In Their Own Words: Michaela Slavik

What’s a typical day like for you?

One of the best things about being in Customer Service is that every day is different. You might be working the same hours every day, yet nothing is the same. Describing my day is pretty easy – I’m here for our players. I do everything I can to resolve whatever issue they might be facing.

Taking a load off in between calls!

What are some of the challenges you encounter day to day in your role?

Every contact is unique and even though I see the variety as a very positive thing, it can also be challenging at the same time if you don’t know what is coming next.

Michaela showing off the break room with a full-sized pool table.

What are the most satisfying parts of your role?

For me personally, the most satisfying part is when player says “It works! Thank you so much!” In that moment, it doesn’t matter how long I spend with someone on an issue, as long as the player is happy, that’s what matters.

What is your most memorable experience helping players?

That is really hard to determine. I had so many lovely conversations that it’s hard to pick one. Recently, I had a contact from a player whose account has been compromised and he was really worried that the account is lost forever. We managed to restore the access and fully re-secure the account. The player was so happy that he wanted to send me flowers and he mentioned that he almost fell in love with me in his feedback survey. That was lovely.

What would surprise people about helping players at EA?

For me, helping players is really satisfying, but it can be also frustrating if I’m not able to fix their issue. What surprises me the most are those situations when you know that you can’t resolve the player’s issue but they thank you for your effort anyway. That can change the tone of the conversation completely. Working in Customer Support environment also changed me as a customer. I noticed that I’m much nicer and understanding after seeing things from the other side.

Michaela and teammates huddle up for a quick meeting.

What are some big projects you’ve worked on in the past?

I’m managing a small team called Quality of Life here in EA Galway. We are a group of volunteers who organize fun events for the employees to increase morale and create a fun environment to work in. We work on many different projects throughout the year, including on-site competitions, social outings, goodies and more.

Michaela grabbing a quick coffee break.

When did you know you wanted to work in gaming one day?
I’ve always had an interest in the world of gaming. After working in various fields, I decided to do something with my passion of gaming. When the opportunity came along to work with EA, I decided to immediately go for it and explore the world I’ve always been interested in.

What are some of your earliest gaming memories?

The Sims would be a great example. I just remember being entranced with the power I had over everything in the game. I could fulfill every single dream.

I also remember very well how astonished I was when I played my first Bioware game, Dragon Age. It was my first experience with a story-driven RPG game and the game engulfed me completely. I wasn’t just playing the story back then, I was living it together with my character.

What is your office environment like that you work out of?

I love our office with its big open space. It really creates a feeling of everyone being part of one big team. We have people from all over the world, from Brazil to Norway to Ukraine, who support a total of 15 languages. The diversity of cultures creates a great buzz.

Is there any advice you’d give someone interested in working in gaming?

Think big and follow your dreams. It’s never too late to start over. Don’t doubt yourself and value your experiences.

Want to work at EA? Visit our Careers page!

Stay in the conversation of all things EA: Read our blog, follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook