Jorge Noyola-Picazzo’s Post

#IHelp Share this and use the #IHelp hashtag You may also find useful info to correct #jobsearch mistakes you're making in the blog at www.TheBigGameHunter.us Let me know if you have any questions about your #jobsearch. That's available to any of you looking for a #newjob #jobsearch #jobsearchadvice #jobhunting #jobhuntingadvice

I maintain a very optimistic perspective on the gaming industry, despite the recent layoffs, due to the significant growth and potential it possesses. Noteworthy aspects include the industry's resilience and expansion, projecting a global market value of $184 billion in 2023, set to increase to $205.7 billion by 2026. There are several contributing factors to this upward trajectory, including but not limited to enhanced accessibility, innovation, strengthened social connectivity, global population growth, improved affordability, ongoing technological evolution, and a wealth of career opportunities. The overarching message encourages both gamers and those contemplating a career in the gaming sector to maintain a positive outlook, emphasizing its spark and promising future. #GamingIndustry #FutureOfGaming #InnovationInGaming #GameIndustryInsights #GamingCommunity #INFINITYUP

Now that my journey at 343 Industries officially ends today, it's time to make the gushy-feelings post. This last year has been quite a wild ride, and it flew by so quickly. Calling the opportunity of HALO being my first industry job poetic is an understatement. It felt like a fever dream. I often heard stories of "Don't meet your heroes," "Dreams vs reality" "You will end up hating your product" but my love for Halo and this line of work only grew. I got to work with passionate Halo fans every day and being a part of the team to shoot Halo Infinite to the stars through seasons 2.5-5 was a magical experience. The year was definitely rocky and scary, having the massive layoffs only 2 months into the job (and the industry constantly continuing them), but what's the journey without its ups and downs? I learned a lot through different kinds of hardships. Making games is not easy, especially ones at this scale. I've been humbled and enlightened by the talented folks I got to work with each day, and while this profession can be scary, I'm more excited than ever to continue this career and explore more into the unknown of this growing industry. I want to give the biggest thanks to my team. My leads, my producers, my Ron Browns, even my recruiters; everyone who made each day just a little bit better. Being so new to the industry, it's easy to feel small, unimportant and imposter syndrome hits hard. Often times I felt I wasn't doing enough work, but so many people at 343 made me feel special and even the smallest work I did had great impacts on others. Everyone made me feel welcome and I truly felt like I belonged at this studio. I'm going to miss it dearly. With this time passed, I'm excited to jump back into Halo as a fan, and am looking forward to seeing where the talented folks take the rest of this game! Good luck guys!! And so, the hunt for the next opportunity begins. Watch out world, Brandon Stam is back on the market, and I'm hungry for work. #Halo #OpenToWork #gamingindustry #gamesindustry #gaming

For those impacted by the recent layoffs at Microsoft Activision Blizzard, my heart goes out to you and my support. I will share as many posts as I can about job opportunities and companies hiring. And will give shout outs to who ever is seeking job opportunities and have been impacted by the string of layoffs that we have in January. I had hoped for a better start to the new year but I know this will pass and as an industry we will come back stronger. For those that are impacted - please reach out here, in comments, in DM, over Discord and I will try to do whatever I can. If you are looking for jobs - feel free to check outscal.com/jobs We have tried our best to bring all the job openings in the gaming industry under one roof but there is still much to do 🙏 If you are looking for a transition in your career, switching to a developer role - happy to help with the online courses that we have as well for free for those impacted by the layoffs. Please tag anyone who might find this helpful - would appreciate it a lot. Last but not least - remember this is a difficult time for the entire industry but its not your fault that you were impacted in this layoffs. So don't blame yourself, your performance was not the reason for it. These situation are beyond your control and we will do whatever best we all can with what we are given. Stay strong.

Today is tough. I may be 36 now, but from a young age I always wanted to work in games. Be on a team that gets to make those experiences that can literally craft childhoods and dear memories. Experiences you never ever forget. I wanted to do that. I was going to stop at nothing to make sure it happened. Then I got married and had kids. And as games became way more expensive to make, as an adult I began to see that it was not the way. 200-600 million to make games means that your margins are thing and you will need to be ruthless to make profits. You know for a fact they will stop at nothing to make profits. 2023 finished with record layoffs amid record profits and one month into 2024, we have yet another crushing mass layoff of what seems like most of blizzard/activision and other internal xbox teams. This is coming off the heals of the 3 trillion dollar company announcement. I could not imagine at 36, waking up literally every, wondering if for literally no reason, I or my team would be cut. Whats even worse is stories of people who literally just signed leases, moved to another state or got married or had children. Like if you pick up your life and move a thousand miles away and in a month boom... WHAT DO YOU DO NOW? I wish I had the answers.. I wish someone did. Because it would appear that still nobody does. Because there are tens of thousands of people who pour their heart and souls into creating these experiences and making sure the consumer keeps playing and coming back for more. I think for me the worst news is the team from Blizzard that worked tirelessly and so passionately over the last couple years on the unannounced survival game, only to have it completely killed off and all their jobs removed.. A couple years ago I am glad I realized that I can just play and enjoy games now. I dont need to, nor do I even want to come remotely close to the amount of un-ease there is in a games industry job. And that hurts. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.

Farewell, Gaming Industry! Thanks for Nothing. 👋😔 As I bid adieu to the gaming industry, I can't help but reflect on the journey so far. Despite my passion and dedication, I find myself unable to find a job in this competitive space. Frustration sets in, but I won't let it dampen my spirit. I believe that every setback is an opportunity for growth. I wish you all the best in your journey, I failed in mine Here's to embracing new avenues and staying optimistic for the future! 🚀 #CareerTransition #NewBeginnings #GamingIndustry #UnityDeveloper #JobSearch #GameDevelopment

TERRIBLE NEWS! I am so sorry guys :( At the same time , I can't stop thinking... Let's put on our cold, hard business hats for a minute and dive into the recent Xbox and Activision Blizzard layoffs from a recruitment agency's point. 🧐💼 1,900 talented individuals just been made redundant....Now, let's crunch some numbers in a perfect recruitment world: 💡 30% of these roles were likely filled by recruitment agencies. That's about 570 positions. 💰 Assuming an average salary of $40,000, agencies would've pocketed $8,000 per placement (a 20% commission). 📉 This adds up to a staggering $4,560,000 in commissions! MILLIONS, mate Now... What was the actual point of all these hires? 🤔💭 Sure, from a purely financial standpoint, this seems like a wasted investment No, no, no don't get me wrong! It's not just about dollars and cents – it's about careers, dreams, and families. BUT What a waste of commission on random recruitment agencies.... gosh (Remark: It seems like I'm missing the point... What I am trying to express is that the situation is extremely bad. I am deeply upset that random recruitment agencies have earned millions, and companies have also earned millions, paying huge sums to these agencies. Yet, in the end, thousands of people are left without jobs. It's a terrible situation, and I completely agree that it's appalling. Nobody deserves this, especially all those individuals who have worked so hard.) #Recruitment #HumanResources #BusinessStrategy #Layoffs #GamingIndustry

It feels like the impact of each new announcement of layoffs is landing before the implications of the last can be fully absorbed in the games industry at the moment - the latest, reportedly affecting Xbox, Zenimax and (primarily) Activision Blizzard, has arrived not even a week since Riot announced 500 lost roles. Along with further redundancies in the tech sector, it has been a difficult January. Something this announcement has in common with Riot is that not a small number of the people affected will be living in very expensive cities, such as Los Angeles and Seattle, having possibly moved there specifically to take up those roles. On the up side, these cities are expensive partly because there are a lot of employers there, and there may be opportunities to get into a new position relatively quickly. Other areas may cost less, but have only one or two studios or publishers of a meaningful size. Remote work policies can serve as a hedge against the cost of living in these expensive cities, but many of the people hit by recent layoffs would have either been negotiating post-pandemic policies on returning to the office, or would have taken jobs post-pandemic which mandated physical presence. It feels like there are some tough questions there. Immediately, there is the question of whether to stay in that expensive city and trade the cost of living against the opportunities, and the likelihood that the next role will also be in that city. And then, more foundationally, there's the question of what to do if an opportunity arises, but requires moving to a new city, with the associated costs. Are we going to see businesses adapting to those anxieties, and if so, how? Are people who feel less secure in their (current or potential) jobs going to be less willing to make major life changes, and will that lead to further pushback on "return to office" policies? Or, contrariwise, will the constrained job market at least in the short term speed up "return to office" where management wants to effect it, with candidates self-selecting on whether they want to make the move? Right now, employers may see an opportunity to restructure their working arrangements before potentially beginning to hire again. However, there are long-term brand implications not just in how companies handle layoffs, but also how they handle the period after layoffs, both for their retained staff and for potential future hires.

Heartbreak Hotel 💔 I've faced a setback on my journey to join the Activision family, as I did not get the role I've been interveiwing for. However, I'm happy and appreciative to have made the top three candidates and this is just a plot twist in my Great Hunt. 🕹️🎭 Undeterred, I've cast my line into the ocean of opportunity again, aiming for another position with Activision (remote this time), a shot with 2K, an alliance with BandaiNamco, as well as exploring all other realms of possibilities. 🚀 I'm reaching out again to this incredible network, to ask that you keep those fingers crossed/vibez coming, and if you happen upon any leads or connections in the gaming universe, please send them my way! I'm not just seeking opportunities for myself; I'm also here to assist anyone in their quests. Should it be in my power to help, just reach out. 🤝💼 Now, a word for those who are openly dismissing the "open to work" banner or job search posts: Shame on you. In a year where ~250k tech workers and counting have faced layoffs, please be less tone deaf. There are hundreds of thousands of people out of work who are both valuable and [potentially] desperate. Being the latter does not negate the former! I've been on this hard road myself for seven long, agonizing, anxious, depressing months. Despite interveiwing endlessly with multiple companies, fate had different plans—hiring freezes, positions closing.. I even had a recruiter get laid off later in the very same day that they contacted me. I thought there was no way I'd go into five different interviews without one offer, but here we are. Compassion goes a long way; let's read the room and support each other instead of disparaging those who are just trying to find their way in these uncharted waters. 🖤 Anyway, as we approach the festive season, here's a little holiday wishlist update (reposted from my birthday last week, lol): If you're thinking of gifts, I wear a size Editorial/Writing/Content/Social/Community role in the video gaming industry. Still searching for that perfect fit! 😅🎮 Let's turn this page together and make the next chapter legendary. ✨ #jobsearch #gamingcommunity #careeradventure #newopportunities #networking #layoffs2023 #vibes #community #videogames #editorial #content #writing #hireme #opentowork #jobseeker

6 days post Activision Blizzard/Microsoft layoffs. The initial wave of anger and sadness is gradually subsiding. I genuinely cannot express how grateful I am for the overwhelming support that has surrounded me during this challenging time. The outpouring of messages, LinkedIn posts, recommendations, and text messages from both colleagues and industry professionals has been truly remarkable. Your collective support has been a beacon of light in a period of uncertainty, turning what felt like defeat into a resurgence of strength. Last week, I witnessed the depth of relationships that will endure a lifetime, and I am truly honored to be part of such a supportive community. This phase of post-layoffs serves as an opportunity to hit the reset button. ➡ I now have the luxury of devoting more time to my schoolwork- saying farewell to those late-night study sessions! ➡I am cherishing the chance to nurture my relationships with friends and family. ➡My dogs are reveling in my newfound freedom, enjoying at least two walks a day! ➡Self-care is no longer sidelined; I now have the luxury of time to prioritize it. In the grand scheme of things, I believe everything happens for a reason. The learnings from my time at Activision are invaluable, and I am profoundly grateful for the nearly two years of growth and experience. Now, my focus shifts to what lies ahead, and I couldn't be more excited about the future! #openforwork