Previously announced to celebrate International Women’s Day, Xbox has opened registration for their new global program called, “Mentoring: Kickstart Your Career.”
The program is a mentorship opportunity for everybody that’s interested in a career in the gaming industry. It involves one on one coaching sessions in select markets such as the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, and Korea, with more markets will be added to the list at a later date.
There are eight mentors, all of which are women, who will serve as mentors for those who apply or as Xbox calls them, “Mentees.” The choice of mentor will depend on the applicant’s region. Hailey Geller, an Xbox Social Marketing Manager based in the US, wants the experience to be inclusive for both the mentors and the “Mentees.”
“It’s all about creating a welcoming community and building a platform for everyone. I hope my mentees come away from the experience with a better understanding of the resources, opportunities, and safe spaces for them to be excited to join the next generation of women in gaming!” she said.
“This, I actually got from my mother. It was no verbal advice, but more how she managed life with 3 kids as a shift working single mother. From her, I learned that many obstacles and challenges in life will budge if you put in steady work. That your efforts will be recognized eventually, if sometimes not right away. That one should focus on one’s own way, but always help and that there is no benefit from jealousy,” she said.
Bagun is an Event Host, based in Central Europe. She also does Esports and appears on the Web and TV. Her “Art of Gaming” for TV station Arte, a European Culture channel, was nominated for the Grimme Award in 2018. The award is known as the “German TV Oscar.”
According to Forbes, “Mentees” are promoted five times more often than people who don’t have mentors. Similarly, mentors are six times more likely to be promoted. And as outlined in a 2019 survey, 82 per cent of men have had male mentors, and 69 per cent of women have had female mentors.
Xbox says their new program can, “help support the next generation of leaders and close the gap between the women gamers and those who working in the industry.” The Entertainment Software Association also says across all ages and ages, 45 per cent of gamers identify as female, while 24 per cent of those working in the indsutry are women.
Registration for the program is free and is open to everyone 18 years of age and older. The deadline to register is April 17 and “Mentees” will be selected later this month. You can find more about it from the website at www.xbox.com/mentoring.
