We may already be putting together Search for a Star 2018, but that doesn’t mean we’re done finding studios for great students from our 2017 competition. This includes amazing 3D Environment Artists like Hannah Smith from the University of Hertfordshire who’s the latest of our graduates to fill a Playground Games job.

Senior Graduate Consultant, Sharan Bassi, supported Hannah after the Search for a Star competition and found out that she was particularly interested in joining AAA studio Playground Games. The studio behind the critically-acclaimed Forza Horizon series have garnered more than 80 ‘Best Of’ awards, but it was the studio’s culture which attracted Hannah the most.

“Playground have a great ethos when it comes to the balance between work and play which is something that I feel strongly about.” says Hannah. “There is a very happy, productive and collaborative atmosphere at Playground, and this definitely comes through in the work they produce.”

After an interview at the studio arranged by Sharan, Hannah was offered a position in Playground Games’ Art Department, and we couldn’t be happier for her! During a catch up after her first day, she told Aardvark Swift that she was warmly welcomed by everyone and looks forward to getting stuck in.

“It was really cool to see how each department works with each other and how they collaborate to improve as a team. There was a lot of information to take in and remember, which can feel a little daunting, but it’s also really exciting to be learning new things. I’m very excited for the future!”

Hannah told us that she benefited greatly from partnering with a consultant who works solely with graduates and understands their needs. “Sharan supported me (and still is!) through the entire process. Any questions I had were easily answered, nothing was too much trouble. It was great to have someone so friendly and knowledgeable to help me out, and her recommendations and support have helped me tremendously – I owe her greatly for my success!”

This isn’t the first time that Aardvark Swift have placed graduates in Playground Games vacancies. Playground Games are a long running partner of Grads in Games and take an active role in the Search for a Star competition to develop the industry’s next generation of talent.

“Aardvark Swift are a great agency for graduate talent and we’ve hired fantastic graduates from them.” says Nick Duncombe, Resource Manager at Playground Games. “They really know what they’re doing. The whole Search for a Star and Get in the Game tour is fairly grand in size and the fact that they go out and do this is great for the industry.”

“The consultants that Aardvark Swift have are obviously industry experts, they all know their stuff. By talking to them we know we’re getting the best that the market has to offer.”

You can find Hannah’s portfolio here!