Esports Opportunities
You don’t need to be a professional gamer to find a career in Esports. The rapid growth and continuing development of this industry means there are many potential job opportunities to suit a wide range of degree subjects.
Below are some tips on finding your way into this exciting industry!
Get to know the industry and what jobs it offers: By understanding which kind of jobs are available, and which you are most interested in, you can focus on building the right skills/contacts/experience. Consider the roles which are most relevant to your degree skills – management, business development, operations, sales, event planning, travel agent, games/software development, or digital/social media coordinating.
Some key websites to help get you started include:
https://britishesports.org/careers/
https://about.eslgaming.com/career/
https://intogames.org/careers/
https://www.screenskills.com/starting-your-career/job-profiles/games/
Making contacts is key to working in the industry:Follow relevant groups and organisations on LinkedIn and other social media channels and look out for notifications of events and opportunities. Do this for well-known established companies but also be sure to follow small and medium sized companies (SMEs), new businesses and start-ups – this could be a great way of getting a foot in the door with an upcoming company.
Attend industry events (remotely for the moment). Learn by talking to people already in the industry and be ready to share copies of your CV/business card.
Get experience any way you can: Jobs in this industry are going to be highly competitive, so you will need to build as much experience as possible in your area of interest, perhaps initially through voluntary work, internships, or apprenticeships. Be as proactive as possible in searching for experience – sign up to every opportunity you can, no matter how small. It may lead to bigger things. Take part in tournaments but treat them as networking opportunities and ways of expanding your industry knowledge (as well as having fun!).
This article has some useful tips on finding experience:
Also, make sure you are signed up to job updates from relevant websites. Try starting with the websites below:
https://hitmarker.net/
https://www.gamesjobsdirect.com/
https://gradsingames.com
https://jobs.gamesindustry.biz/any/uk-and-europe
https://jobsinesports.com/
https://www.twitch.tv/jobs/internships
Think like a pro: no matter how much of a fan you are esports, potential employers will want to see more than this. Passion for the industry is vital but it is important that you use this enthusiasm to approach the industry from a professional perspective. Look at the inner workings – this could be from a technical, administrative, or business perspective. Same goes when writing CVs, applications, portfolios – focus on your professional skills. The careers team can help you with this – get in touch at careers@brighton.ac.ukor visit our web pages at https://www.brighton.ac.uk/careers/
Specialise in something:there are many different areas in which you can work in Esports, including branches like journalism, content creation, play-testing, tournament hosting etc. Focusing your search in a particular area may help you to gain more relevant experience and improve your chances of finding an entry-level role in the industry. Consider the competition – perhaps look at some of the less sought-after roles as a way into the industry.
Consider roles outside the Esports industry: If you’re struggling to find relevant experience, don’t despair – take a more tactical approach. There may be roles outside the Esports industry that will give you similar skills. For example, look at business analyst, HR, social media or marketing roles that will give you valuable professional skills that are transferable to the Esports industry. For example, look for roles in digital marketing or events management outside of the Esports industry to build your skills in these areas.
Be proactive and do things for yourself:start a blog, create a portfolioof your work, start an Esports team – anything to further your skills and extend your knowledge of the industry.
If you’re interested in a programming or design-based role in games production, start by producing simple, finished examples of your work in order to showcase your skills. Make sure they can be easily accessed by potential employers via a link on your CV – for many potential employers in these areas, the first thing they will want to see is examples of your work.
Become an Esports entrepreneur:This is still a developing industry, so there is plenty of room for entrepreneurs. If you can’t find a suitable job, consider creating one for yourself! If you have a business idea you want to pursue, get in touch with ourBeepurple Entrepreneurship Teamat beepurple@brighton.ac.uk.
Steven Sutcliffe • 29/04/2021