Effective talk: Giving players valuable and unique choices
Year of Talk: 2023
Video Link: Starting Your Career In a Post-Pandemic World
Getting noticed (Networking Online):
GDC 2019 to GDC 2022 had a drop of 10,000 attendance.
Most people moved to networking online through LinkedIn and other similar websites.
Connecting and empathizing with other people helps you seem more relatable.
Make sure to spend time getting to know individuals instead of trying to talk with a lot of people. If people feel like you are spending time and effort getting to know them as people, it will help them get a job.
Discord Server Options:
Women in Gaming
Indie Developer Stammtisch
Event groups
By joining discord servers you can have more spontaneous interactions with people.
It is easier to show yourself off as you can post your work more frequently there.
Building a strong website/portfolio:
Going over other people's portfolios and seeing what is done well and what isn't will help improve your own portfolio.
Tips and rules for portfolios
Try to have a clear understanding of what your skill sets are and what you work with.
Make sure to have your best work on top/first. This is your best foot forward.
Implement a clear website that is easy to navigate. So that people can find all of your projects.
If you show off the process of making the game then it can help show off how certain elements were done.
Include videos, gifs, and images of the project. So that people can visually see what you worked on.
A free hosting platform is Github Pages. As you can program your own website and do not need to pay for anything to github.
Navitage the hiring process:
Make sure you have a professional background for video interviews.
Keep your device charging or recently charged for an interview. The last thing that should happen is a disconnect because you ran out of battery.
Keep some water nearby in case you get thirsty.
If any animals are in the house make sure to put them in another room. Tell roommates or coworkers to not disturb you.
Dress professionally. Make it seem like you spent some time thinking about what to wear. It also helps make you look prepared.
Have some notes on things you'd like to talk about or questions you have for the interviewer.
Taking notes during an interview lets you remember what you all talked about.
Giving and receiving feedback:
Feedback can be overwhelming. Which is understandable.
Steps when receiving feedback:
Acknowledge and reiterate the feedback. This way both parties know what the feedback is actually saying so there isn't any misunderstandings.
Explain any areas that need clarifying and address any other areas of the feedback.
Consider how the feedback might affect the current project and what work would need to be done.
Advice for changing careers:
Ikigai philosophy
The idea is to find a job or set of jobs that can satisfy you while helping the world and can get you paid while being high enough skill to complete.
Go through each position you are applying for and determine how the roles fit in the categories of being interested in, how good you are at the role, how much you can help in the company, and how much they will pay you.
A person's risk tolerance is another major factor. Not everyone can easily move around a country or leave a job. They might need the money now and can't risk losing their job.
Dont burn out at your job:
www.takethis.org is an organization that works on increasing support for mental health in games.
They released a paper recently with data they had been collecting.
⅓ of people normally leave the industry after 10 years.
People on average will have 2.2 jobs in 5 years.
Try to take some time to get better and learn new skills. Can help you get other types of jobs.
Determine what type of work environment you work best in.
What type of team do you enjoy working with?
How do you want your career to advance?
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