Imagine the perfect summer–no part-time job, no internships, just you and the irresistible universe of online gaming; just reclining on your couch, controller in hand and eyes glued to the screen.
But hold on! Time ticks away, and soon it’s the end of summer. You’re a soon-to-be University graduate yearning for that symphony of success, but there’s an employment gap on your résumé.
Would employers turn a blind eye to gaming? Not anymore! Today, gaming isn’t just an idle pastime–no–it’s an unexpected stepping-stone towards career growth.
E-Sporting Skills: The Unorthodox University Crash Course
A few summers ago – a University of Minnesota student who had taken a gaming sabbatical shared his doubts with Lisa Novack, the University’s career development director. His fear was that employers may frown on his summer employment gap.
Novack however, had a different perspective, seeing a treasure trove of skills—autonomous learning, fiscal acumen as well as time management—that had helped him cash in on online poker tournaments.
Novack helped our gamer friend weave these unexpected yet valuable skills into his résumé and in interviews. The endgame? A coveted offer to be a financial analyst at a well-known bank; proof positive that gaming had a hand to play here. The graduate now remains entrenched in the financial services sector.
Gaming is the New Extracurricular
Students have usually lined their résumés with athletics, internships, and in-person extracurricular activities. Yet, a study in the reputable journal Simulation and Gaming suggests online gaming could be the dark horse that boosts career prospects.
Professors and career advisors are encouraged to let students ruminate over how their e-sports passion and proficiency could contribute to their career maps. Here’s another nugget: hiring managers also tap into online gaming, using it as a metric during job applications to determine if there’s a fit.
Skills Unlocked: Don’t Let Your Gaming Knowledge Go to Waste!
There’s absolutely no doubt that gaming–and especially social gaming offers a uniquely fun experience. But there’s so much more to consider when it comes to this past-time activity. The aforementioned study analyzed the gaming behavior of a sizeable 16,033 participants. Findings revealed interesting correlations.
Engineers favored strategy games that test problem-solving and spatial skills; managers were drawn to role-playing games that cultivate organizational and planning skills; IT specialists and engineers immersed themselves in puzzle-platform games that required spatial skills.
Prof. Markus Weinmann, who holds a chair in the faculty of management, economics, and social sciences at University of Cologne, shares his insights. “It’s like a self-selection bias. People who choose a certain job might also like certain games,” he comments in relation to the study.
This isn’t just important–no–it’s crucial. Online gaming is not just a zealous devotion to pixels and polygons. It’s a potential game-changer, putting you on the leaderboard in the relentless race of career progression. Gaming isn’t just fun – it can be the key to open the door to your dream job. Let’s call that a power move, shall we?
