Ready Up’s New Staff Writers
By Kirsten Kearney on February 2, 2009
What a month it has been for Ready Up. January is traditionally a quiet time in the games industry, but we shook things up by advertising for a new Staff Writer. Our call to arms went out around the gaming world and caught the attention of many through our forums, newspapers, the fantastic Square-Go magazine and even on the Xbox 360’s NXE dashboard. All in all we received 700 applications for the job.
What started out as being a fun way to get a new staff member for the site quickly became a serious responsibility as we read email after email imploring us to give a chance to each and every applicant. The amount of times we read the words “life long dream” and “all consuming passion” was quite stunning. We had applications from all walks of life; postmen, lecturers, policemen, chefs, a royal marine, a stand up comic, even a guy who paints 1000 ft high comms towers. Despite Ready Up being a UK site we have applications from Athens, California, Dubai, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Malta and South Korea. I’ve been offered chocolates, flowers, money and someone’s right leg in exchange for joining our band of jolly bloggers. We were frankly overwhelmed and moved by the response, but not just for Ready Up’s sake. Is it not testament to the fabulous gaming community that we are all part of that there would be such a response and such enthusiasm at the prospect of working very hard for no money, just for a chance to be involved?
Whittling the applications down was incredibly painful. No one applied casually. Everyone worked so hard on their applications and we had hundreds of blogs, articles and CVs to read through, giving each our full attention. Let me say now that the quality of work we saw was incredibly high. Professional games journalists should be shaking in their boots, because a new generation of highly knowledgeable and gifted writers are coming.
We had X Factor style rounds; we had quarter and semi finals. We used every method of selection we could and finally we had four people who shone. Each brought different skills and experience. Each is their own person with their own passions and ways of expressing them. Each is now a member of our collective gaming family. Over the next week they shall post their very first blogs and I hope our readers will all check in and read them at 12 pm each day this week.
696 people did not get the job. I hope though that not one of you will give up on your writing, on your gaming, on your dreams. You are all members of the Ready Up family. Join us on our forum. We are Ready Up, we play games.
February 2nd, 2009 at 8:18 am
Well done to everyone who applied.
Makes me proud to be a part of this community.
February 2nd, 2009 at 8:46 am
Congratulations to the people that were picked, commiserations to those that weren’t – be sure and stick around the place, yeah? :-)
And what Tony said.
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:16 am
Congrats! Where’s Dermot O’Leary though?
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:22 am
Congrats to the new writers. Will be looking out for your posts soon!
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:24 am
Congratulations new staff writers. Being among the other 696 applicants you four have a great deal of my envy (but totally in ah admiring revered way as apposed to a jealous vengeance one.
But I was totally the application sent from South Korea so I can be pleased of that much fame and testify to the fact that you guys really must have gone through every application and thought really hard about the decision ( I would have probably just taken the bribes.)
Look forward to reading your stuff guys.
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:30 am
Welcome to the ready-up ohana new people.
Can’t wait to read the blogs from these folks.
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:36 am
Congratulations to the four new members! You will be among a great group of people, they’re literally a family and its amazing to see how the family is growing. Well done guys!
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:36 am
Congrats and looking forward to the first posts! :D
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:30 am
Congrats and welcome to the team!
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:33 am
Bribery! Knew there was one method I had forgotten…
Well done to the new writers – feel proud!
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:34 am
I am Anonymous. I keep forgetting to logout. :(
February 2nd, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Congratulations to the chosen ones :)
February 2nd, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Well done to all those who applied and I’m sure we’re all looking forward to getting to know the new writers in time to come. How about introducing yourselves over in the forum?
Now all that remains is some twisted initiation ceremony! Somone pass me a mumified crab and a watermelon.
February 2nd, 2009 at 12:51 pm
well done to the chosen 4, not an envious task to whittle 700 down to 4, but i’m looking forward to reading what you all have to say about our collective hobby.
congratulations.
comiserations to the many that didnt make it.
February 2nd, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Welcome….to the stage of history.
February 2nd, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Welcome to the team guys!
:)
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Congratulations to the new writers, and welcome to the team! I look forward to reading their work in the coming weeks.
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Mark looks a bit like Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills.
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Missed the job… again for the fourth time :P
And yes I am slightly bitter :) Oh well. Ill get over it XD
Congrats on making the job anyway :)
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:27 am
Forth? This was our first public recruitment.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:06 am
Yes but Ive been hearing things about position open and have sent 4 things in now with each time being shown the door because there wasnt a position open XD
.
So yeah once but fourth.. ehhh…
Oh now IM confused. Thats never a good sign XD
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:27 am
James – They cant just make a job for you becuase you apply lots of times. Competition was tough dude, but Keep at it and something good will turn up eventually :)
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:30 am
Lol im not saying that they should :P
The ehhh was actually meant as me being confused as to where or when I was told those things XD
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:00 pm
That Going to be on xbox live for everyone