The Into Games mentorship programme links mentees with a games industry professional with the aim of building up their confidence, skills, and network to eventually better access a career in the games sector. We are immensely proud of the programme and we love hearing from both mentors and mentees about their experience. In this blog series, we aim to highlight some of our favourite stories of mentees going on to get their first games industry job thanks to the guidance they have gained from their mentor.

Lara-Anne and her Art Director mentor Said were kind enough to answer some questions about their experience...

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What made you apply to the Into Games mentorship programme?

Lara–Anne: I became a mentee through the BAFTA YGD competition. I was a finalist and the people who work there introduced me to the Into Games Programme. 

Said: I was introduced to Into Games by one of my line reports, who explained the platform. It sounded interesting to be able to help aspiring game developers into the game industry. Especially helping the minority that are not well represented in the game dev industry was appealing to me as I myself come from a multi-cultural background.

How did you work with your mentor/mentee and what was the experience like?

Lara–Anne: My mentor and I used Slack and messaged each other questions and answers. It allowed us to be flexible as we could ask/answer in our own time and I could look back on our previous conversations if I forgot something. Working with my mentor has been very beneficial for me as I learned many things about the field I was interested in that I wouldn't have known if I was just presented with a career description from a website.

Said: We used Slack mostly for discussions. It worked really nicely as Lara-Anne and I were on so different schedules. She would message me with questions and imagery which I then – when I found an open slot in my schedule – would take time to answer and feedback. For me it was quite a new experience doing it remote like this, it could be difficult at times to get a good flow of conversation going. Eventually it started to develop further as Lara-Anne would send me a big list of questions at once in which I could take some time and respond to. In retrospect I would have probably preferred more video calls, however, it never came to mind and my mentee never asked for it so I didn't feel like it was needed. 

Would you recommend the Into Games mentorship programme?

Lara–Anne: Yes!

Said: Definitely for all professionals who want to reach out to aspiring game developers and help them in their careers. Especially for those that are interested in helping to improve the variety and diversity of the game development industry, this is a good place to do it.

What kind of person do you think our programme would suit?

Lara–Anne: This programme best suits a person who has already begun their journey as there are a lot of other mentees who have already picked up skills and have gone through some higher education. However, it would work just as well for those interested in games at an earlier stage of their life. 

Said: Everyone! I think we need everyone to pitch in and broaden the view of the game industry. Especially mentees with other cultural backgrounds. As well as anyone who is struggling in their career and need some push into the right direction, this could be a good place to get that advice.

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If this interview has got you interested in signing up to the Into Games mentorship programme check out more info here, and be sure to follow us on Twitter.