Take your game industry career to the next level at GDC

We're just weeks away from the 2015 Game Developers Conference, and today show officials seek to remind you about the career growth and networking opportunities attendees can take advantage of through the GDC Career Center and the Game Career Seminar, which offers lectures, panels, and presentations to help new and aspiring developers kickstart their careers in the game business.

The Career Center returns to GDC 2015 to complement the expansive, vibrant Expo Floor with exclusive career development sessions programmed by GDC organizers and top vendors.

Stop by the Center, located on the lower level of Moscone Convention Center's North Hall, to get practical career-building advice and meet folks working at some of the largest and most prestigious publishers and studios in our industry.

In addition to the career-building sessions held at the Career Center, there will be a special one-day Game Career Seminar program on Friday, March 6th designed to give you a chance to learn about the industry and network with leading professionals and HR representatives, both within sessions and at the show's robust Career Pavilion.

The Game Career Seminar is open to all GDC pass holders, including Expo Pass holders. It's also accessible via a special one-day Student Pass for currently enrolled students over the age of 18 -- available on-site on Friday, March 6th for just $75.

Here are a few can't-miss talks from this year's list of Game Career Seminar sessions:

In the two-part session "Killer Portfolio or Portfolio Killer," a panel of artists and art directors from Firaxis, Bungie, Irrational, 343 Industries and Epic Games will share advice on standing out from the crowd and help attendees perfect their art portfolio, so that they'll be better prepared to find a great job in the game industry.

The first session will focus primarily on the dos and don'ts of artist portfolios, and will allow the audience to ask the panelists for specific tips and advice during a Q&A segment. The second session will focus on one-on-one portfolio reviews, giving attendees a chance to get advice and criticism specific to their needs.

Also, don't miss game designer James Taylor discussing new, experimental methods of game design in his GCS session "A New R&D Process for Game Design." As a representative of the University of Chicago's Game Changer Chicago Design Lab, Taylor will share lessons learned from the lab's new Experimental Games Group -- which invites students interested in game design to study new kinds of games and prototype ideas in short production cycles.

Plus, you can catch experienced game writer/designer Katie Chironis breaking down what it takes to go from student to professional game maker in her GCS talk "From Student To Designer/Writer: Real Talk." Chironis will show attendees how to create the perfect design portfolio for their specific design career goals, understand how to position themselves as a unique and skilled candidate & get immediate no-nonsense networking tips. Check it out, and you can expect to walk away with a list of new resources and places to look for work.

For more information on these or any other announced sessions, check out GDC 2015's official Schedule Builder, which continues to add new talks every week.

GDC 2015 itself will take place March 2-6 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. For more information on GDC 2015, visit the show's official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS.

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