Not everyone can get to the upper echelon of competitive gaming. Many don’t have time to invest the thousands of hours it takes to roll with the best. But like all major sports, playing isn’t the only way to get in on the action. The eSports industry is growing fast and its needs are growing with it.
Those needs make room for a lot of opportunities with major teams, tournaments, websites, and players. I’ve compiled a shortlist of some of the opportunities that you can take advantage of if you decide eSports is the path for you.
Statistician
Studying the intricacies of professional players has become a trademark of traditional sports, there is no doubt this will become a big part of competitive gaming.
Just like the NFL, NHL, MLB, and other professional leagues. Different eSports franchise will look towards statistical and analytical measurements of players to help judge talent and create game plan against other teams. They’ll look to people who devote themselves to studying the different intricacies of the game.
It isn’t as straightforward to become a professional statistician, especially in a young industry like this, but the best way to get some attention will be to start doing the work now. Study different aspects of Overwatch and other upcoming games that could generate interest in the competitive scene. Present your findings to different teams to try and get a foot in the door. The worst thing that you could hear is a ‘no.’
Physical Therapist
Caitlin McGee hadn’t initially planned to join the rank and file of the eSports community professionally, but after becoming a physical therapists for reasons of her own, she saw the need and decided to give it a shot.
Since then she’s been a regular at various gaming events, from the Smash community to FGC, McGee has made a name for herself in the physical therapy realm surrounding eSports. As competitive gaming grows, and if things like Overwatch League succeed, the need for more medical experts like her will grow.
If you have interest in pursuing a career in medicine, you could use that to find a successful career with a major franchise, tournament organizer, or as a freelance professional.
Team Beat Reporter
A lot of websites, both established and new, are looking for writers who live and breath competitive gaming. Everything from team movements, player histories, and important matchups need to get covered.
Even some sites that have rarely dipped into the comfortable waters of professional gaming have created verticals just for gaming, ESPN and The Washington Post are just a couple of notable sites worth mentioning.
The way to become a writer is fairly simple, all you have to do is write. And write a lot. The difficult part comes when you need to fully support yourself off of that writing, there is no guarantee that a full time well paid writing job will come along, but if you have spare time than writing features, news, and interviews surrounding eSports is a great way to join the industry.
Sales Associate
Websites such as IGN, to competitive teams like Fnatic, to tournament organizers like Chicago Gaming & eSports, are always looking for salespeople to make their endeavors profitable. You’ll be able to help monetize some of the pillars of professional gaming, helping those organizations continue to do the work that so many love.
Like any job that needs experience, the best way to get a gig selling advertising space to clients is to do it at a lower level. Get a job selling for your college newspaper or look for sales and marketing internships at companies in your area. There are plenty of ways in, but you need to be willing to live with constant rejection. Sales can be one of the most demanding lines of work out there, but it can be worth it if you're a people person with a passion for gaming.
These options aren’t the short route to jumping on the eSports bandwagon, each path requires quite a bit of work on it’s own. But if you’re serious about joining the fast growing industry of professional gaming, than many of these roles could be a good fit.
And there are plenty of other ways in if you’re serious about professional gaming. More routes will continue to open up as the industry grows, you just have to stay informed and involved with the games, teams, and players you love.
