How do you support juniors in the current industry environment? The short answer is: be brave and take the risk. The long answer, we'll share. The current state of the games industry has resulted in a landscape devoid of work for junior and entry-level developers. In a time where more universities and programs are offering game development degrees and classes, these hopefuls are graduating into a world where their field actively makes little room for them. Furthermore, those hopeful to break into the games industry have no point of entry. This panel will examine why this trend is dangerous to the overall health of the industry and why we need junior-level talent in our studios. We will also share best practices for hiring, managing, and developing interns and entry-level talent, with real-world examples of how to build effective support structures and set them, and their leads, up for success.

Takeaway

Attendees will leave with a clear view of why studios need to create roles for entry and junior talent and how they will benefit from hiring them in the long term. They will also leave with examples of how this process has worked at other studios and best practices for advocating to leadership for these roles as well as methodologies for supporting them.

Intended Audience

Developers at all levels, especially those in leadership and positions to hire, will benefit from this talk.