PGC Helsinki 2023 is right around the corner, and while there's plenty to please any card-carrying developer, publisher or ad tech genius, we want to spread the joy even further.

Are you a recruiter? A prospective employee? Or just curious about what openings there are in the industry? Well, check out our Careers Zone!

Organised in collaboration with Game Factory Talents, this is a chance for those looking to find a new opportunity in the games industry to sit down and chat face to face with prospective employers. We’ve marked out an entire area at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki specifically for purpose, and with the help of the great folk at Game Factory Talents, we’re confident that the Careers Zone at PGC Helsinki will soon be changing lives and making fortunes.

We got the chance to speak to CEO of Games Factory Talent, Oleg Paliy, to find out more.

PocketGamer.biz: Can you tell us a little about yourself and Games Factory Talents?

Oleg Paliy: I’m the founder and CEO of Games Factory Talents; a Helsinki based talent attraction agency dedicated to the games and creative industry. Everything we do is about matching the right talent with the right opportunity. To achieve this we strongly believe in going through the journey along with our talents and clients by creating a rewarding experience. We strive to foster a healthy, diverse, and functional workplace like the one we encourage and fight for our talented game developers to have. We host biannual Games Job Fairs, handle direct recruitment, and also have GameDev Talents; a new type of talent board. All of this helps our wonderful community of games industry professionals showcase their skills to growing studios, and choose who to work with.

What's the Careers Zone all about?

The Zone is a talent showcase and matchmaking activity running alongside Pocket Gamer Connects in Helsinki. There are many talented game developers out there who are unfortunately affected by the recent changes in the industry and are looking for their next career opportunity. So together with our friends from Pocket Gamer we set out to help them. We are hosting an onsite CV and LinkedIn ‘review clinic,’ and we are using our custom matchmaking tool—based on our own talent board—to enable talents and studios to meet over relevant opportunities. We are meeting job seekers to help them with career advice and anything they need to get started quickly.

On our tool talents can publish their profiles and studios can publish their open roles. Each side can find a good fit through our filtered search, and conduct one on one meetings at the Careers Zone.

What makes the game industry a unique option for a career in Finland?

The games industry in Finland is tight-knit. From top executives to interns, we are all on the same boat, all on the same level, and all genuinely passionate about what we do. We are ready to fight for and support one another. If you join, you will never be alone, without advice, without options, or helpless. The games community in Finland has your back, and helps you thrive. And of course the games industry here is very international, with over 30% being foreigners and English being the official workplace language.

There has always been strong governmental support and funding to explore new opportunities, genres etc. We as a company have also received it. It’s very handy, especially if you want to try something new, something risky, and it’s great that there’s someone there with you to share that risk. That’s more for entrepreneurs, of course, but for those who want to build their career in games Finland offers opportunities to work in bigger studios and become a specialist, or in smaller studios and enjoy being a generalist. There’s a sweet spot for anyone, really.

Games in Finland are also an industry full of innovation. The ability to be experimental and take risks means that you get to try fun new approaches, and develop your skill set in exciting, unique ways. It’s a place of possibilities.

Why are events like Pocket Gamer Connects, where people can participate in areas like the Careers Zone, so important?

It’s no secret that the market is going through some tough times, but it’s also known that the games industry can be hard to break into for juniors. We are one of the biggest entertainment industries, and that can make networking and locating the right people and opportunities a time-consuming task.

Events like Pocket Gamer Connects, one of the many in the country including our own Games Job Fair, provide a time and place to meet and connect in a structured way and with a clear purpose. Casual meet-ups are wonderful, and we love them in Finland, but job seekers especially can’t always afford the time and funds to attend them. They need that bang for their buck. And many times they just need advice, someone to meet and talk to. The Careers Zone is exactly the place for them to meet us and receive that advice in, like I said, a structured way, and of course meet the studios who need their skill set on the spot.

This is where such events come into play. Everyone is here to have a good time, but also a productive one. We need them to bridge those gaps in supply and demand, and to ensure there is always support and genuine connection. We are strong when we stay connected.

And there's more…

Want to know more of what's on show? Get the lowdown on all the tracks at PGC Helsinki 2023 here and browse the full list of speakers here (use the toggle at the top to switch between the two days of the show).

From mobile to big screen gaming, blockchain, virtual reality and more, with PGC Helsinki 2023, there’s always something new to learn so don't miss out.

Find out all about the show and get your tickets here!