Meet Artem Zhuk From Keywords in Poland

Staff Spotlight – We recently caught up with Artem Zhuk, Functionality QA (FQA) Project Manager at Keywords in Poland to discuss the evolution of the video games industry and his eventual journey into FQA.

Keywords in Poland has taken remarkable strides in such a short space of time. What, in your opinion, has influenced this growth?

When I joined the company last year, FQA and the Katowice studio in general were already experiencing rapid growth and I’ve been happy to help that continue. From my perspective, it’s very simple, we work hard and I believe this resonates with our clients and partners. Our way of working makes them want to return to us with new and exciting projects. This allows us to grow and expand.

What excites you about your day-to-day role at Keywords Studios in Katowice?

The fact that I am working on games that I would play myself excites me every day. When I read up about games or see an announcement of some sort, it really is a great feeling to think “Oh, I was a part of that!”.

What inspired your journey into the video games industry? Have you always wanted to work in QA for games?

Fun fact: For the longest time, I actually didn’t want to work in Games QA! The reason for this was I didn’t want to ruin my passion for games with testing day in, day out so I avoided it.

The truth is, I’ve loved video games since I was about 4 years old, when my mom bought a NES and Super Mario Bros. From there my interest in video games has never faded, from watching E3 recordings and announcements in the pre-internet days to having watch parties now.

When the opportunity to work at Keywords came along, together with my previous QA experience and position at the time, it felt like the puzzle pieces had all come together. Now as a Project Manager, I don’t have to test games but instead use my QA expertise to build and manage teams. The fact I’m working in an industry I’m passionate about and have been following (not only as a consumer) for a long, long time is so important to how I perform my role. It’s perfect, like a pizza with no pineapples!

https://youtu.be/o5TQ83i3l-c

Has gaming evolved as an industry since you started?

It’s evolving every single day, right? Nowadays, there is thankfully a lot of effort aimed at improving diversity and working conditions as well as a focus on mental health. What’s good for those working in the industry is good for the industry as a whole, in my opinion.

What elements of the video games industry do you see evolving in the future?

As a gamer – hopefully seeing games released sooner! But being on the other side of the fence, I see why it takes time to get quality games out there. Some may disagree but I like the way platform holders have been competing with each other over the past few years. This is definitely something that moves the industry forward in the long run.

And finally, what advice would you give to someone considering a career in QA or the games industry as a whole?

In the words of late Chancellor Palpatine, do it! Everything is possible with hard work and the industry is expanding by the day, let’s work together!
 

If you are interested in a role at Keywords in Poland, you can find open positions on our Careers page.