. We’d play Red Alert, Theme Hospital, Silicon Valley, Golden Eye 64, and lots of others. The N64 was my favourite console of all time! When I got one of my own, I discovered my favourite game: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Straight up, it’s the best game in the world—come at me if you think it ain’t!
In my early 20s, I found my second favourite game: Bioshock. I even have a tattoo—it’s an anchor with “Rapture” written underneath because I’m a nerd. Oh, and Life Is Strange, the first one. That’s definitely up there in my top three.
I think you need to be someone who's quick to adapt to face challenges at the drop of a hat, because you're never going to know what is going to happen in the games industry. It moves very, very quickly, and not just the requests, it’s the technology, the clients, and the projects. I mean, co-development is a different ball game. We don't know what we're going to get from year to year. We may work with a client out of the blue and support them with a completely different style of art engine. So, definitely someone who's quite resilient and enjoys fast-paced working.
Huge shoutout to Charlotte and the rest of our talent team for their awesome work.
Keep an eye out for more spotlights coming soon!
