Don't want to bum you out but I know I'm not the only one who has noticed the same layoff cycle on LinkedIn over and over. I can tell your future... 1. Studio is shut down, all the devs become active on LinkedIn maybe for the first time in years and do their looking for work posts. People reach out with connections and support emojis. 2. The outpouring of thanks to the wonderful gamedev community. Amir Satvat and other full time LinkedIn influencers are tagged. 3. Nothing comes of all the LinkedIn support. Devs post frustration posts about how hard it is to be laid off and the injustice of the game industry. Many people will later delete these posts when they start to realize studios still aren't hiring them. 4. The reality step. Months pass and prominent veterans are still unemployed, let alone those "juniors" with a mere 5 years experience. At this point, people either give up and disappear, get a job and disappear (rare), or become a chronic disillusioned LinkedIn user. This last one either requires wearing a mask or ranting about capitalism more and more. 5. The laid off devs watch this cycle repeat for a whole swath of suffering people every couple weeks/days. And that's the step I've been on for a few months. But hey I've been working hard on my family and my solo projects. Magehunter coming soon, and AAA Simulator devlogs will be in production even sooner! Make art for yourself and those you love. Don't make my mistake - look for happiness outside this Microsoft product called LinkedIn.
Noble Smith
3w
LinkedIn is utterly useless as a job networking resource. I have been using it since its inception and have never gotten a job via this site. I have met some cool people though. But it’s fun to bash Microsoft using their own business social media platform.
I have never seen things this bad in terms of jobs in gamedev, and of other people I’ve talked to who’ve been around a while everyone seems to agree. We’ve always had low job security in this industry, but the number of layoffs in the past 2 years has been staggering. In previous instances of layoffs or studio closures, people typically had a reasonable chance of finding opportunities elsewhere, but right now that is not the case. Amir has a pretty good set of statistics and it is shocking how long it takes to get a job, and how many people are still unemployed.
I guess I'm just ahead of the curve as I've been "ranting about capitalism" for decades! 😅
Writing and coordinating things
3wFor me it's a bragging place, so cruel and dangerous in times of crisis, a public resume which feels weird to miss. I tried Premium but didn't see any perks. Keywords in job posting are a joke. Headhunters are wrong about their matches and both parties lose energy connecting. BUT I still have your recommendation on my profile and it's one of the best things that happened to me over the last years. To feel so seen and praised. I'm at the reality step but to disappear means to appear somewhere new. I'll do it, still bitter about the hero's journey you described. So, a mask. Love is still present underneath, thank gods.