FAQs
What is Sumo Group Evolve?
Sumo Group Evolve is a free career development programme built by Sumo Group’s Learning and Development team to help you Learn your way to Leading.
Built on the foundations of Sumo Group’s successful internal programme, Evolve is aimed at mid to senior level independent game developers with over five years of experience who want to take their first step into a leadership role, but have had limited access to learning and development opportunities.
It’s free and delivered in virtual bite sized learning chunks by a host of experts in their field.
Who is the Sumo Group Evolve programme for?
The Sumo Group Evolve programme is intended for anyone that classes themselves as being in a ‘mid’ to ‘senior’ position within the games industry that would like to take their first steps into moving into a team leadership role.
I’m currently a graduate/junior, can I participate in the programme?
We aim to welcome as many eligible people to the Evolve programme as possible. Whilst there is no harm in applying, please note that we will be prioritising those currently at a mid – senior level in their career.
I work at a Sumo Group studio; can I take part?
Sumo Group Evolve is primarily aimed at indie developers external to Sumo Group studios. However, it should be noted that SGE is built off the foundations of our Level-Up initiative offered free to all employees. Please refer to Dojo and/or reach out to the Learning & Development team for more information.
How do I sign up to the Sumo Group Evolve programme?
In order to sign up for the programme, all you need to do is fill out our application form. All participants should hear back no later than W/C 6th May, 2024.
When do sign ups open/close?
Sign-ups for our first cohort open on the 3rd April, 2024. Applications will then close on the 5th May at 23:59BST (GMT+1)
Please note: The dates of programme have been confirmed. By applying to participate in the programme this will be treated as an agreement that you are able to participate in all our sessions.
What will be expected of me on the programme?
At its core the Sumo Group Evolve is a learning and development programme aimed at helping participants develop key leadership skills. Due to the learning nature and delivery of the programme, active vocal participation and team collaboration will be required throughout the workshops.
What Hardware/Software do I need to be able to participate?
The Evolve programme will be conducted virtually via Discord with vocal participation required as a minimum. With that in mind all you require is a PC/Laptop that supports Discord as well as a functioning microphone
During each workshop there will be some team collaboration tasks required that participants are expected to take part in. For that reason, we strongly recommend also having a suitable webcam to help with engagement with your peers.
Is there a cost to participate?
Sumo Group Evolve is a free resource being offered to people within the industry. We currently don’t anticipate offering paid versions of the base course.
What are the criteria for participating in the programme?
At Sumo, we want to ensure as many people benefit from the Evolve programme as possible. Whilst we don’t have any defining criteria that will hinder your application, we do ask that participants are:
• Currently employed by a studio that would be classed as an independent small or middle-sized studio.
• Experienced enough to be classed as being in a ‘mid’ or ‘senior’ position in their career.
However, should you be looking to move into a leadership role and/or are imminently taking on leadership responsibilities we would still welcome your application for consideration.
When will applicants be notified if they’ve been accepted onto the program?
We will regularly be monitoring our application form and notifying applicants whether they have been accepted onto the programme no later than W/C 6th May.
What happens if I miss a session, will I be able to catch up?
Sumo Group Evolve is intended to be an active learning programme rather than a passive one. This means all of the learning and takeaways come directly through a series of contributions, tasks and group activities.
With that in mind we actively encourage each of our participants to jump in and engage with the team and the other members of the cohort to get the best experience possible.
However, we do understand that life can get in the way and whilst we encourage your participation with each session, we appreciate that it might not always be possible to attend.
Each of our sessions will have a set of materials that will form the basis of the days experience.
These materials will be fully available at the end of each session for everyone to access, but the context may not always be clear without the guidance of the session to back it.
With that in mind should participants miss a session we will encourage everyone to catch up on their homework in their own time and to reach out to their peers to help them catch up.
Please note: The dates of programme have been confirmed. By applying to participate in the programme this will be treated as an agreement that you are able to participate in all of the scheduled sessions.
How long will course material be available to me?
Participants will have unlimited access to the materials for as long as they remain within our Discord community.