How To Turn Your Video Game Hobby Into a Career

<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-dcc70b11-7fff-648e-62db-43c8020f1724]( <p dir="ltrline-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](According to employment data, the video game industry [https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/employment/video-games-united-states/]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](employs almost 300,000 ) font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;]( people in the United States and is projected to grow 9% over the next year. If working in the video game industry is your dream job, this guide will help you live your dream. background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13pt; white-space: pre-wrap;](Choose a Career Path</p> <p><p dir="ltrline-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;]( background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13pt; white-space: pre-wrap;](</p> <p><p dir="ltrline-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;]( ![](https://fluttercentral.com/Uploads/98596a3b-c966-434b-a9b5-fcd52af189ae.jpegwidth="50%height="auto]( background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13pt; white-space: pre-wrap;](</p> <p><p dir="ltrline-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;](</p> <p><p dir="ltrline-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;]( <span id="docs-internal-guid-58a93ba7-7fff-8665-06cf-75764415fdb9]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](Photo by [https://unsplash.com/photos/EHLd2utEf68]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](Unsplash )</p> <p><p dir="ltrline-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;](</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-51ae13e8-7fff-8a94-9f96-beb7f985c475]( <p dir="ltrline-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;]( [https://communicationmgmt.usc.edu/communication-management-careers/resources/careers-in-the-video-game-industry/]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](There are many different video game-related job paths ) font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](. The skills, education and experience you need vary depending on the career path you choose. Popular gaming careers include video game sales, game testing, technical support, artists, writers, marketers, game designers and programmers. Some people also make a living as [https://geekygamingstuff.com/how-to-become-a-professional-video-game-player/]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](eSports competitors ) font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](, but professional gaming, like professional sports, is primarily a career option for elite players.</p> <p><p dir="ltrline-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;]( font-size: 13pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](Determine the Skills You Need</p> <p><p dir="ltrline-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](</p> <p>font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](The skills you need depend on the career you are pursuing. If you want to work in sales, you may be able to get a job simply by demonstrating your ability to sell products. [https://education.seattlepi.com/courses-needed-game-programmer-2134.html]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](If you want to work in game development ) font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](, you need skills such as computer programming, 2D and 3D animation and knowledge of software and hardware used for development.</p> <p><p dir="ltrline-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](For careers such as marketing or writing, you need the same skills people in those professions need in other industries, plus knowledge of the gaming industry. If you want to be an eSports competitor, you must develop elite-level skills in at least one game that has multiple opportunities to win prize money.</p> <p><p dir="ltrline-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;]( font-size: 13pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](Consider Educational Opportunities</p> <p><p dir="ltrline-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](A college degree can be useful for a variety of gaming occupations including writing, marketing, programming and game development. If you are interested in learning a specific skill, such as the Scrum Agile framework, you can take an online professional development course to learn how to use Scrum to develop complex software projects that facilitate communication and collaboration for video game development teams. Search for the [https://www.phoenix.edu/professional-development/information-technology/course/scrum-master-advanced/]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](best advanced online scrum master program ) font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;]( that offers competitive tuition and accredited certification that you can put to use.</p> <p><p dir="ltrline-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;]( font-size: 13pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](Find a Job</p> <p><p dir="ltrline-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](Video game discussion boards are a good place to get advice from other gamers and game developers about breaking into the industry. If you are interested in [https://80.lv/articles/008cgs-how-to-become-a-game-writer/]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](becoming a writer ) font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](, start a video game blog that you can use to demonstrate your writing ability. If you want to be a game developer, start creating your own games to show off to potential employers. Some companies [http://www.adigitaldreamer.com/articles/video-game-testers.htm]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](hire entry-level employees and interns as game testers ) font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](, customer service representatives or technical support. Check the job postings of major game developers.</p> <p><p dir="ltrline-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;]( font-size: 13pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](Explore Other Opportunities</p> <p><p dir="ltrline-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](There are ways to make money playing games other than getting a job in the industry. For example, you could write a blog or start a [https://www.streamscheme.com/stream-on-youtube-gaming/]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](YouTube channel ) font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;]( to provide tips and strategies to other players. Some people earn money by live-streaming on platforms such as Twitch.</p> <p><p dir="ltrline-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](If you are going to try to make money on social media, you need to attract a following. Create a banner that is themed around your favorite game, such as Minecraft, or something else unique about your brand. Use an online [https://www.adobe.com/express/create/banner/minecraft]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](Minecraft banner maker ) font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;]( to make this process easy. Choose a banner template you like and then customize it with images, backgrounds, fonts and other design assets.</p> <p><p dir="ltrline-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;]( font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](There are many ways to earn a living in the video game industry. You can get started on your path by taking steps such as exploring relevant learning opportunities like becoming a scrum master or learning 2D and 3D animation, to name a few. Find what works to get your foot in the door to turn your passion into your livelihood.</p> <p>font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;](</p>