[tsloper]

Level designers, okay. Junior game designers I promote from within. I do not hire game designers without experience, period.

Edit: Upon reflection, I get your point. If I was working on a huge title like Civilization or something and needed a dozen junior designers, and couldn't fill those roles from QA, that would constitute sufficient desperation that I would consider hiring raw untested college grads. But they would be hired on a probationary basis (not given full employee status from day one, making them difficult to let go if they don't work out). Like I always say, there's an exception to every rule.