Playing video games on our mobile phones or computer is common. But did you know that it is now also a career option? Yes, gaming has now become one of the many exciting job options for girls today.
It is now possible to not just play games but also earn money from them.
What are Esports and Gaming?
Gaming means playing games online.
Esports or Electronic Sports are video game competitions played by professional gamers. They play either as a team or individually.
A gamer is a person who regularly plays computer or video games. A professional or "pro gamer" is a gamer associated with a gaming team or gaming association. They play online tournaments to earn money.
What all do you need to be a professional gamer?
Professional gaming is a high-risk, high-reward career choice. Like any other profession, the more time you give, the more you get! It is not a typical 9 to 5 job. Some of the top professional gamers spend between 12-18 hours daily playing games. Even on weekends, they are busy gaming or attending tournaments.
But if you are passionate and dedicated to gaming, you can do it as a full-time career. You will set a new trend and earn money! All you need is a smartphone or a computer and internet access. And, most importantly, the willpower to do so!
Making career choices is not easy. Many professionals offer career guidance today. It is a good idea to consult them and go for career tests and counselling. It makes choosing a career easy. There are also free psychometric career guidance tests available online. These can also provide some direction and information about which career option can one choose.
Estimated earnings as a professional gamer
One usually gets a salary of Rs 15,000 - 18,000 per month in gaming. And after a good experience in the field, some gamers even earn lakhs!
The technical side of it...
If you have the creativity, passion and technical understanding, you can become a Game Designer or Game Developer. Understanding the gaming software and gaming theory is also essential. For this, it is necessary to do a relevant course in the field. You can do an online course also.
There is no specific age to start gaming. But one can even start early, as a student. Gaming is a good career option for girls. One can play from home. That means gaming becomes a work from home option. Anyone can consider it as a job option. Students, graduates, undergraduates, postgraduates, homemakers - this is a job option for anyone.
If you want to do game developing or designing, you can look for colleges offering courses in multimedia or animation. You can apply after 10th or 12th Std. You can do a Certificate, Diploma or Degree course.
A professional gamers' salary depends on:
- Which game do they choose to play
- Their level of skill
- Whether they stream or not -- which means are others able to view the games they play online?
- The number of significant tournaments they win
- The number of sponsors they have
What are the various income sources?
- Prize money - the amount you win by participating in different competitions and tournaments
- Sponsorships - in Esports, sponsorships usually come from computer equipment manufacturers, energy drink producers or gaming furniture makers.
- Streaming - when you stream your game online
- Salaries - many professional teams employ their players on a regular salary basis
- Bonuses - can be earned from outside sponsors, media and fans through streaming donations, offer to do an ad commercial with a sponsor or just a lump sum from their organisation.
Some institutions that offer courses in this field:
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Bharti Vidyapeeth Deemed University, Pune
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Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematic (MAAC), Mumbai
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Arena Animations, New Delhi
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Zee Institute of Creative Arts, Bangalore
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iPixio Animation College, Bangalore
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Animaster Academy -- College for excellence in Animation, Bangalore
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Academy of Animation and Gaming, Noida
Today gaming and esports are much more than just for entertainment and hobby. It is a highly competitive industry. It has opened various career options for all. You don't need to be a game developer or pro gamer only. The industry now recruits professionals from different career options such as:
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Social media manager
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Event manager
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Agent
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Sponsor
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Streamer
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Host
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Coach
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Journalist
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Sales and marketing specialist
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Referee
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Organisation owner and many more...
Some warnings before you start your gameplay...
- Sitting in one place and playing for many hours can cause health and social problems. So do regular exercise, talk to people and maintain a daily schedule.
- Many countries have laws that don't allow children under 18 years to work. So many competitions and tournaments, and the top teams usually have a minimum age limit.
Just like gaming, there are many new and exciting job options available for girls today. It is also a good idea to do a free online course or a short internship. It will help you see if you like these options as a full-time career.
There are many free online courses and interesting internships available on the internet today. It is a good idea to check them out and see what interests one as a full-time career option.
