For the fourth year in a row, the Develop at Ubisoft mentorship program helped promising women and non-binary talents shape their dream career in gaming. Over the past months, 90 mentors from 19 Ubisoft studios welcomed 90 mentees who brought a fresh perspective and new ideas into Game Design and Programming and got to develop their own creative project.
Guillemette Picard, Senior Vice President of Production Technology at Ubisoft, and the program’s sponsor, shared a few words to highlight the importance of running programs like Develop at Ubisoft:
“I’ve had great mentors over the years – men and women who helped me grow and shape my professional experience. Mentorship was (and still is) a rich and humbling journey. It allowed me to take a step back, challenge myself, seek new perspectives, and build my network. And I believe that it is as enriching for the mentor as it is for the mentee. That’s why I’m so enthusiastic about the potential of Develop at Ubisoft to empower women and non-binary individuals who are in the early stages of their professional life in our industry, a space where we are still underrepresented.”
In the following interviews, three mentees and their mentors look back on this enriching experience, share their biggest takeaways from this initiative, provide some advice to those who would be interested in joining a mentorship program, and more!
Laurent Lavigne (Lead Game Designer) and Ludivine Dubois – Ivory Tower
Stephanie Kek and Ashraf Azhar (Junior Narrative Designer) – Ubisoft Singapore
Juliette Pelletier (Gameplay Programmer) and Elizabeth Michaud – Ubisoft Québec
Let’s hear from our mentees first!
Can you introduce yourself in a few words?
Ludivine: I have graduated in Game Design in 2022 and I am currently a Game Master in an escape game. I have been playing video games for as long as I can remember. I love RPGs, simulation, action/adventure, and strategy. Apart from video games, I love reading fiction, working out, and baking!
Stephanie: I’m an aspiring Game Designer. I love board games, Dungeons & Dragons, and roguelikes. I’m currently helping to design physical escape game rooms with LostSG in Singapore and I’m looking forward to doing more in the video game industry.
Elizabeth: I’m a 4th year student in Software Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal. I have been passionate about video games since my childhood, and I started to learn about video game development in college. I had the opportunity to complete my first internship in gameplay programming last summer with an indie studio.
Why did you decide to sign up for the Develop at Ubisoft mentorship Program?
Ludivine: After a year and a half of unemployment, I saw an ad on social media for the Develop at Ubisoft program and something clicked in me. I applied at Ivory Tower in Game Design and got a positive response. Seeing a company wanting to expand their diversity by offering such programs is so important for under-represented groups.
Stephanie: I decided to pursue game design as a career 2 years ago, and I started out with zero knowledge and experience in this area. I was looking for an opportunity to learn more and build up my skills. So, when I came across Develop at Ubisoft, it seemed like a natural step to take.
Elizabeth: My internship in gameplay programming was a confirmation for me that I wanted to pursue a career in the video game industry, so I decided to sign up for the Develop at Ubisoft mentorship program to learn more about video games development and gain experience. I think that mentorship is a unique opportunity because you can get personalized feedback on your work which helps improve your skills.
How was your experience within the program?
Ludivine: I learned a lot from the program and my mentor. Being given a theme to work on was very inspiring. I had to create a game and its mechanics where players only have one button to play with. It was challenging but thanks to my mentor’s help, I managed to turn in a project that was as inclusive as possible which is something very important to me.
Stephanie: It was a fun and very encouraging experience. I got along really well with my mentor and learned a lot about the innerworkings of both Ubisoft and Game Design as a career. It was fun to connect with those who were also interested in this career path. __ Elizabeth__: It was a great experience! I liked the fact that we had a lot of freedom in the choice of project we wanted to develop even if we were given a theme and an API to use. Also, my mentor offered incredible support and advice to help me learn about what I wanted to.
What is your biggest takeaway from the program?
Ludivine: My biggest takeaway from the program was definitely everything I learned from my mentor, from how to write in a clear manner to being as professional as possible in my approach. My mentor really helped me shape my ideas and gave me a lot of feedback and leads.
Stephanie: This program has helped cement the fact that I want to pursue this career path and be a part of this industry. I hope that I’ll be able to take further steps in that direction!
Elizabeth: My biggest takeaway from the program is that the best way to learn is to try new projects even if it seems challenging. Try the best you can and then ask questions and get feedback from someone with more experience than you.
What advice would you give someone who is interested in a mentorship program?
Ludivine: Do not hesitate to apply, your mentor is here to help you and to give you ideas. This whole experience will allow you to forge your skills even more. Develop at Ubisoft is made to be as inclusive as possible. So, apply! You won’t regret it!
Stephanie: Of course, do your research and make sure it’s a suitable and properly made program, but also, if you’re interested in it, then don’t hesitate to apply. If you’re passionate about something and there’s an opportunity to develop that passion, then just go for it.
Elizabeth: You should definitely try it! You’ll see how much you can gain from it. You will not only learn new things but also meet great people and in the end, you will be proud of what you’ve accomplished.
And now, a word from our mentors!
Can you introduce yourself in a few words?
Laurent: I am Lead Game Designer on The Crew Motorfest at Ubisoft Ivory Tower. I’ve been working in the video game industry for 17 years and joined Ivory Tower three years ago.
Ashraf: I am Junior Narrative Designer at Ubisoft Singapore. I grew up playing almost all of the SNES library, and I also play support/healer in various multiplayer games. Professionally, I come from a scriptwriting and broadcast media production background, and I have been very fortunate to have a career discovering how stories can be told through the medium of video games. __ Juliette__: I am Gameplay Programmer at Ubisoft Québec. I love video games, programming, and movies. I do go outside sometimes though, we have beautiful nature here in Québec, so in the summer I absolutely love some glamping and campfires.
How was your experience within the program?
Laurent: It was the first time I took part in this kind of program, but I already had experience with mentoring students. Although this experience was truly enriching, I would love to see the program foster even more interactions between the mentees and their mentors!
Ashraf: It was my first experience being a mentor. It’s a strange feeling, sharing my experience as well as my own learnings from my own mentors to my mentee. I was nervous being a part of this program as I was the least experienced designer amongst the mentors. But I'm very grateful to the other more experienced mentors Vincent Chua, Ronald Bay and Alvin Wong at Ubisoft Singapore for guiding me, and to our HR team for organizing coaching & leadership workshops for us, as well as very enriching and engaging communication workshops with our mentees.
Juliette: It was my first time as a mentor within this program and I had a great experience. I loved seeing my mentee’s project come to life, and in the end she got an internship at Ubisoft Montreal so I really couldn’t have asked for a better outcome!
What was your biggest take away from the program?
Laurent: To share the correct amount of recommendations and feedback, to make sure the mentee is the full owner of her creative proposal.
Ashraf: I learned what it takes to truly be listening – it's an elusive skill, but I hope to continue getting better at it.
Juliette: That getting your hands dirty and starting a project from scratch, either with a personal project or a program like this, is such a great way to learn and have fun at the same time. In the end, you have one more entry in your portfolio, and you get to show that you’re passionate about what you do.
What advice would you give someone who is interested in becoming a mentor?
Laurent: It’s not a cooperation similar to a daily basis relationship with a subordinate. You’re here to help, so just let the mentee feel free to propose something they are happy with. Give some tips from a formal perspective but let them try and experiment.
Ashraf: Do you remember when the idea of working in video games first sparked in your mind? Perhaps, at one point, you experienced the magic of a great video game and the desire to try and create something wonderful grew within you. That fire – that personal why – I believe is incredibly important: it's unique to everyone and it's something worth sharing. If you have some fire to share, I think mentoring is one such avenue where you can do so.
Juliette: Go for it. I say that because at first, as a junior programmer, I was a bit hesitant. The truth is you don’t need to be a programming wizard with 50 years of experience to be a good mentor. I think even in a few years working in the industry, you gain a lot of insights that are very valuable when guiding someone in a project when it comes to help them avoid pitfalls and focus on best practices. If they have a question that you don’t know the answer to, it’s perfectly fine to look it up or ask your own colleagues what they think, and then you and your mentee can both learn something new!
What change did you notice within yourself after the program?
Laurent: It is hard to say, but I remember that during my studies, it was difficult to find professionals sharing their knowledge. Now that I’m one of them, I will always try to be available to help future Game Designers!
Ashraf: I think being a part of this program exposed things that I can improve on, most importantly in communication. To put it in specific terms, putting all my energy focusing on the person speaking and not immediately reacting; letting thoughts sit and settle to better gauge and address a situation. I still feel I lack a lot of experience, not just as a designer, but as a human being just trying to be a little bit better each day, and I believe that being a better listener helps me in that front.
Juliette: I’m a bit more confident in my abilities as a programmer. As I mentioned, I was worried about not being able to help my mentee with her questions, but in the end, everything went smoothly, and I was able to answer most of her inquiries. Also, I’m now pumped to get involved in other programs like this!
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Over the years, the Develop at Ubisoft program attracted more than 1560 applications. We are proud to say that some of the program’s winners have gone on to become permanent employees at Ubisoft, as well as mentors in the competition!
Congrats to this year’s mentees and mentors for this successful and inspiring edition of Develop at Ubisoft! Find some additional information and photos in this LinkedIn post.