How would you view "Competitive Gaming" as an extracirricular?
Just to start off, this is not a troll. I've been using WSO for a while and this is a throwaway account.
I do consider myself a normal dude, I'm quite sociable, ex-state basketball player, leadership positions at campus, have a good but not great GPA at a top target and I've landed one internship in ER and another in PWM. I used to play state basketball in high school but stopped because of a really nasty ankle injury. Just an FYI, my other CC now is I ref basketball games on the weekends and volunteer coach my little brothers U16's team.
Now, I play video games as my main "job" /hobby. I do consider it a team sport, practicing with my team 2-3 times a week like any other sport etc etc. It's a fun gig a couple grand here and there. Barring that, I've had the opportunity to travel in other states and internationally because of sponsors, to play for money.
My question is, will I get laughed out of the room if I even dare to mention "competitive video gaming" as an extracurricular?
Not necessarily. It's a thing nowadays. With games like Dota2 and LoL taking the spotlight. Most of us have played some game or the other at some point of our lives.
Now the question is, have you won any competitions? top 3? prizes?
Yeah I have. Without going into too much depth I've won prize pools in the thousands and with sponsorships and what not I've had flights/accommodation payed for (or partly paid for) to play regionally/internationally. Like I said, I do consider it "professional" in the sense that I don't consider it a it's a saturday night "i'll just play for a couple hours" kinda thing, I actually have made money and take it "semi-serious"
I agree with it being more "recognized" per se with the younger generation, I'm just curious to hear what someone in there 30s/40s would think about this if I shared it.
If you mention the prize winnings and travel component in a bullet point or parentheses, even people who don't know too much about it will recognize you're at the top level of your hobby.
thanks. nicely put.
cheers dick, part of the reason why I put this thread up in anonymity, preparing for at the very least one of the more senior WSO'ers ripping me a new one, hahaha.
Spot on response, came to post more or less exactly this answer.
I'm on the upper end of getting the gaming thing at 40-ish. The money part makes me think it's legit, and I know it's a massive business, but there's a lingering memory of taking bong hits and playing Madden 95 and NBA Jams in college for hours on end.
To follow up on my prior post, if you participate in MLG or ESL events, make sure to say so. The leagues are getting bigger, developing more premiere brand sponsorships (Doritos, Stride, Hot Pockets, Coca-Cola, etc.), and paying out more.
It's like polo, cricket, squash, or any of the more uncommon sports. Few people play them (relatively speaking), but even if you don't, reading "United States Polo Association" or "World Polo Championship" or "Cricket World Cup" in a bullet point immediately tells you the level of competitiveness.
Thanks @APAE
Yep I understand your point, but even then, I'm hesitant to add "Major League Gaming", lol.
I would think it's a little strange, but only because I played a few games competitively/professionally from like age 12-18ish and know what it's like. If you come off as well-adjusted/normal I don't think anybody would particularly look down on it.
Oh the memories...
"Fire it up and let's fucking play."
thanks all.
Yeah I agree with it getting bigger, the other year I was invited to LA to play in a 1 million dollar prize pool (but couldn't attend due to age restriction). I have real-life friends that have won 25k a pop from playing a 2 day tournament. 5 years ago the prize pools barely hit 1k.
Yeah if you're a legit pro, I doubt it will be a negative in 90% of situations. You'll find the occasional asshole or fossil who just shits all over you for it, but who cares about that. You'd be surprised. Remember us "old" guys in our early 30's remember SC/WC3/CS.
I had a couple buddies in high school (they weren't just gamers either -- a couple were on the lacrosse team and one was captain of the volleyball team) who made it to CAL-Premier tier in Counter-Strike 1.6 (Premier was one step below Invite, which was the highest). That shit was no joke and knowing the amount of time they practiced together in order to get that good, I'd be pissed if some interviewer just laughed them out of the room because of some baby boomer elitism. Glad to see that competitive gaming is more mainstream now.
Definitely. CS is serious stuff compared to other FPS's. Yep, to get anywhere near the "pro level" in an FPS takes just as much grit as any other team sport.
God I love WSO, I wasn't expecting such great feedback. Thanks all.
I think nothing's wrong with it, especially because I play a lot of PC/console games too (only for fun though). And since you're actually good at it, I think it would be an interesting conversation topic too.
But if I were you, I guess I would still hesitate putting it on my resume... But then again, I think the best feedbacks in this post came from APAE. So yeah, good luck!
One of my interns last year was a competitive gamer. He won >$200K in prize winnings. It definitely made him stand out during the interview process/people wanted to meet him to learn more about his "hobby" when he joined. If you are making $$$, put it on the rezzy.
holy, that is impressive. I haven't made nearly as much as that dam!
Add a bullet about how many cans of coke heavy you can crush in one Sat night session
You will probably get laughed at. Why risk it? Are you in need of things to talk about? I can't see how it can help you unless you have nothing else to discuss.
i dont really require it. I go to a target, have a good GPA, CC's and past work experience. I'm asking if it would be a differentiator amongst the hundreds of applicants that get interviewed. Also, I don't play basketball anymore like I used to so it's really my only hobby atm.
Thanks for the feedback
i would seriously say "prove it" and begin to play a 1 on 1.
can i list how many world of warcraft accounts i have?
Try using "Cyber sports"
My initial reaction would be negative. I'd be thinking that there is reasonable risk you'll be yawning or nodding off during the day because you've been wasting precious sleep hours playing online.
I think it depends on what you are playing relative to the position you want and which games you play. Being a Competative Gamer, having sponsors and playing for money, is a great thing to mention on your resume. It shows hard work and dedication. The only catch is what game. Being a competative Street Fighter or Smash Brothers player may have little relevence other than showing that you are dedicated to a hobby and you can compete at the highest levels. Other games, such as Hearthstone, DOTA, League of Legends and Starcraft, have a much easier time at being able to link your hobby back to what you are interested in doing. Likewise, saying you play a well known game competatively (ie saying you play Halo or CoD competatively vs saying that you play Team Fortress 2) that people most people etiher have played or know how competative the multiplayer can be makes it alot more relateable than just being I play video games competatively for money.
Trust me when I say nobody my age will understand the nuances between what video games are relevant/better/whatever. We think you're getting paid to play Pac-Man.
I think of it as somewhat akin to winning an episode on Jeopardy. It's a 'fun fact' about you, but I'm not going to make a hiring decision primarily on that fact.
cheers dick. Well I'm hoping for it to not just be a fun fact and for it to be a signal of hard-work, my competitive nature and tenacity. I'm a natural competitor and will do anything to be the best at what I have a passion for, whether that be related to finance, sports or in this case, gaming.
God I love WSO! Thanks again for the feedback all - from so many backgrounds. From what I've gathered I'm going to feel out the interviewer to see if it's appropriate to mention, those in their 20/30's would probably be most appropriate, I'll probably refrain from mentioning it to the older crowd.
We had a guy send in his resume with the fun fact that he appeared on Wheel of Fortune. We were able to find the episode on youtube because he had a unique first name. It was pretty hilarious.
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