October 5, 2023
If you’ve recently become aware of esports (or been obsessed with video games your whole life!), you may be wondering how people turn video games into their careers. While most are familiar with content creators or professional esports players, there is a shocking amount of career opportunities outside of being in front of the camera. From being a professional game observer, to even working in esports law, the growing esports industry has a spot for anyone and everyone.
Abolishing the Gatekeeping Mindset
When beginning the search for esports careers, people tend to invalidate themselves and their journey. What if I don’t have the right experience? How do I write a resume tailored to the esports realm? Although these are valid questions to think about, they shouldn’t prevent you from applying. Gatekeeping, or the activity of trying to control who gets particular resources, power, or opportunities and who doesn’t, is a major problem, especially in esports. So many people are excited to enter the field that positions can seem impossible to obtain. This reality can cause folks, especially women and nonbinary people , to disqualify themselves before even applying. The gatekeeping mindset can prevent you from coming up with a plan, exploring new skills, or even starting the process of learning how to work professionally in esports.
As you start looking into the many different esports job possibilities, remember that you are valid. If you don’t have the skills to obtain your dream position, don’t give up! People working in your dream position were once in a similar boat; everyone has to start somewhere. Your dedication, passion, and enthusiasm for esports and the gaming industry will help you stick out to current professionals in the field.
Esports Career Resources
So you’ve decided to pursue a career in esports. Congratulations! With so many resources out there, you may be intimidated by resources. Determining what you want to do in esports will help you decide which resources to focus on.
You should first explore Hitmarker, the job posting platform specifically for esports and gaming careers. Founded in 2018, Hitmarker has become the best resource for prospective job seekers to identify open positions within the gaming sphere. With its news articles, career advice, and Discord server for folks in the industry, it’s no surprise that Hitmarker has grown so quickly. Companies like Riot Games, Team Liquid, and Playstation post job postings (from internships to senior positions) on the website.
More great resources to explore are the many professional esports bootcamps. While universities like the University of California – Irvine run their esports player bootcamps, organizations like Enlight.gg and the*gameHERs run professional development bootcamps. These educational classes help identify career paths, skills to practice and perfect, and offer unique perspectives from current professionals. Although some bootcamps have a price attached to them, most offer scholarships and discounts to people from diverse backgrounds.
If you’re still in school and exploring esports, you likely have a tight budget and cannot afford a bootcamp. However, there are still great options available to explore! For example – are you interested in broadcasting? You can check out organizations like Broadcast.gg!
With more career-specific skills like marketing, project management, data analytics, and other similar career paths, the best resource to start gaining these skills is at your educational institution.
Collegiate Opportunities
The collegiate esports world is rapidly growing, and more opportunities are popping up daily. With organizations like National Association of Collegiate Esports, National Esports Collegiate Conference, and ECAC Esports, many universities are starting to create their varsity esports programs. These educational institutions rely on their target audience (their students) to design and develop their esports programs. Becoming a member of your educational institution’s esports program opens up a wide range of opportunities.
For example: if you’re interested in pursuing a career in social media, you can offer to run the program’s Twitter or Instagram. If community management is more your style, you can customize and help direct your team’s Discord. The possibilities are endless, and they don’t stop there. Many collegiate esports organizations have openings for students to intern and understand how to run esports leagues. As well as this, professional esports organizations are opening up more and more internships.
The collegiate esports space is new enough that there are no rules for what you can and can’t do. You can propose an esports program to your university, work with your esports director to create a local LAN event, or start your broadcasting career by shoutcasting your university’s matches. Taking advantage of the opportunities you can create yourself is a huge selling point for prospective employers. In a field where jobs are so sought out, those who persist and find innovative ways to work towards their goals stand out the most.
The “Amateur” Field and How It Can Lead to a Full-time Job
Maybe you’re not in school, or you’re looking for opportunities outside of the collegiate league. There are still so many opportunities out there for you! The great thing about the esports industry being so young is that degrees are not required to succeed. Although it can help you stand out from the crowd, your experience and passion will catch the most attention.
Organizations like Galorants run tournaments tailored explicitly towards women and nonbinary players. These “amateur” organizations are essential to closing the gender gap in esports. Not only are organizations like Galorants tailored towards women and nonbinary players, but they also focus on hiring folks with these identities. As a result, more and more leagues are being created, which in turn creates more opportunities to get experience.
Working in amateur leagues can help gain the experience necessary for a full-time job. Unfortunately, many of these positions are unpaid. Most beginners in esports work part-time or treat it as a hobby while they continue to improve their expertise, learn new skills, and build their network. Regardless, working in amateur leagues can help build an experience that can lead to full-time employment.
The Importance of Networking
Arguably, the most important skill to have in esports is the ability to network. Networking is when you build relationships with other professionals both in your career field and in other related fields. One of the best social media platforms to network on is LinkedIn. Although Twitter is typically the esports social media, many esports professionals utilize LinkedIn to keep up to date with industry trends, discuss relevant esports topics, and, most importantly, get to know and recruit the next generation of esports leaders.
Although networking can seem intimidating, it’s as easy as introducing yourself and asking someone what they are passionate about. However, networking works both ways: just like you want to learn and gain a unique perspective on someone’s career in esports, that same person wants something out of the conversation. Specifically, when it comes to esports, messaging someone and asking if they can get you a job in a certain company won’t get you that far. Instead, inquiring about the skills and passions that led someone to work in esports can start a beneficial, two-way relationship. Sharing experiences is the best way to genuinely make a connection with someone without it seeming awkward, choppy, and only for professional development.
How do you actually start networking, though? The process is more simple than you think! Picture a company that you’ve always wanted to work for: maybe it’s Cloud9, Evil Geniuses, or even Dignitas! Utilizing LinkedIn, you can search for the company you are interested in and click on the “people” tab. This will show you people currently working in the company. Next, you can check out their profiles and send them an invitation to connect. Pro tip: always include a message with your invitation and make your goals evident from the get-go. This saves a lot of time for both parties!
Prioritizing Your Mental Health
Some people may tell you that you should dedicate hours of your day learning, researching, and attempting to network. Although some superhumans can achieve this, the most important aspect of pursuing the esports industry is focusing on you. Your values, your time commitments, and your mental health are the most important aspects of yourself. Overworking yourself to try and obtain a job in an unrealistic amount of time will only cause burnout, stress, and, in worse-case scenarios, depression.
Here are some ways that you can prioritize your mental health during your esports journey:
- Understand your boundaries and what you can handle. Although jumping on new opportunities can be exciting, taking on too much will lead to burnout. Prioritize your well-being over new opportunities.
- Dedicate time to yourself every day. This can be as simple as taking a shower, writing in a journal, or even just watching your favorite YouTube channel or esports broadcast.
- And most importantly, don’t set unrealistic expectations for yourself! Everyone’s journey is unique, and it can take time to develop the skills to get into the field. Like any other professional industry, the gaming industry is constantly adapting. A strategy that works for someone else may not work for you, and that’s okay!
Conclusion
Although working in esports can be an intimidating adventure, there are so many pathways you can take to work in the field. Whether you do it as a hobby, a side job, or make it your full-time career, the esports industry as a whole benefits from new, diverse people entering the field. Remember these six steps:
- Don’t prevent yourself from exploring esports due to a lack of experience.
- Explore esports career resources such as Enlight.gg and Hitmarker.net!
- If you are still in college, explore collegiate opportunities that may be out there for you.
- If you aren’t in college, reach out to start-up esports organizations!
- Remember that networking is your best friend.
- And finally, regardless of your interest in working in esports, always prioritize your mental health.
Interested in adding Lethe to your esports network? You can follow them on Twitter or reach out to connect on LinkedIn!