Oddworld's Inhabitants are as diverse as the world they've worked together to create. Here's where you'll find interviews and other informative articles spotlighting the many creative folk that work at Oddworld Inhabitants. Be they headline players or behind-the-scenes heroes, the Inhabitants profiled here all share Oddworld's ceaseless dedication to bringing you the best worlds and games that you've ever experienced.

Bonnie,   Human Resources Assistant


Q:  What's your background (education, jobs)?

BT:  Hi. My name is Bonnie and I'm the Human Resources Asst. at Oddworld Inhabitants. I've been here since October of 1997 - 3 + years - WOW! Here's a little history on me... I was born and raised in California, but did a majority of my growing up in Paso Robles. Paso Robles is a small town north of SLO... I remember it being safe and very small -but every time I ditched class in high school - a family friend would see me cruising downtown and make sure to pass that valuable info along to my parents (by the way, I do not encourage ditching)! After high school I attempted college away from home, but not too far away, Fresno State. For me, the highlights of Fresno State were the parties and learning how to be a whitewater river guide. Being a river guide was the best summer job a college student could ask for - camping for 3 months, having fun in the sun, surrounded by great people, and lots of other things that I shouldn't include in this bio. I also met my husband on the river - he too was a river guide (much better than me). Anyway, I transferred to Cal Poly SLO in 1993 and completed a degree in Recreation Administration. After a grueling internship in the hotel/resort industry - I came back to SLO and responded to an ad for "Receptionist" at Oddworld. Although my parents weren't too happy about me becoming a Receptionist right out of college - I knew that starting my career with Oddworld was nothing short of a great local opportunity. And here I sit today, after working hard and proving my dedication, I'm doing the job I wanted from the start - Human Resources. My husband and I just celebrated our one year wedding anniversary, no desire to have kids (yet), life is grand!


Q:  Who are your biggest influences? Why?

BT:  Ewh - that's a difficult question because I tend to be very observant and I really believe that "everything happens for a reason" and I try to learn from a variety of situations - therefore I have many influences. But, if I didn't mention my husband, he wouldn't cook me dinner 7 nights a week! I truly believe that I'm the luckiest girl on the planet because I'm married to Dave. Dave is incredibly honest, compassionate, dedicated and hilarious (which really counts more than all of the other things). Another influence (good and bad) is my sister Rebecca - she is a gem!

Q:   What kind of a place is Oddworld?

BT:   When I first stepped into Oddworld, I immediately felt the positive energy and that energy has only improved over the past 3 + years. Oddworld doesn't just do things, Oddworld does things "Oddworld Style." "Oddworld Style" has many different interpretations, but we all know exactly how it pertains to any given task - it goes beyond 110%, it exceeds all expectations, it's the best!


Q:  Do you have any stories from the early days of Oddworld that you could share?

BT:  Of course I do - "but I'm not at liberty to say." That's my favorite HR line.


Q:   What is a typical day like for you?

BT:   I start by perusing 20+ new emails from job seekers, co-workers, etc. while sipping on coffee, which is heavily diluted with French Vanilla Creamer (yum). I have an on going and never ending "to do list" - but it keeps me going and that's the way I like it! My day is usually filled with candidate correspondence, reviewing demos, reading resumes, benefit issues, immigration issues, planning for tradeshows, scheduling travel, and a bunch of other things that would probably bore you right to sleep (if I haven't done so already). I usually step into a meeting here and there - but for the most part - it's a constant battle between me, the clock and my "to do list."


Q:  You must see 100's of portfolios and resumes. What stands out? What type of person are you looking for?

BT:   Oddworld has very high expectations for potential candidates - and those expectations only increase after they become a member of our team, so it's imperative that we make sure that hiring a candidate is good for both the new employee and Oddworld! Successful candidates possess amazing talent, intrinsic motivation, a high level of professionalism, and extremely hard working with sincere passion for their work. But beside that, I'm always thrilled to receive a candidate's cover letter, resume, sample and credit list in one package - this allows me to review and get in touch with the candidate much quicker.


Q:  What do you like to do when you're not at work?

BT:   I love the outdoors. Since summer is right around the corner, my husband and I are looking forward to some leisure time on the Kings River for camping, rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, etc. Other than that, we're snowboarding, going to the beach, diving for abalone, water skiing, and of course spending a couple days on the couch.


Q:  What CD are you currently listening too? What book are you reading?

BT:  Music: All CDs from the Tragically Hip - they're definitely my #1 choice. Other than that, I like all types of music except not too much country (sorry Ben). Books: I'm not that much of a "reader," nor do I devote much time for reading, but a couple of my favorite books are The Lure of the Limerick, The Greatest Generation, Walden Pond, and the Harry Potter series is really fun!


Q:   Where do you see Oddworld in 10 years?

BT:  "Oddworld? What's Oddworld?" Since 1997 I've introduced and explained the mission of Oddworld to all sorts of people. Ten years from now, I won't need to explain anything. I imagine Oddworld being a successful and long-lasting contributor to pop culture - everybody will know about Oddworld!

Q:  What do you like best about coming to work? What's the worst part?

BT:   I love to laugh and joke around - and the people of Oddworld certainly know how to have a good time! The personalities here can make anyone's stomach soar from laughing. In the field of Human Resources - I could be working at a variety of boring and stuffy offices - Oddworld is the complete opposite. The worst part about my work is sending rejection letters. Nobody likes to receive a rejection letter and it isn't any better sending them.


Q:  Is it true you can't eat junk food and still be an Inhabitant?

BT:  "Yes?"


Q:  If you could change jobs with one of the other Inhabitants who would it be and why?

BT:   My boss. I want to run the Human Resources Dept. at Oddworld - it's a couple months off (ha ha ha) but I'll do it.


Q:  What is the longest "day" you've ever spent at Oddworld?

BT:  There we were, 1 day before E3 1999. Oddworld designed the most beautiful, three fold brochure. Unfortunately, there was a little booboo in the text and the thousands of brochures had to be fixed - IMMEDIATELY! I jumped to the opportunity to help. It was a rotating group, but there were about 5 of us that "saved E3." We spent HOURS opening up each individual brochure, cutting out tiny stickers from sheets of sticky paper and then applying the stickers to the brochures. Although we watched some movies and became quite delirious - we had some great laughs - and boy - these guys quote movie lines like I've never heard before. Remember Private Hudson (played by Bill Paxton) in "Aliens" ... "Game over man. Game over!" I must have heard that line a hundred times!


Q:  What at Oddworld are you most proud of?

BT:  There are many things to be proud of here. But I must choose the team that I'm closest with - and that's Administration. Each person gives so much to Oddworld and each person cares so much about providing top quality "support" to the production staff, executives, press, fans, etc.

Q:  Who is your favorite Oddworld character and why?

BT:   The Almighty Raisin because it makes me laugh every time I say it - ahahahaha!   -The End





Back to What's New.