Level up! December Edition ??

Happy Holidays, game devs! Gear up for the last-of-2023 edition of our newsletter, and get ready for a whirlwind of news, updates, and a whole lot more... ????

Over on Discord, we recently had the chance to host an AMA with Rose Horton, Talent Acquisition Manager at Dambuster Studios. Some fantastic conversations were had, with Rose answering questions from our dedicated members to help them grow and learn about careers in the industry. Here’s some of her top tips condensed! And be sure to check out our Discord to join in the next one live!

Life in Talent Acquisition

“I’ve always worked in talent acquisition in a variety of different industries before coming into games, and I love helping people find their dream jobs. There is such great satisfaction from that! And I think if anybody's looking to get into talent acquisition, having those key people skills such as good communication, attention to detail, and having a bit of a creative mind is important. It's great to do all the technical things like define processes and make sure that people are getting fair and consistent treatment throughout.

There’s some difficult roles to fill, and you need to be finding the right people and you need to be able to talk about the company you're working for in a really positive and strong way. To be able to do that, get out there and apply and work for a company that you believe in, where you believe in the product, and I think that's what makes my job working at Dambuster so easy because not only do I love games but I love the people that work there.

They're all so engaging, they're all so passionate about what they do and it honestly makes going to work every day an absolute joy, and that would be my advice to anyone looking to get into TA.!

Networking is king, and getting laid off isn’t the end

“I think first of all, build and expand your network. Start connecting on LinkedIn, or another network that's relevant to the industry that you're in, but specifically for games, ArtStation is really good. You can post things that you're proud of, and people will engage so much more with positive posts rather than, you know, the sadder ones.

I totally get that it is a really sad time for people at the moment in the games industry. I can empathise as I was made redundant from my last position and it really does make you reconsider what you want out of life. But you need to remind yourself that just because it didn't work out in your last position, it doesn't make you any less capable at the job that you did. You're still fantastic. You need to try and remain positive, keep up with your projects, remain true to your passions and keep yourself busy in that regard too.

So reflect on what you've learnt, and don't let your fire be put out by anything. Just continue to be the dynamite person that you always were in your last job.”

An example of an application that stood out

“There was an application I saw recently and it was from an animation candidate and oh my god, it was so good. It was a YouTube video and it started out with a black screen. This little mechanical spider that pokes its head around from behind the screen. It scuttles on and starts doing all these little movements and these cute, funny poses. And then suddenly it looks at you as though it just noticed you, and it gets scared. And then it jumps at you, coming at you through the screen, and it was really cool to watch, and it didn't end there.

The next part of the video showed the behind-the-scenes elements they did to create it, and that was really cool because you're not just seeing the product, you're also seeing how that person put it together. So that's probably the one that stands out for me most recently.

And it's not just about Wowing me, it's about wowing the team that are going to be looking at it as well because we look at every application that comes through. And I think one piece of advice for people that are applying for any roles in games is to have your portfolio up to date.

It's so important and we need to see you demonstrating the skills and the capabilities that you could have in the position that you're going for. And people have got to remember that your brand is the most powerful thing that you own and you've got to be ready to shoot your shot. Because nobody else is going to shoot that for you. We want to see things that you're doing and working on now."

The importance of events and opportunities

"If you have the chance to go to networking events, absolutely say yes to them. Especially to people who aren't working at the moment. If somebody offers you a free ticket somewhere or a coffee chat, take it and say yes, because the worst thing you can do is miss out. You need to get out of your comfort zone with these things.?

When you’re chatting to people, stay focused on what you're working on. It makes it so easy for people to talk to you about something that you're passionate about, because people thrive on the passion of others and it creates a really good energy.

Another thing to do would be explore new technologies and ways of working, because in five years time, the tools that we're currently using are most likely going to be outdated or are getting updated. So stay ahead of the trends, read the articles, watch the videos, go to expos, and that would be my advice on that."

Don’t be a generalist

"One reason people may get an application declined is if they take a scattergun approach.

So if they're just applying for loads of roles and they've not got the specialism that we're looking for in that specific role, then we'll know this person is applying for the sake of applying and really wants to get to us. It's really important that you are a specialist in what you do and try to avoid doing the generalist roles.

There are some places that will welcome that, but for a lot of our roles at Dambuster, we're looking for people who are the subject matter experts in what they do and they specialise in a particular area. So if your experience isn't relevant for the role, then I would probably say, do a bit more digging, try and improve on your experience. But if you feel that you do have the capabilities for the role, then demonstrate it in your portfolio."

The qualities you need to make it

"So I think being able to show your workings is really important. And another thing is communication, I appreciate it can be a bit daunting as well when you first start out in a role but yeah, being able to communicate with people.

Being a team player is very important as well as being able to work independently. So you'll need to be able to come together as a team in the morning, talk about what's going on that day, or what's going on over the next project, and then you will need to go away and do that work by yourself. I think people underestimate the power of being able to work effectively with others. So being open-minded, being open and receptive to others comments. It's important to be collaborative and to be able to work with other members of your team well.

Another thing is being adaptable, and sometimes in a game studio things can pivot. You can be working on something really hard, and then it can suddenly change and you need to change course, but don't be disheartened by that. Don't be put off, see it as the next challenge. You need to be able to bounce back! So having that resilience and being adaptable is very important in a game studio."

Get involved in events like this by joining our Discord server here!

Want to speak with Rose Horton? Connect with her on LinkedIn!

Our very own Safe In our World Ambassador

We're pleased to announce that one of our Creative Content Producers, Keane Considine, is now a Safe In Our World Ambassador!

"I am truly honoured to be a member of the Safe In Our World Ambassador Class of 2024!

While nervous to apply, I’m glad I did. Now, I can’t wait to begin helping Safe in Our World in their mission to help game devs and players by raising awareness and championing discussion surrounding mental health!

2024 is looking to be a great year! "

Alongside our recent announcement of becoming a Level Up Mental Health Partner with SIOW, this puts us in a great position to champion mental health causes in the games industry!

Watch this space!

Follow Keane Considine on LinkedIn

Happy Holidays From GJD

This is our last edition of the year, and we just wanted to say a massive thank you to you all!

Without the incredible studios we get to work with, and eager candidates who choose us when looking to make epic next steps in their career, we wouldn't be where we are today.

We can't wait to show you everything we have in store for you in 2024! See you next year...

- Team GJD