Valve’s Rejection Letter to High School Student Showcases Class and Professionalism

The job market can be a tough battleground. You might send out countless applications and hear nothing in return. Sometimes, a company will drag an applicant through a lengthy interview process only to vanish without a word. So when Liem Nguyen submitted his resume to Valve in 2015, he wasn’t expecting much.

At that time, Nguyen had just graduated high school and was dealing with a challenging home life while brainstorming ways to earn some cash. His passion for game development drove him to reach out to various recruiters, but he faced a string of disappointments. Valve, known for its massive PC storefront and iconic games, seemed like a long shot, and he didn’t anticipate a response.

Surprisingly, he did receive a reply — a rejection letter, which was expected. What caught Nguyen off guard was that a real person at Valve took the time to craft a thoughtful response. He later shared a screenshot of the email on social media, where a Valve employee explained the reasons behind the rejection and offered some valuable advice. This email was verified as authentic and linked to a Valve employee from 2015, with Nguyen initially omitting names for privacy.

For fans of Valve, much of the letter’s content might not come as a surprise. The company generates more revenue than giants like Google and Amazon, averaging nearly $50 million per employee. With such success, it’s clear that they aren’t likely to hire fresh talent or have many entry-level roles. Valve is also known for its unconventional work culture, featuring a flat hierarchy where employees don’t have traditional managers or assigned projects. Similar to other tech firms, Valve values diverse backgrounds; after all, Portal started as a student project, and two of its biggest hits originated as mods. With a history like that, it’s no wonder they receive applications from ambitious young creators.

Despite the rejection, the email gained traction on social media for its encouraging message. Valve acknowledged that they seek experienced talent, but they believe that true talent isn’t solely defined by degrees or job titles.

“Instead, we believe dedication, experience, and customer focus are what make good hires … Those things are intangible, aren’t taught in schools, and are what differentiate typical candidates from special ones,” the Valve employee wrote.

“Basically, our advice is for you to follow your passion and spend the time perfecting your craft,” the rejection continued. “The most important thing is for you to just begin creating games, whether on paper or on the computer. What is crucial is the ‘doing’ and ‘creating.'”

Fast forward ten years, and Nguyen has embraced that advice. He’s now at an indie studio he founded, working on a new game with biological themes. Looking back at that rejection email, he feels a mix of pride and embarrassment; a decade ago, he didn’t fully grasp the significance of the response. At the time, it was just another rejection in a long line of them.

Now, however, he credits Valve for inspiring him to continue pursuing his passion for game development.