The future won’t build itself: why every industry needs to reinvest in junior talent

Every year, thousands of graduates finish their studies full of ideas and energy, ready to make their mark. They scroll through job boards, eager for their first break, only to find “junior” roles asking for three to five years of professional experience. For many, the dream starts and ends right there.

And that’s a loss. Not just for them, but for the industries they’re trying to enter.

This problem has become more and more visible in the game industry.

Games are one of the most creative, technically complex, and fast-evolving industries on the planet. They blend art, engineering, psychology, storytelling, and community all at once. That means they need a steady influx of new thinkers to stay alive. Yet over the past decade, the number of true entry-level opportunities in games has dropped dramatically.

Studios are leaner. Budgets are tighter. Production cycles are riskier. And the middle layer, the mentors, the senior artists, the experienced producers who once had time to nurture juniors, is shrinking. Many teams now default to hiring only “production-ready” talent, leaving no space for learning on the job.

What does that leave us with? Entry-level roles that aren’t really entry-level.

The vanishing first step

For students and career changers, the barrier to entry feels almost impossible. They’re told to “build experience,” but there’s nowhere to gain it. The new wave of graduates, more than ever filled with women, people of color, neurodiverse, or from backgrounds historically excluded from the industry, are watching the gates close just as they finally got close enough to knock.

And this doesn’t just hurt individuals, but also the future of the industry and its studios. 

The game industry talks constantly about innovation, diversity, and inclusion. But you can’t have any of those without renewal. When the door for juniors closes, the well of new ideas dries up. The next generation of game developers, who grew up immersed in gaming culture, community modding, streaming, and new tech, never get the chance to shape the medium they love.

The missed opportunity

What’s being overlooked here is potential and games, more than most industries, are built on potential.

This new generation of talent is more connected and creative than ever. They’ve collaborated in virtual teams, built mods and prototypes for fun, and developed skills across disciplines long before graduation. They understand accessibility, representation, and player experience at a lived level.

When companies shy away from juniors, they’re not saving time or mitigating risk, but they’re losing perspective.

Fresh eyes see possibilities veterans might overlook. Junior developers ask “why” more often, and in that process, they uncover inefficiencies and assumptions that long-timers have stopped questioning. They also bring energy and adaptability that can rejuvenate a team, especially after long production cycles or layoffs.

Diversity, innovation, and growth don’t happen through shortcuts or one-off hires.

They happen through cultivation; building an environment where new voices can learn, contribute, and thrive.

The ROI of growing talent

When a studio takes a chance on a junior, it’s not just filling a role. It’s creating loyalty.

That developer learns your tools, your culture, your philosophy. Over time, they grow into seniors and leads who understand not just the technical side of production, but the soul of your studio. That’s how strong teams and sustainable pipelines are built.

Some of the most iconic names in gaming started small and in different roles. As QA testers, interns, modders, or community managers who were given a shot. Those stories are industry folklore now. They’re proof that mentorship and opportunity fuel creativity and longevity far better than hiring only at the top.

And if we look beyond games for a moment, motorsport offers a powerful parallel.

The world’s top racing teams invest millions in junior programs. They know that to win tomorrow, you must invest today. Not every driver makes it to Formula 1, but the ecosystem thrives because the pipeline exists. The same logic applies to games: if you want the next great lead designer, narrative director, or art visionary, you need to build the system that helps them start.

Changing the studio mindset

Hiring juniors is changing perspective and not looking at them as a burden, but as potential. 

Studios need to move from “hire-ready talent” to “build-ready talent.” That means reintroducing mentorship, rebuilding the middle layer, and creating pathways where learning is part of the job, not a separate privilege.

It doesn’t have to be complex or expensive. It can start small: one intern per team, one mentorship cycle a year, one senior given protected time to teach. Some studios already do this beautifully; they make juniors part of production from day one, give them creative ownership, and celebrate their growth as much as their output.

These are the studios that end up with loyal, motivated teams and reputations that attract top talent. Because word spreads fast. The generation struggling to get in today are the ones shaping the industry’s perception tomorrow.

Play the long game

Every senior once needed someone to believe in them. Every lead artist, producer, or designer started as a beginner who made mistakes, learned, and grew stronger because someone gave them a chance.

If we want an industry that continues to evolve, with richer stories, better worlds, and more inclusive workplaces, we have to start rebuilding the ladder.

Mentorship, internships, apprenticeships aren’t optional. It’s time to think beyond short-term output and play the long game.

Motorsport knows you don’t win championships without developing your rookies. The same is true here. The next great storyteller, coder, or creative director is out there, waiting for their first green flag.