#**The Best Man for the Best Job**
An Interactive Resume by Mihir Modak
(set: $Skills to 0) (set: $WorkExp to 0)
You’re at your desk when the Spy appears on screen. You have been expecting him.
It’s been a long time since he was sent on his mission. A mission of great import. The objective? Observe and find all important information on the ‘Best Man for the Best Job’.
The name of this candidate: Mihir Modak, a Writer and Game Designer.
The Spy looks at you from the other side of the screen, an expression of certainty apparent on his face. He clearly seems to be happy with himself.
“Boss,” he starts, “Mission Accomplished. And I think you’ll like the results.”
Tell me about his [[Skills]].
What about his [[Work Experience|WorkExp]]?
“To start with, this man is clearly a leader,” he says, quite impressed, “I personally saw him lead his teams on 4 different projects at the Supinfogame Rubika University.
“In addition, he is very creative in his work. Year after year, he has come up with interesting story ideas and game concepts. Not only that, but given his interest in Game Design, he has consistently shown a variety of different ways of presenting stories, wrapping them up in different presentation formats and a number of interesting mechanics, as is plain in the projects he's worked on.
[[“Sounds interesting. What else have you found?”|Found]]
“A background check is—“, the Spy stops mid-sentence, “Ahem, sorry Boss. I think it’s best if you heard this from him. I was,” he coughs, “able to get a quality recording.”
There is a slight crackle with the audio as the Spy changes the settings on his end of the screen. Soon, however, it wears off and you begin to hear the strong, clear voice of the Candidate.
“To start with, I’m a Game Designer and Writer. I currently work at Zynga. But how did I get here?”, he begins, with a startlingly assertive tone, “First, I received my Masters Degree in Game Design and Project Management from Supinfogame Rubika, where I learnt several aspects of Game Development such as creating and pitching game concepts, creating both interactive and non-interactive narrative, game engines like Unity and Unreal, production pipelines and a variety of software like Photoshop, Illustrator and After Effects.
“I also worked on quite a few projects, and amongst them, I earned the first place for my End of Year projects: Gold Rush, a board game, and ShapeStory, play object based on creating organic stories,” the voice continues.
[[“Hold up a second, what are these projects?”|Projects]]
“From what I’ve seen, he is also very proficient in Level Design as evidenced through the multiple Warcraft III, UDK and RPG Maker levels he has designed, all with a narrative theme and atmosphere in mind. His deconstructs are just as interesting, as are his Concept Maps, which even helped me better understand how the complex stories and mechanics worked for many games.”
[[“You look like you have more to say…”|More to Say]]
“Indeed. He has certainly got strong analytical thinking and problem solving skills. I also observed that he’s extensively knowledgeable about a large number of games, books, TV shows and animes across several genres.”
[[“What about his software skills?”|Software Skills]]
“Oh, yes, absolutely,” the Spy replies, “With extensive experience with the Unity and Construct 2 game engines, he has made a number of games using them already and is already set on doing more; in his own words, ‘I’m learning the Unreal Engine right now. But that’s just the beginning. I love learning new things!’ his passion for creation comes through clearly.
“His power with words is exemplary-- just look at the various stories he has written. I must say, I do like them quite a bit. He has used Scrivener and MS Word for Narrative purposes and is proficient with Excel and Photoshop, which he has used for several of his games already.
Mihir also has basic knowledge of C#, including its syntax, how its logic works and basic code lines as well."
[[“Is there more?”|More]]
(set: $Skills to 1)
“What was that? Oh, I’m sorry. Yes, there is,” the Spy continues, “I have seen him come up with new solutions for problems by looking for ideas beyond the project’s immediate scope. He is also keenly aware of the potential problems that may arise while working on a particular story or feature, and is able to point out inconsistencies quickly.”
The Spy is acting a little strange, but then again he’s just completed his mission. He’s probably just tired it seems.
(if: $WorkExp is 1)[[["What else do you have on him?|What Else]]]
(else:)[[[“So far, so good. Let’s look at his work experience now.”|WorkExp]]]
“Okay, tell me if I’m wrong,” says the Spy, “Star Wars, Star Trek, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy and all sorts of RPGs, oh wait, what’s that? JRPGs? You mean like Persona, Dragon Quest, Star Ocean and Skies of Arcadia? Right…”
He seems to be talking to himself, strangely enough. Wait a second, he’s not even looking at the screen!
[[“What are you doing?”|Doing]]
“Oh, oh yes. Just a moment, boss,” comes the Spy’s immediate reply, “Let me just switch to the other recording.”
He flips a switch on the device and another recording starts playing, once again delivering Mihir's voice.
“To highlight a few, I’ve created a branching story based on the Jeremiah TV series, several short stories, an Action RPG in RPG Maker, a Pen and Paper RPG rulebook for The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen universe, 2 Warcraft III Maps, a level for Dungeon Defenders in UDK.
“The majority of these were inspired from my love of stories, and so, roleplaying with the goal of achieving immersion in each experience.” The Spy stops the recording here, “Mihir has a complete Portfolio I’ll link you at the end of the report. No doubt you see the value of such passion and experience, boss.”
[[“Please continue, I thought there was still more to come.”|More to Come]]
(set: $WorkExp to 1)
“Certainly, boss,” he replies. He presses a switch on the recording device, and the voice continues.
“During my 2nd year, I chose to pursue an extra internship at Rolocule Games, just so I could gain valuable experience, because even if it’s not compulsory, that’s not stopping me from trying to do more to get better!” the Spy stops the recording again to make a comment.
“Exciting isn’t it!” he says, grinning wildly at you. After a few moments however, his smile slowly disappears, before he quickly gathers himself and resumes the recording. And you can hear the engaging voice again.
“I then worked for a longer duration at Codewalla, where I had the opportunity to lead a team from the Concept Phase all the way to release. What a ride it was-- I really enjoyed it! And I learnt so many things about development along the way! I also helped with the narrative on some of their other games, and did level design for yet another before I had completed my time there.
“Finally, it was after a super time at Supinfogame that I got the opportunity to work at Zynga, where I have been working since,” the recording finally finishes.
(if: $Skills is 1)[[[“Very good! Is there anything else you have?”|What Else]]]
(else:)[[[“This was certainly interesting. Tell me about his skills.”|Skills]]]
“H-huh?!” comes his surprised reply, “Ohhh, n-nothing boss! Just going through my notes that’s all!”
His eyes seem to be flitting between your screen and something beyond the camera’s range. Hold on. Is that a hand?
[[“Alright who’s there? Who are you talking to?”|Whos There]]
“B-but—”
[[“No buts!”|No buts]]
“It’s Mihir, boss,” the Spy sighs, “He’s here, telling me what he likes.”
[[“What? He’s there with you?”|With You]]
“Yes, but really, he’s a great guy! Really friendly and easy to get along with! Did you know he loves Subway more than pretty much any burger?”
[[“How does that matter?”|Matter]]
“But of course it does, boss!” the Spy continues, “And it gets better! He loves, no, adores Sci-Fi and Fantasy and has a real soft spot for Steampunk things! And he’s really excited about Star Citizen. His current favorite ships are the Constellation and the Vanduul Blade!
“What was that?” the Spy looks away from the camera again, “Ah yes, he especially enjoys unique worlds that don’t conform to the traditional rules and clichés that we’ve come to expect! Oh what a joy!” he continues, turning back towards the camera, “He likes a couple of my favorite novelists as well in Scott Lynch, Patrick Rothfuss and Orson Scott Card, not to mention JRR Tolkien. Doesn’t everyone love The Lord of the Rings?”
[[“So let me get this straight, he’s been with you the entire time?!”|Time]]
“Uh, yes, boss! He was onto me from the get go! And he even explained a bunch on how he had learned from all these books and their amazing stories. But never mind that, One Piece, Gurren Lagann and Code Geass. I have to say, Boss, they’re some of the greatest animes out there. And don’t forget Tower of God, Full Metal Alchemist, Golden Time, Macross and Evangelion! The list just goes on and on! I’d love to discuss these with him!”
[[“So he was actually speaking during the ‘recordings’! Alright, what else has he told you?”|Told You]]
“He likes a variety of music, from all sorts of genres, his favorite being Pop and Rock, Western and Japanese as well as calm and serene songs the like of Enya and Eiko Shimamiya,” the Spy’s excited voice continues, “Oh and did you know he’s a 2nd Dan Black Belt? He’s even won several medals in sparring and katas! He enjoys table tennis and swimming too!
“One second,” the Spy looks away, yet again, “Ah, you wish to speak yourself? By all means!”
[[“Job well done. Thanks for bringing this candidate to my attention. Now let’s see what he has to say.”|Attention]]
The screen lights up with Mihir’s face as he starts speaking.
“Hi, I’m Mihir Modak. Nice to meet you.
I create worlds. I create characters. And I smash them together.
That's how I form stories. I create suspense and awe. I delight and amaze.
And I’m always on the lookout for the best places in need of a creator like me,” he says.
“Please get in touch here.”
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: <a href="https://in.linkedin.com/in/mihir-modak-6a08b84a" target="_blank">My LinkedIn</a>
Portfolio: <a href="https://www.behance.net/mihirmodak" target="_blank">My Portfolio</a>
“Thanks for taking the time to get to know me better. I am your Best Man for the Best Job!”