Lucy Hill, business Intelligence analyst at MAG Interactive talks about her break into games, helping grow a game into a hit, and taking up Call of Duty
How did you break into games?
A bit of sheer luck really! I was a support analyst in a software company prior to this role and it so happened that MAG Interactive was on the hunt for a junior analyst. As soon as this opportunity arose, I jumped at the chance. I feel very lucky that I am able to do something I enjoy in an industry that’s a lot of fun to work in.
What has been your proudest achievement so far?
My proudest achievement is growing from a person who didn’t believe she had the right to a voice into someone who now worries she voices her opinion a little too much!
What has been your biggest challenge to date?
When I joined the company, an unexpected turn meant I was shortly left without a senior on site to depend upon. In previous roles there was always that person next to me to lean on, like a comfort blanket! I never would have believed that I was capable of handling things on my own when that was taken away. It allowed for the biggest self-growth spurt I have ever undergone and was truly a blessing in disguise.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I like the problem-solving aspect of my role; trying to figure out why we see certain patterns in the data and how we can improve the games based on these observations. What I didn’t expect, but possibly the thing I enjoy the most, is how closely I get to work with the game teams. In my mind the people who work with data sit in a back room and look at numbers. This couldn’t be further from the truth. I get to sit at the heart of the game and take part in the whole creative process. I feel like a true member of the team. Most recently I have been embedded into the team making our latest game, Wordzee. In the last six months I have seen Wordzee grow and flourish into a hugely loved game played all around the world. This has been an incredibly rewarding process. I thank my lucky stars every day for getting to do what I do.
What’s your biggest ambition in games?
Recently I have started playing Call of Duty for the first time and let me tell you, I have been missing out on a whole world of fun! It is tiring though, to still hear comments like “be nice to her, she’s a girl” or “don’t worry, she’s only a girl”. This is an attitude cultivated by those who have historically had the say in what goes into a game, with under-representation leading to exclusion. It is something I truly believe will change for the better with wider representation behind the scenes. Diversifying games can take us one step closer to diversifying the world and this is my ambition!
What advice would you give to an aspiring business intelligence analyst?
It isn’t all about the hard skills. Don’t worry too much about having everything ticked off the list. Soft skills are important too. Without being able to communicate your findings there’s no point in doing it in the first place. Probably 90 per cent of what I do I have learned on the job and I continue to learn every day. Don’t stress about knowing everything from day one.