It’s a common misconception that video games teach nothing but laziness and slovenly habits. The term “gamer” makes many people think of an overgrown child living in his parent’s basement, staring at screens long into the night and spilling chips all over. However, this idea could not be further from the truth as it is in the vast majority of cases. Instead of cultivating only negative traits, gaming can have productive results just like other hobbies can. Here are 6 ways gaming can prepare you for life, specifically for your first job.
- Problem Solving
Many games have puzzle elements woven throughout gameplay. Working through these puzzles helps develop critical thinking skills and can be useful in problem solving at work. Whether irate customers, faulty equipment, or unclear instructions are at fault, problems are bound to show up in the workplace. A sharp mind can be useful in the moments when things don’t go as planned.
- Teamwork
Nothing hinders a project like team disagreements. Many video games have teamwork elements that prepare you to work with others and smooth over arguments. Cooperating to fight off enemy hordes in Destiny 2, for example, is one fun way to practice teamwork under pressure. When that pressure inevitably shows up at work, you can remember what always unites game players: a common goal.
- Perseverance
Working a job is not always fun, and there will be days that make everyone want to quit. But gamers know from experience that just giving up after the tenth attempt is not an option. In order to beat the level, you need to keep trying. With that training in perseverance, gamers can head into the workplace with extra resilience.
- Creativity
Creativity is one of the hardest things to train because it cannot be written into a curriculum. Gaming, however, can often bring out the creativity that will be helpful in workplace brainstorming. Games like Minecraft develop our ability to create something in our mind’s eye and then bring that idea to fruition.
- Technical Knowledge
Most games are pretty difficult without an understanding of the technology used to run them. By gaming, you develop tech-savviness that is valuable in an employee. Even defective games can help with this because you are learning more about how to operate technology every time you troubleshoot.
- Gaming Related Occupations
One thing we haven’t yet addressed is the fact that there are many careers that are especially welcoming to gamers. Video game stores certainly prefer knowledgeable employees, game developers want people to test their products, streamers make millions of entertaining viewers, and some colleges even provide scholarships for esports.
The working world may seem intimidating, but just remember that your experience gaming gives you a unique skill set that will be valuable on the job. With what you have learned about problem solving, teamwork, perseverance, creativity, and tech, you can walk into an interview confident in your abilities. Even further, if you want to take your interest in gaming into the professional sphere, there are many options for a career doing what you love.