In this episode of The Goth Boss Podcast, I sit down with Charlotte Pook to talk about what it really takes to land a job in the games and creative industries. We dig into the value of strong portfolios, how to navigate career gaps and where AI is starting to show up in recruitment. Charlotte shares her perspective on attracting diverse candidates, the changing balance between remote and on-site work and how to spot red flags in a job offer.

We also cover practical tips on negotiating salaries, building your network and making speculative applications that actually get noticed. If you’re job hunting in games or creative tech, this conversation is packed with advice to help you stand out and apply with confidence.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:31 Navigating Job Applications in the Creative Industry

02:02 The Importance of LinkedIn and Online Portfolios

04:53 Understanding Career Gaps and Job Market Trends

08:21 The Current State of The Job Market

21:33 Negotiating Rates and Understanding Studio Budgets

28:14 Identifying Red Flags in Job Opportunities

34:30 The Role of AI in Job Applications

43:42 Attracting Diverse Applicants in Recruitment

51:46 The Future of Work: Remote vs. On-Site

Charlotte Pook is an experienced Talent Acquisition Manager in the games industry and a mentor with BAME in Games and Into Games. You can connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-pook-2021/

You can find me, Cat Burton, on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catburton

If you have any questions or comments, send me a message at gothboss.co.uk/podcast.

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I’m Cat Burton, a games industry veteran of 17 years, studio founder and leadership coach. This is The Goth Boss Podcast where I dive into the real challenges of making games and running studios.

From burnout and imposter syndrome to scaling teams and finding funding, I share honest stories, practical strategies and conversations with inspiring people across the games and creative industries.

Whether you’re leading a studio, building your first project or figuring out your next move in games, my goal is to help you thrive and ship your games without burning out.

Links:

GothBoss: https://www.GothBoss.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catburton/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gothbosscat/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gothbosscat.bsky.social

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