From playing classic table games at USA online casinos to enjoying fun puzzle games on your smartphone or the latest console title, gaming is a real passion for many people. While you might think it is only a hobby to enjoy in your spare time, the thriving game industry is now a viable career choice. If you have a burning passion for gaming in all its many forms, then you could do much worse than to try to carve out a career in this sector.
Of course, as with any sector you’re looking to break into, it can be easier said than done. You will need a lot of hard work and dedication to go with your outstanding gaming knowledge. The encouraging thing is that there is a varied choice of careers you could move into. From becoming a professional eSports player to being a casino or video games developer, you will surely find the right role for you – depending on what it is about gaming you love most.
But just how do you turn your passion for gaming into a career?
Pick up the right qualifications
Gaming is often thought of as one of those sectors where formal qualifications are not that important. After all, if you have spent most of your life learning how to play, code, or develop games at home, you probably have all the practical knowledge you need.
That knowledge could land you a job in the gaming sector without formal qualifications – but it might be much harder. That is because you will be up against people who have the passion and skills you do but with a relevant qualification as well. By gaining the right qualification for what you want to do in college, it can give you that extra edge to get your foot into the door when applying for jobs.
Network around the industry
Networking is a great way to turn your passion for anything into a job. That is undoubtedly true for breaking into gaming professionally where the right contacts or recommendations can help you succeed. It is a lot easier if you have friends or family members within gaming who can help introduce you to influential people. Even if that is not the case, a little effort on sites like LinkedIn can help build your network in the industry with key people or companies.
It is also worth attending offline events like gaming conventions or industry expos. Companies you may be looking to join are often in attendance so you can connect with them in real life.
Get noticed online
Another way to take your passion for gaming and make a pro career from it is getting noticed online. It makes perfect sense when you think about it, as gaming is tech-based and heading more online every year. You only have to look at eSports, and the way Major League Gaming was purchased for $46m by Activision Blizzard a few years back for proof of this. If you want to make it as a pro eSports player, for example, uploading footage of you crushing a game played by the pro eSports teams can get you noticed.
If you can build up a big enough buzz around you in this way on platforms like YouTube, word can soon reach the right people. This same concept is useful across any other role in gaming you might want to break into. If you can upload some of your work onto video sharing sites or your website to show potential employers, it will help.
Keep going
As with many things in life, that big break you are looking for might not happen right away. While some people seem to walk straight into their dream role, it does not always happen for most people. It is vital to keep going, to keep improving, to keep practicing, and to keep trying to make it. Whether it is continuing to apply for jobs in game studios, on casino platforms, or carrying on posting up footage of your gaming abilities online, hard work usually brings its rewards.
Gaming is now a viable career choice
Gaming was once a relatively niche hobby for a proportion of the planet who would never have dreamed of making it their career. That has significantly changed over the last 20 years, and anyone who loves gaming can now take this passion and make it pay. As the above shows, there are some great ways to succeed in the gaming industry and make your dream job a reality.
Interesting related article: “What are Esports?“