How can gaming professionals gain experience in new areas of the industry?

GAME JAMS! My strongest two skills are game programming and game design ( which i am only okay at) but I am a MAJOR audiophile and love good audio. One of my favorite projects to work on was a game jam project called Sonder: A Story because While I was a lead programmer on it I also got to be in charge of helping with the audio design and that was a blast! In addition one of our other team members was a business development person who got a chance to stretch her creative muscles and get her first creative credit. She got a chance to help write character archetypes, source reference materials for our artist, and help really build the identity of our game. Game Jams can be a great way to explore a role you admire without a ton of pressure!

Forums are and will always be a top place to find news about anything gaming-related. Search where your favorite professionals are logged in, and go there. That's the proper way.

Gaming professionals can explore new areas of the industry by joining online communities like the International Game Development Association (IGDA). Engaging with forums, blogs, podcasts, and events offers valuable insights and networking opportunities. By participating in discussions and seeking mentorship, professionals can gain hands-on experience and expand their skill sets in various aspects of gaming.

Seek opportunities to collaborate with individuals or teams working in the desired area. Offer to contribute to projects, participate in game jams, or join online communities where collaborative projects are common. Working alongside experienced professionals provides valuable hands-on experience and insights.

NO NO NO NO! Volunteering to gain experience should be banned! It is the best way for companies to lower your salary and to lower the industry itself's salaries. Why pay when you can get it for free?

Volunteering for projects and participating in game jams can be incredibly beneficial for gaming professionals. These experiences provide hands-on opportunities to collaborate with others, gain practical skills, and explore new aspects of game development. Game jams, in particular, offer a creative and fast-paced learning environment where professionals can experiment with ideas, learn from peers, and showcase their talents. By immersing themselves in these activities, professionals can expand their knowledge, network with industry peers, and contribute to meaningful projects that further their career development.

If you want to be successful or want to do your best in any particular industry, all you need is knowledge and experience. Knowledge is the best experience you can have. Also learning from the experienced once can save your time and can protect you from failing in that particular feild

Take on side projects! Initiate personal projects or passion projects related to the new area of interest. Use these projects as opportunities to experiment, practice new skills, and build a portfolio of work that demonstrates proficiency in the desired area.

Side projects, freelance work, and personal projects. P.S. DO not take extra stuff to do at work if the pay raise doesn't come at the same time.

Experimenting with new tools and seeking learning resources are excellent ways for gaming professionals to expand their skill sets. Whether trying out a new game engine, learning a new programming language, or exploring design tools, taking the initiative to learn and adapt is key to staying relevant in the industry. Additionally, dedicating time to "ramp up" on new skills ensures a smooth transition and mastery of new technologies or techniques. Gaming professionals can continuously evolve and thrive in their careers by staying curious and proactive in seeking learning opportunities.

Learning is one of the most important skills in the gaming industry in 2024. The most popular platforms for education are Coursera and Udemy. You can even find free courses there. LinkedIn Learning has some gaming-related courses. Like working with Unreal Engine or game design. Mostly you will find soft skills development. MasterClass has Will’s Wright Game Design course in subscription. If we talk about higher education I can’t miss DigiPen with campuses in different locations.

Learning from courses but not how every retard algorithm text tells you. Learning is not done by watching someone else. It is done by doing those things yourself.

Seeking Mentorships can be a great help and get you noticed. When starting out many years ago, if you were good with people, and a team player many gaming companies would allow you to move into new areas and teach the hard skills. Today that is not the case, however remain focused and network with management from other departments. Let them know you want expand and learn other areas, within the organization. Be flexible as well, put in the work needed to show your worth and value. Remember it may not be just gaming, as the industry is so much more from, hotel operation, and associated jobs to run the hotel, to EVS, Retail, Security, Entertainment, marketing, night life, sales, conventions, and facilities to name a few.

A mentor is as good as you are. Getting a mentor is useful if you want to put that extra step into getting into the industry. Nothing more, nothing else.

The best thing to do is to seek mentorship. This will be the best course of action. A mentor has been through a lot of pain and suffering so you will not have to. The mentor will not have to do much because they will be setting all the rules and goals for themselves. They will problem solve and discover things without their own knowledge.