François Cholette-Brousseau

Excited to join the gaming community where we help each other with career planning, job searches, and coaching! I'll be focusing on providing CV and LinkedIn reviews to help you put your best foot forward. A big shoutout to Amir Satvat for bringing us all together! 🙌 Let's make great things happen! 🎮 #GamingCommunity #CareerPlanning #JobSearch #CVReview #LinkedInReview #Coaching #Networking

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Bennett Liu shares an important life lesson here about the power of connections, and the value of supporting one another. His work with our awesome volunteers is one of the reasons XP Game Summit 2024 was so smooth. Check out his talk below:

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Terrible news last night with Behaviour Interactive announcing that it has laid of 95 employees, 70 of which in Montreal. To those impacted by these layoffs, please find a comprehensive list of resources, below: 🥇First, as you are on Montreal, please reach out to us at People Can Fly Studio, we have many roles open right now in Montreal and Canada, please check them out here: https://lnkd.in/eWpV5PbA 🥈Next, Discipline Games Jobs Resources: Over the past weeks I have created 9 (at time of writing) Games Jobs Resources to find jobs in a wide range of disciplines: 🎨 Art, Animation, VFX and UI: This resource contains around 1,200 jobs worldwide across all links. Link: https://lnkd.in/eXgEEUAA ⚙ Engineering and Programming This resource lists just over 1,900 jobs worldwide across all links. It also talks about interview tips and questions to practice. Link: https://lnkd.in/eAufG7q4 🕹 Quality Assurance: This resource lists over 450 QA jobs worldwide. This post also talks about the craft of QA and contains tips and interview practice. Link: https://lnkd.in/e6YwwJeS 📑 Game Production: This resource lists around 400 jobs worldwide. It also contains info about game production as a whole and GDC talks. Link: https://lnkd.in/eE8QgeDq 📢 Marketing & Community: This resource lists around 400 jobs worldwide. It also gives an intro into game marketing and community management. Link: https://lnkd.in/e5MuViug 🎶 Audio and Sound Design: This resource lists around 190 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/eSkPSsWf 📠 Studio Support, HR, Recruitment and BizDev: This resource lists around 290 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/ePG57_7v ⚙ IT, Helpdesk and DevOps: This resource lists around 140 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/e8ZsuiZh 🎮 Game Design: This resource lists around 480 jobs worldwide. https://lnkd.in/dCv_hQXv 🥉 Third, the Ultimate list of Video Games Career Resources: This should be your one-stop shop for all information. My dear friend Amir Satvat maintains these documents, he is a legend for doing this - please check them out: https://amirsatvat.com/ 🎖 Finally, do not give up. Ever. No matter how dark things may look right now, I KNOW you will get through this, you have got this! 👊 Remember you are not alone. If you need help, advice, or even an ear to listen, we're here for you. Always! ➡ A request to my community, please can I ask you to repost this post to your colleagues and friends, so that we can get as many into jobs as possible! And please comment if you or your studio are currently hiring - let's help each other! Much love ❤️ #layoffs #gamesindustry #jobsingames #behaviourinteractive

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Exciting news coming out of Ontario! The new Bill 190, Working for Workers Five Act 2024, prioritizes the candidate experience, which is a huge win for talent development and job opportunities in the area. Check out the details on the new regulations in the link below. Are you living in Ontario? Would love to hear your thoughts! #ontario #canada #employmentlaw

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Back in the Red Storm days, I spent several years as the manager of the Game Design department. In that capacity I did a lot of hiring, and I did my best to develop my team professionally. One of those folks enjoyed working at RSE, but his dream was always to work for the studio that made his favorite game. But, despite all his efforts, he was repeatedly turned down when he applied. I didn't want to lose this designer, but a dream's a dream. So I asked him to show me his latest application before he sent it in. He handed over the application and his answers, and I read. It took half a minute to figure out the issue. I asked him, "What are they asking for in question 1?" He told me. I then asked "What is your response to question 1?" Again, he told me. And finally I asked "Does your response actually answer the question in any way, shape, or form?" He stared at me for a minute, then he looked at his answers, then he looked at me again and said "No." Because instead of answering the question, he had run off detailing something he thought was cool and was enthusiastic about, which, as anyone who has done interviewing will tell you, is a big red flag. Fortunately, after a little explaining, the designer was receptive to the idea of rewriting everything to actually answer the questions at hand. He got hired at dream studio very shortly thereafter, and has had a long and fruitful career in the industry. The lesson here is simple: Answer the question you're given. That especially holds for narrative deliverables. A proper narrative deliverable should fulfill the requested purpose - no more, no less. It should answer the question, not raise new ones, not ignore the original one to tackle other concerns, not bury the original concept under a mountain of additional material. It is sometimes hard for narrative folks to rein themselves in when asked to pitch stories or characters or whatever. Good narrative types have a gift for holding the whole kit and kaboodle in their heads. They see the gestalt - where it starts, where it goes, and what's potentially going to be needed down the line that no one else is thinking about. But that can lead to producing additional work that seems logical, but that no one asked for and no one wanted yet. Often that work strays outside the lines of what is useful. This can have deeply negative consequences. Surprise presentations of unrequested work can blindside requestors and put them on the defensive. It can be seen as staking out territory that is deliberately undefined at this point, an attempt to claim others' creative space. And if it's not up to snuff, it can have long-lasting repercussions for both individuals and teams. So, answer the question. If you think more needs to be said, keep the "more" in your back pocket in case it gets requested. Don't jump the gun, don't try to steal a march, even if you think it's good or necessary. It isn't, and you're not doing yourself or your team any favors by doing so.

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Friends, our weekly community impact update for June 7th! This week, I'm so proud that we added Hailey Rojas' #opentonetwork resource as our 16th community offering. I thank Desirée Rincón 🔜 Toronto XP Game Summit also for her help with that content and design leadership this week as well. Haven't signed up yet for our community badge rewards for being a member and participating in community coaching? Register here: https://lnkd.in/evQpQDfd Our Four Headline Stats First (as always), straight from amirsatvat.com: - Job Placements: We've successfully facilitated over 2,000 job placements. - Advisory Chats: Our community coaches have engaged in more than 37,000 free advisory chats - We added 808 members to our LinkedIn community (88,973 total). - We added 336 members to our Discord community (3,735 total). JOIN OUR DISCORD COMMUNITY HERE: discord.gg/amirsatvat Resource Updates: - Hiring Visibility: Our community now includes 7,501 job seekers, with 70 new candidates joining recently. - Coaching: The number of coaches has risen to 2,228, thanks to 19 new volunteers offering support across our four services. - Role Listings: There are now 13,783 job opportunities across 3,616 organizations. Providing a full update on this is my top priority. - Career Planning: Both our General Planning Resources and our Early Career Pack are now live. Please submit any additional contributions you may have! - Games Org Support Posts: We have highlighted 98 individuals affected by programmatic layoffs. - Free LinkedIn Premium Trials: This week, we provided 20 new 2-month LinkedIn Premium trials to gamers, bringing the total to 370. - Ticket To Ride: We have given out 370 free tickets to gamers across 5 events, thanks to 29 generous sponsors. - Weekly Community Spotlight Posts: We have posted 8 spotlights, allowing community members seeking work to highlight themselves. How You Can Help: We have a page (https://lnkd.in/dY9KQ5a3) detailing 14 ways to contribute, highlighting areas of elevated and highest needs marked in yellow and red. This Week’s 8 New Mentors, 6 New CV + LinkedIn Reviewers, 3 New Mock Interviewers, and 2 New Art Portfolio Reviewers are in the comments! Thanks for your support and let's continue changing gamers' lives together! Super Amiro

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In the Gaming world, Democracy prevails 🎆 Sony's swift response to community feedback on Arrowhead Game Studios's Helldivers 2 is a testament to player power. Cheers to all Helldivers 2 players! When Players' Voices are heard, it's a Victory for All 😄 Here's to a brighter future for Gaming 🎮 For those unfamiliar with the issue, here's an article to keep you updated https://lnkd.in/gqNVQVeh #JBlaze #Helldivers2 #Sony #Democracy #Gaming #ArrowheadGameStudio #PlayerVoices #Gamers #GamingForAll #Crossplay

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I would like to express total support and caring for every single member of the Behaviour Interactive team today upon the news of 95 cuts (70 in Montreal) due to strategic changes, as revealed in a company press release. These situations are tough for everybody involved and I am here simply to say no matter whom you are at Behaviour, I and our community will do anything we can to help you and I am thinking of you today. Specifically, if your role was affected by this news, please utilize support across our three homes. In particular, I want to point you to the Games Org Support Posts under Home 1. They really work and I have a boatload of data to prove it. Home 1 - 🔗 AMIRSATVAT.COM: Our main hub provides 15 resources to assist you in finding work, featuring a fully updated design. - 🔗 Games Org Support Posts: Find a template at AMIRSATVAT.COM (Category 4, Resource 10). If you can provide information from your team (with their consent), I’ll help edit and disseminate the final product, reaching 100,000+ people. These posts are highly effective in increasing visibility, and we've done 98 of them. Home 2 - 🔗 Discord: Join us at discord.gg/amirsatvat, our live extension of community resources. With nearly 3,600 members, we are currently in an open-join phase. Home 3 - 🔗 LinkedIn: Our community here includes nearly 89,000 members, with 1-3 daily posts offering support and career assistance in the games industry. How the Broader Community Can Help: - Spread the Word: Reshares and comments on this post amplify the visibility of these resources. - Offer Support: Utilize the 13 ways listed on AMIRSATVAT.COM under "How You Can Help" to assist, or simply lend an ear or advice on our Discord server. - Join Our Movement: Volunteer with us at AMIRSATVAT.COM to support our colleagues in the games industry. Our network has facilitated over 2,000 jobs and 35,000 coaching conversations to date, the largest impact of any games organization on earth, and has been visited by millions of gamers lifetime.

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Hello, my dearest network! I hope fate treats you well during these stormy days😉 While the industry rattled by shake-ups - GTA V surpassed the 200 million mark, while Red Dead Redemption II made it past 64 million copies sold. As we think about their successes, what really made these games reach such incredible heights? While GTA Online undeniably plays a significant role in revenue streams, it's crucial to recognize that its foundation rests on the bedrock of perfectly well-crafted single-player experiences. GTA V hooked players with its massive open world and gripping story. Similarly, Red Dead Redemption II drew in audiences worldwide with its immersive narrative and detailed world. So, what's the secret sauce behind their success? It's the unwavering commitment to quality, attention to detail, and immersive gameplay experiences. These games weren't just products, they were immersive worlds waiting to be explored, crafted with care and precision. Where I'm heading with this is that it seems like the current industry has shifted towards prioritizing "making product first" over "game first", despite the success story of GTA proving that the opposite approach is actually what works. Of course, I'm not saying this applies to everyone. But I bet some examples have come to your mind😉 Well, here I go kvetching again 😬 😂

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As we kickstart another productive week, let's remember that achieving our goals often requires Collaboration and Teamwork. Whether it's in the office, on the field, or in the gaming world, working together can lead to remarkable achievements. 🎖 Let's support each other, share our strengths, and celebrate our collective successes. 🤝 Here's to a week filled with collaboration, innovation, and teamwork! 💼🎮 #JBlaze #Teamwork #Collaboration #SuccessMindset #ThinkGrowth

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We made it 7 whole business days without a video games layoff. Unfortunately, today, Avalanche Studios Group reported that it closed its studios in New York and Montreal and laid off 50 employees (9% of employees worldwide). If your role was affected by this action, our community is here to offer support through our three homes: Home 1 - 🔗 AMIRSATVAT.COM: Our main hub provides 15 resources to assist you in finding work, featuring a fully updated design. - 🔗 Games Org Support Posts: Find a template at AMIRSATVAT.COM (Category 4, Resource 10). If you can provide information from your team (with their consent), I’ll help edit and disseminate the final product, reaching 100,000+ people. These posts are highly effective in increasing visibility, and we've done 98 of them. Home 2 - 🔗 Discord: Join us at discord.gg/amirsatvat, our live extension of community resources. With nearly 3,600 members, we are currently in an open-join phase. Home 3 - 🔗 LinkedIn: Our community here includes nearly 89,000 members, with 1-3 daily posts offering support and career assistance in the games industry. How the Broader Community Can Help: - Spread the Word: Reshares and comments on this post amplify the visibility of these resources. - Offer Support: Utilize the 13 ways listed on AMIRSATVAT.COM under "How You Can Help" to assist, or simply lend an ear or advice on our Discord server. - Join Our Movement: Volunteer with us at AMIRSATVAT.COM to support our colleagues in the games industry. Our network has facilitated over 2,000 jobs and 35,000 coaching conversations to date, the largest impact of any games organization on earth, and has been visited by millions of gamers lifetime.

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I'm so sorry to report that to hear that, as announced by their CEO and Studio Head tamura koji, that Challengers Games Corp. is closing. If your role is affected by this news, please make use of the support available across our three platforms. Specifically, I recommend checking out the Games Org Support Posts in Home 1. These resources are highly effective, with ample data to back their success. Home 1 - 🔗 AMIRSATVAT.COM: Our main hub provides 17 resources to assist you in finding work, featuring a fully updated design. - 🔗 Games Org Support Posts: Find a template at AMIRSATVAT.COM (Category 4, Resource 10). If you can provide information from your team (with their consent), I’ll help edit and disseminate the final product, reaching 100,000+ people. These posts are highly effective in increasing visibility, and we've done 99 of them. Home 2 - 🔗 Discord: Join us at discord.gg/amirsatvat, our live extension of community resources. With over 4,200 members, we are currently in an open-join phase. Home 3 - 🔗 LinkedIn: Our community here includes over 90,000 members, with 1-3 daily posts offering support and career assistance in the games industry. How the Broader Community Can Help: - Spread the Word: Reshares and comments on this post amplify the visibility of these resources. - Offer Support: Utilize the 15 ways listed on AMIRSATVAT.COM under "How You Can Help" to assist, or simply lend an ear or advice on our Discord server. - Join Our Movement: Volunteer with us at AMIRSATVAT.COM to support our colleagues in the games industry. Our network has facilitated over 2,100 jobs and 39,000 coaching conversations to date, the largest impact of any games organization on earth, and has been visited by millions of gamers lifetime.

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As some of you know, I have taught many workshops for my employers, and for non-profits and schools. Here is a list of the workshops I've created-wondering if there are organizations that would like me to teach any of these (in-person or virtually): - How to Get Hired (resume, cover letter, LinkedIn, and interview tips) - Empowering Women - Improve Your Presentation Skills - Managing Stress - Personal Branding - Coaching & Feedback for Managers - Goal Setting - Performance Reviews (for staff, and for managers) - Recruiting & On-Boarding for Managers Most of these can be taught in one hour, as I like to keep my workshops short and punchy :) Please message me if you're interested, thank you! And, for those of you who have participated in any of my workshops, I would SUPER appreciate it if you leave a comment. 🙏

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LinkedIn's New Gaming Adventure! LinkedIn has entered the gaming arena with the launch of three intriguing puzzle games – Pinpoint, Queens, and Crossclimb. These games are now available on both desktop and mobile platforms, adding a fun twist to the LinkedIn experience. Each game offers a unique mental challenge, including word association, trivia with wordplay, and a distinctive take on sudoku. This move reflects a broader trend in the digital content industry, as companies leverage gaming content to attract and retain users. Amid the challenges of generating revenue from traditional advertising, offering gaming content is seen as a strategic move to enhance user retention and possibly create new revenue streams in the future. LinkedIn's current strategy primarily focuses on user engagement without monetization. The games are free to play and embrace the social aspect of gaming by allowing users to view their connections' activity and engage in friendly competition through leaderboards. This approach represents a shift towards creating a more interactive and social experience within the professional networking platform. With the gaming landscape evolving across various industries, from digital news organizations to platforms like Netflix, LinkedIn's entry into gaming reflects an effort to adapt to user preferences and behaviors. As the company aims to deepen relationships and inject fun into the professional networking experience, it will be fascinating to see how these gaming features influence user engagement and potentially drive future business opportunities on the platform. https://lnkd.in/dsc7eePJ Play the games here https://lnkd.in/dqM7dBW4

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2 days ago, Behaviour Interactive laid off 95 individuals, citing “unprecedented competition” and wanting to focus on its “historical strengths” as the main reasons. BI is one of Canada’s largest independent game developers and publishers, with an average revenue per employee of $282K (approx) and a consistent revenue growth since 2015. On the surface, the world praises a studio for its games and talks about its big moves. Like that, BI is known for its horror titles (especially Dead by Daylight), partnering with WB for Mortal Kombat 1 and co-creating AAA games like Fallout Shelter with Bethesda. We endlessly glorify studios and their games, but we rarely talk about the individuals who actually make these games a reality. Nobody talks about it when game developers who were truly responsible for a video game’s success lose their jobs. In the end, behind all this visible glory, game developers are the ones actually forced to bear the volatile fluctuations in the gaming industry's economy. We congratulate studios when they make great games, but we fire our game developers as soon as things don’t seem to be working out! Imagine putting years of hard work into building a fine game only to hear one day that you’ve been removed from the effing project. So, here is my attempt to highlight game devs who were impacted by Behaviour Interactive. Repost and tag the right people. Let’s bring them maximum visibility from recruiters and game studios that are currently hiring: Jorge Eduardo Chaparro — As a Sr. Community Manager for BI, Jorge established social media strategies for ‘The Casting of Frank Stone’ and ‘Islands of Insight’. Remarkably, he has also been a senior level Community Manager for Studio Onoma (formerly Square Enix Montreal) and Square Enix.   Marika D. — Marika was also BI’s senior community Manager but for its most renowned hit, Dead by Daylight. She has worked on Capcom and Disney’s DLCs apart from DBD. Before BI, she worked for Ubisoft as a Social Media Content Specialist. Meriem B. — A highly talented Social Media Manager who also supported the launch of Islands on Insight to corporate platforms and multiple chapters for Dead by Daylight. Moreover, she contributed to the growth of Behaviour’s audience by 10%. Vincent Davila — A Game & Level Designer of Behaviour Interactive who worked on four unannounced projects before being laid off with some experience in production, too. Sara Calzada — A killer talent who started her career as a Camera Operator and ultimately became an Art Director & Team Lead for BI. Sara has also been a Designer and Concept Artist for Netflix’s 3D animated series - Kitti Katz. #layoffsupport

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GTA VI is launching in Fall 2025! (Fall 2025 = 2026? ... Sorry, I’m joking 😂) This franchise is vital to my gaming past. No game has risen like this one over years. I wish R* a smooth launch and success! Take-Two earnings call highlights: • GTA 6 confirmed for Fall 2025 release. • Rockstar confident in Fall 2025 release. • Take-Two confident in GTA 6's success. • GTA 5 has sold 200 million units total. • GTA series has sold 425 million copies. • Expect more GTA Online DLC & events. • GTA Online sales down, GTA+ revenue up. What is your all-time favorite GTA game? Choose your reaction or share your own. My top pick? GTA V. ❤️

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I'm usually hesitant to make public posts, but I need to express my gratitude to Hatch Works for giving me the opportunity to attend Collision Conf 2024 in Toronto, Canada! I made fantastic connections (and even friends!) and the Collision masterclasses were a perfect fit for Playthical's growth! Pages of notes on crafting standout pitch decks and building resilient startups are ready to be implemented. In particular, I'm grateful to have connected with Re:wild, a conservation and ecosystem restoration nonprofit that aligns with my values. Firstly, Re:wild empowers local organizations and key individuals to protect and rewild. Secondly, it strives to positively inspire and motivate conservation instead of relying solely on alarming messaging. Thirdly, and most importantly for me, Re:wild recognizes the scale at which animal agriculture is responsible for global ecosystem devastation and advocates for plant-based diets. 🌱  I look forward to collaborating with the Re:wild team to explore how Playthical can build interactive web experiences to further our shared mission of saving the planet and its animals. #collisionconf #gamification #plantbased #socialimpact #gamesforgood

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Exciting news for fans of Invincible! 🔥 The hit comic and Amazon series, is getting the AAA treatment with an upcoming console game adaptation. As a huge fan of this universe, I can't wait to see how Skybound Entertainment bring the rich storyline and characters to life. Can you imagine the boss fights?! 😮 #Goodgamingnews 🚀

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