Current Position

Narrative Director, Scopely

Major

Cinema & Media Studies and English

Graduating Year

2010

A message from Rayla

Networking is just making friends! It sounds much scarier than it is, but making friends is a great way to learn more about different career opportunities and gain contacts that will help you at any stage in your career. It's also great to have friends to lean on for support and advice when you experience difficult moments in your career, like getting laid off or encountering systemic discrimination in your field.

Stay curious and keep learning, even if it doesn't seem directly job related -- I love getting to work with people who are hungry and eager to continue learning about various topics, even at more senior levels of their career. Sometimes learning about a random hobby or interest can help you solve a problem in your job. Or at the very least, it'll just be an interesting anecdote to share. (PS my hobby - video games - became my career)

You don't have to be the most tech-y person to work in tech (or video games, or any field that's "technical"). There are so many other skills that are useful in the industry. For example, soft skills are incredibly underrated -- I would much rather work with someone who is a great communicator and supportive teammate over someone who is the most technically skilled at their job.

Practice being vulnerable - it's a tricky muscle to work, and we're often trained to have a front where we only talk about our successes. Talking about our struggles helps people empathize with your journey and recognize our shared humanity.

Related, celebrate failure - That Edison quote is a good one, "I have not failed, but found 1000 ways to not make a light bulb". Keep looking for opportunities to fail -- it means you're taking risks and trying new things, and moving forward. Talking about failure normalizes it for everyone.

Valuable skill she regularly uses

Brainstorming ideas is something I use every day. This is one of my favorite parts of the creative process, and it's something I've been doing since I was a kid for fun. Coming up with ideas in a group can be incredibly inspiring, and I love the moment when you realize the idea has become more than the sum of its parts because of the different voices contributing to the idea in their own unique way.

Hobbies and interests

crafting, art, cats, plants, video games, and tv/movies/books.