How to get 'senior' in the industry

First of all this is not a ‘rant’ post, this is me looking for answers and trying to understand.

When I first wanted to get in the gaming industry I was 7 years old and when I finished a NES game I went to get my mother and said: ‘Look I finished it! When I am older I want to make games!’ She replied:’ But look at the names in the credits, it’s all Japanese. They make games only in Japan.’

I was not quite happy with that answer and decided that it is what I would do anyways.

When I finished high school I asked the school counsellor: ‘Where do I go study to be a game designer?’ She said: ‘Well there are no such programs but… There are two schools that teach animation’. And it was right, at that time there was no school or programs for ‘video games’ or ‘game design’. So be it, I chose one of school. It wasn’t too bad; it had animation classes but also 3d Max, storyboarding, camera, after effects and art classes as well.

After I graduate, I left on vacation because I had to go through a lot of things during my studies. I left for about a year for Japan. When I came back, I went knocking on every Montreal’s gaming company’s doors. I got no answers but: ‘We are sorry we don’t need juniors for the moment’. Here again I wasn’t satisfied with that answer. I went back to see a teacher and he told me: ‘Since when do you give up? When you knock on the front door and get no answer, go knock on the back door. If still nothing damn get a window open and go from there!’ I was a tad confused and he said: Might not be what you want but apply ‘QA’ and work your way up kid. So I did.

So I did ‘QA’ for a few years, then assistant GD, then game designer and also Level designer.

Today I have 2 shipped titles as ‘GD’ and 1 shipped title as LD. Still, I am tagged as a ‘Intermediate’ GD/LD. When I go to interviews, I still get the ‘We are looking for someone a bit more senior than you.’ So, how do I ever get ‘senior’? If no companies or mentor teaches the one with less experience, now where is the window to more knowledge and experience even?