Role Model Videos: Career Options for Women -- Gaming

The “Career Options for Women: Emerging Opportunities” videos introduce your female students to high-wage careers in traditionally male-dominated occupations. Each program reveals the personal experiences and insights of successful women in technology and trades occupations, and sends the all-important message to women and girls that the sky is the limit!

Gaming

This 24 minute video features profiles of three women who have embarked on careers in the gaming industry.

• Dianna Schwanke is a dealer and floor supervisor at a casino
• Leanne Painter is a jockey who rides and races thoroughbreds
• Suzie Dumont is a game designer and multimedia wiz who produces interactive lotto games

Additional information from co-workers and supervisors supplements each job profile.

Developed in 2006, the Career Options for Women series is an outstanding resource for schools wanting to attract women and girls to science, technology and trades.

Note: These videos are interspersed with Canadian salary and labor statistics, which are similar to the numbers in the United States. As there is a no-return policy on these publications, please make sure to look at the preview video clip for the DVD(s) you are ordering.

Dianna -- Dealer

A career in gaming was not originally in the cards for Dianna Schwanke, a dealer and floor supervisor at Casino Yellowhead in Edmonton, Alberta. While taking psychology at a university, she decided to earn some part-time money at a casino and loved the work. Dianna completed her studies, but continued full time in the gaming business. As luck would have it, the psychology degree still comes in handy.

Dianna knows how to deal all games at the casino: craps, roulette, blackjack, baccarat and poker. The most difficult game to deal is craps because it requires 3 dealers and 1 floor supervisor. The easiest game to deal is blackjack which is what all young dealers learn first.

As a floor supervisor, Dianna observes the gaming process, making sure that everything is done according to government standards and laws.

When training to become a dealer, you learn games, casino rules and security procedures. There are no minimum educational requirements, although casinos prefer well-rounded individuals with at least a high school diploma. “It's a really fun atmosphere. You get to meet a lot of interesting people and I enjoy being around people.”

Leanne -- Jockey

Leanne M. Painter's career was off to the races when she got into gaming as a thoroughbred jockey.  Clients who like her riding style get her to ride their horses.

With just a very light saddle between her and a lot of horsepower, Leanne races these speed machines at over 30 miles an hour. There's danger, excitement and little room for mistakes. It's all in a day's work for Leanne, a day that starts at around five in the morning.

Leanne can't eat much before a race. She has to be at her posted weight and this is checked before every race. Leanne's race weight is around a 118 lb, including her saddle and race gear.

Racing takes a lot of nerve. And a lot of cash, if you're an owner. That's why they call horse racing the sport of kings. When a horse does win, the jockey and the owner split the purse based on a percentage. “I love winning. It's the most amazing feeling. It's a big adrenaline rush when you know that you're far in front.”

Suzie -- Game Designer

Suzie Dumont is a multimedia whiz who played the hit and miss game of the freelance world for a while before signing on as a Lottery Games Designer for Ingénio, a subsidiary of Lotto Quebec. You can win money playing the interactive games they sell.

Suzie scored her job from a newspaper ad and became part of the startup team. The gamble paid off. Her responsibilities now consist of coordinating the creative team and bringing new games to fruition.

Suzie works with a team of programmers, graphic artists and creative directors for eighteen months to produce a new interactive game for Ingénio. While users might win a pot of gold playing the game, creating it is the jackpot for Suzie.