5 Ways Competitive Gaming Makes You Better at Your Job
I played computer games since the age of 5. The first game I played was a version of GTA in 2001, which is similar to how Fortnite is today but wasn’t online and much less interactive. As I grew up I started to develop a passion for strategic games like World of Warcraft, Battlefield, and Call of Duty. The one game which I played professionally and competed at tournaments was Counter-Strike.
Gaming was never a career for me but I still kept playing because of the emotion rush and brain activity it was giving me at the time.
I have never experienced such quick thinking and excitement in real life as I had at e-sport tournaments.
Now, I am 23 years old senior research analyst at a data company researching blockchain ecosystem for Investment firms and enterprise clients. I confess part of my achievements, both in life and professional career, are strongly related to mental skills I have developed while playing Counter-Strike.
Here are the 5 ways, how competitive gaming made me more employable and a better person in general.
Better team player
Gaming: Competitive gaming is all about good and clean team play. Being on the same page with your teammates, understanding them and playing together to achieve the same target is essential at e-sport competitions. In gaming, you can either choose to be good individually or great collectively.
To achieve success with the right team, you have to invest a lot of time in discovering them through communication, fights, challenges, and wins.
Real-Life: The workplace is similar to the gaming field. If you strive for maximum success, the only way you can get there is with the help of your teammates.
Investing time in understanding and exploring my colleagues was a priority for me. Essentially, I gained their trust much faster and became more comfortable sharing ideas and getting involved in complex projects.
You can work under pressure
Gaming: Games are full of emotions. Sometimes these are good emotions (in case of winning a game) and other times they are bad emotions (in case of losing). At competitions, there is no second chance. If you lose the match — you are out of the tournament. These moments are the most stressful. You gotta stay calm and believe you can actually win this one and stay in the game.
Real Life: The same principles apply to our daily and work life. Sometimes there are good days where you prove yourself and they tap on your shoulder with pride. Whereas other times, there are bad days when you screw up and feel very unlucky. Working through the bad days is something that can define many of us. Having the ability to work days under mental pressure is a valuable skill I’ve learned in gaming.
Calm down and stay in the game!
Ability to think quickly and take decisions on the spot
Gaming — Time in gaming is one of the most valuable assets. A round in Counter-Strike lasts less than 2 minutes (1:55), supplied with many…many… many…unpredictable events. The ability to process information and react quickly is crucial in competitive gaming. Surprising your enemies with your quick and analytical thinking is an edge not many players have. Taking a confident decision on the spot is a habit all good players have.
Real-life — Life is full of unpredictable variables, nobody can control. Being prepared to act quickly and come up with an immediate solution to a certain problem/event is a valuable skill you need everywhere you go. Not only at your day job but also in your everyday life.
Creative thinking — thinking as you were your enemy (or customer)
Gaming: In competitive gaming, you are thinking like this: “If I was him (enemy), what would I expect right now?”. You are trying to predict his next move and then surprise him with something he doesn’t expect. Being good at predicting the moves of your enemies is an important skill to have.
Real-Life: Thinking outside of the box is a skill many employers are seeking in their candidates. They value people that are able to come up with creative solutions to difficult problems. Creativity is a human trait, robots cannot replicate. It can help you get from point A to point B in a much more fun, fast and reliable way.
Have a place to disconnect
Gaming, naturally functions best as a place to disconnect from the world. In my opinion, this is a valuable thing each one of us should have as a method to recharge their batteries and not go crazy. I’ve seen too many people already going crazy due to long hours of work, overwhelming tasks, and infinity email loops. Gaming is an easy and healthy way for me to disconnect from the world for an hour and forget about all my problems.
