Meet Anjanette

Hey, Anjanette. Please tell us a bit about yourself.
I was born in the Philippines, but I've lived in Dubai my whole life - that's my home! I still return there every now and then to spend time with my family. I moved to the Czech Republic to pursue a university degree in Brno, which is known to be a student city. I've just gotten my degree in International Relations and European Politics, but I am planning on continuing to stay here in Brno, as I love this city's energy and vibe. I love going to cafes, playing video games, and traveling.

Can you tell us a random fact about yourself?
I enjoy problem solving and tackling puzzles, so at a young age I learned how to solve a Rubik's Cube. I also love learning and speaking different languages. I treat them like puzzles too! English is my first language, but I can also speak French and Arabic. Currently, I'm trying to get the hang of Czech. It's a challenge, but it's very satisfying to see improvements.

What was your first positive interaction with video games?

I remember at a very young age, I saw my dad playing Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit. I wanted to try it out too, but I was so little that I couldn't exactly steer without sending the car off the road. So my dad would just let me press "W" to let the car accelerate. I had lots of fun and I still enjoy racing video games to this day!

And your most memorable video game moment?

SPOILER ALERT: The Last of Us 2

Most recently, it became Joel's demise in the Last of Us 2. I was ready for the idea of him being gone, but how it happened was so sudden. I was so shocked and I almost cried over it. But at the same time, it was needed for the game's story to move forward. To anyone who hasn't played it yet, I'm sorry for the spoilers!

What's your all-time favorite video game? And what sort of game do you generally like to play?

I love all the games in the Tomb Raider series! One of the first video games I played was Tomb Raider II: The Golden Mask, and that basically threw me into the Tomb Raider world. From what I noticed, it seems I enjoy action/adventure games, shooter-looter games, and occasionally, for friendly competition with friends, racing games.

What’s the worst or most memorable bug you’ve come across in a video game?

SPOILER ALERT: Far Cry 5

Honestly, it was really upsetting when I played Far Cry 5, in the sector of Jacob Seed. I understood that the player's character is being put through conditioning, to memorize some sort of route and kill the last person at the end of it. In one of them, I realized that it was actually a real situation already, where the route was similar but the person to be killed in the end is a good guy (Eli). I was planning on taking a look at what would happen if I didn't kill Eli, so I killed the last soldier before him, but the game registered it as me killing Eli already.

I was so frustrated because I wanted to see if there would be a secret part to the story, just like how in the beginning, if you don't arrest The Father, you can finish the game right away. I found out that in the end, killing Eli was necessary to get the story to move forward, so I guess it wasn't so bad. But my adrenaline was pumping and I was so concerned that I could've saved Eli instead.

Who's your all-time favorite video game character and why?

SPOILER ALERT: Borderlands

I would say that Tiny Tina from Borderlands is someone who I think is super cool. I like how she's quirky and capable with her expertise in demolitions, and I liked seeing her character develop throughout the games. For example, I really felt like patting her on the head in the DLC Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep, when she was coming to terms with Roland's death. I also like how it explored her creativity as she was in control of the world, because it's a fantasy version of the Borderlands characters. All in all, she's a badass and very funny!

What's your favorite movie, TV show, and/or book?

I enjoy watching action movies, as well as adventure and fantasy movies/TV shows. I also enjoy movies with good cinematography and a great story. My top picks for that criteria are Drive, Nerve, and Baby Driver. I also enjoy watching Dr. Who and a show on Netflix called Fauda if I feel like some action. But these days I've been watching Suits. For books, I've always loved the Harry Potter books, and anything by John Green. I also like going back to read books that I had to read in high school, like Animal Farm and 1984, which are favorites of mine.

And your go-to music playlist is?

I honestly listen to anything and everything from EDM to rock, and I especially enjoy classic rock bands. But my go-to music playlist changes every now and then depending on how I'm feeling. These days, my playlist consists of The Killers, Arctic Monkeys, Imagine Dragons, and Muse. When I need a bit of pep, I listen to K-pop, with Blackpink, Itzy, and Sunmi being my favorites these days. I also listen to English pop, with Lady Gaga and Dua Lipa at the top of my list.

Cats or dogs?

I love both cats and dogs, but if I had to pick one as a pet, I would go with dogs! I always had a dog growing up and they're just such playful and loyal creatures. It's nice to have a dog greet you when you come home after a long day. I love all dogs, but my favorite breed would be the Border Collie. They're very smart, and I've noticed that they have excellent instincts and are very expressive and loving. They have amazing personalities! My dog is a Border Collie herself, and I think they are the perfect breed to have.

So what do you do as a Junior Community Manager?

I communicate with our community through social media by making announcements here and there, answering questions, and responding to comments. This acts as a two-way street: it helps the team understand our community, and it helps us gather feedback and monitor how the Outlanders are feeling. It can be quite challenging to manage social media as the action on there never stops, but it's nice to interact with our players and help with solving issues they may run into. I also help out with managing our Partner Program, looking into applications and monitoring their feedback, as well as sharing information with them.

What do you think are the most important skills / traits to have for someone in your position?

I would say that it's important to be communicative, perceptive, understanding, and patient. You gotta be able to understand where people are coming from and what they mean. This can be done by making sure that you get your message across clearly, and if needed, you can ask questions to clarify what they meant. It's important to be understanding. Some people may feel frustrated, so you gotta be patient and try to explain things or ask for clarifications in a different manner if needed.

How do you deal with hate comments on social media?

The first thing I do is try and understand what they meant and what they're upset about. After that, I respond to them in a way which can bring positivity and help them understand the situation. However, it depends what one sees as a "hate comment". I think feedback is important and it has to be constructive, even if the overall vibe of it is negative. If someone writes a mean comment with a lot of vulgar words and no substance, that wouldn't be considered as constructive feedback, it would be considered as toxicity, which we don't tolerate in our community. If there's any toxicity, we definitely take action to ensure that they follow the rules in our community. This protects other community members too. We want to maintain friendliness and a helpful vibe.

How do you destress? (@foreverware)

I really enjoy scented candles! I bought one recently that crackles as it burns, so it makes me feel as if I'm sitting right in front of a fireplace. I also use skin care as a way to destress, as the steps taken for skin care can feel like a ritual, and your skin ends up feeling so nice and soft afterwards. I also find that sometimes you just need to stop and take a breather and just do nothing, like stare out the window and drink a nice cup of tea or coffee.

What's your favorite aspect of Vigor's community?
They're so active and are not afraid to say what they think. And our Outlanders are very enthusiastic about Vigor and its lore, as well as Norse mythology. For example, on Reddit, they kinda gave names to people on the team, like I'm "Lady f0rsythiaa", which was really cute to see. Our community is adorable. I'm glad how happy they are about the game and the team, and how they continue to be helpful with their feedback and ideas for Vigor.

What do you enjoy about your job and game development in general?

About my job, I would say that I really enjoy communicating with people and getting to know them. Interacting with our players on social media is nice, and being able to show them what's happening is very exciting. Gamers only see the tip of the iceberg, so I enjoy interacting with them and explaining what's going on. The best part is when they get back to me, very happy with a better understanding, and they share information and positivity with other players too.

On the other hand, with game development, I really like how it gave me the opportunity to see what happens behind the scenes. As I said, gamers only see the tip of the iceberg. I got the chance to see how the processes work and how complex and difficult they can get. With this, I was also able to feel the relief of when something goes well and gets implemented in the game. All this changed how I see video games and game development, and I'd say that I'm now even more in awe of the video game industry.

What kind of studies are required to become a Community Manager? Can I find a course online? Is Vigor the only community you’re working with? How much time per day do you spend on social networks for your job ? (Pierre W.)

I wouldn't say that it's completely necessary to have a degree to be a Community Manager, but I do think a degree in marketing, communications, or public relations can help. Other than that, any related degree can be beneficial. I feel like the most important thing is to have experience with social media and to know how to use it to engage an audience. I believe there are online courses available somewhere, though I can't suggest any as I haven't had any experience with them.

I'm only working on Vigor's community at the moment, and I'd say it's hard to measure how many hours a day I use social media for my job since social media never really stops or rests. But if I had to take a guess, I'd say around 6 hours a day.

How did you end up as a junior community manager and what steps did you take in your work/education? If someone in communication aims to be a community manager, what are some good ways to get experience (online) while Corona makes visits/work experience difficult? (Sondre S.)

I would say that my path to becoming a community manager started when I worked as an editor and journalist for a local news website in Brno. That involved planning articles, writing them, and even planning when they should be shared on our website and social media pages. Since then, I realized that I enjoy content creation and working with social media so I pursued it. I eventually found myself on the community team of a tech company, and I enjoyed that too. I couldn't turn down the opportunity to work in game development, so now, here I am with the Vigor team.

Though I studied International Relations and European Politics in university, I feel like the skills I learned there helped me too, particularly writing and communication skills. It's very important to get your message across the way you want it to, so I feel like my work experience and what I studied in university helped me out. Although, like I said earlier, I think that work experience is more important than a degree in this field.

I feel like a good way to get experience online is to volunteer as a content creator or as a moderator for forums. Helping out with organizing online events such as webinars or live streams can also help to an extent, as this entails the use of social media in order to invite attendees. Don't be afraid to try things out!

Is there anything else you're currently working on in your spare time?

I'm always working on something! Right now, I'm mentally preparing myself for my master's degree program. I'm also a student ambassador for the Czech National Agency for International Education, so I communicate with prospective students on how life is like over here in the Czech Republic, particularly in Brno. That's usually done through social media (especially Instragram) and emails.

What's one of your top tips?

To keep your mind at ease, don't be afraid to say what you think and feel. Being direct is always the best way to go. It won't go well for you if you keep all your emotions bottled up. Keep working hard towards your goals and improving yourself. But most importantly, don't forget to take care of yourself. Have a creative outlet and definitely do those little things that make you happy, like a nice meal, a nice cup of coffee, or dancing to happy music by yourself. Those small things can go a long way.

Our next featured Bohemian is right around the corner, so keep an eye on our social media pages for the latest updates. Until then, feel free to learn more about working at Bohemia Interactive by checking out our Careers Page. We may just have the perfect job for you.

Until next time...