25 years in the industry here. Started at studios and been indie for 10.

My best advice for today:

Make something in your craft, whether it is art, a game, code/tools, music… that gets significant attention from an audience online.

If you cannot get enthusiasm for your work online, it is unlikely you are going to get a job.

In some ways, it’s never been easier to know if you are good enough. It’s never been easier to learn.

It’s never been harder to stand out. And imposter syndrome is too often confused for “you just arent good enough yet”.

So if you keep making stuff and nobody cares, figure out how to get better or quit wasting your time.

This is brutal but accurate. I have heard from authors that get asked by publishers what their X and Instagram follower counts are before they're even considered.

Being able to connect to an audience is becoming absolutely everything.