Best Career Ideas In Games

The image of the typical game lover has changed dramatically. Nowadays, more and more companies are looking for playful activities with their staff. It not only has become more acceptable to enjoy games, but it’s also a factor of success. After all, every strategy from fitness apps to team building workshops relies on gamification scenarios to create a positive experience. Consequently, if you are looking for a career change, embracing your inner gamer might be the best idea you’ve ever had. Abandon the typical cliché that is associated with video games. In our modern times, being able to sell a game to your clients is an essential growth strategy. 

Can you transform games into a business tool?

The transferable skills of games

Moving to the professional game sector doesn’t mean that you can’t repurpose the skills you’ve learned and used in your past career. Games, indeed, have reached out to a variety of industries where being a team player and a time management expert can make a great deal of difference. At the heart of it, a game is designed to tackle a problem – whether it is part of a collaborative team tool or a training application for seniors. Therefore your ability to provide a creative solution to everyday issues is crucial to the success of your game company.

Manage a creative team

The creative team behind a game requires expert management. Ultimately, the development of online games – even those that are used as part of a team building or task management asset – is highly technical. For the creative team who is responsible for the UX design, the testing and the fluidity of actions, it is often difficult to maintain a professional approach to day-to-day projects. Consequently, there is a need for leadership experience. You don’t need gaming knowledge to land in this position. However, you can study online at Deakin University to boost your IT profile. This can give you the keys to understand how each function interacts with each other and to manage the creative game team effectively.

Develop your business game

Burnout. Depression. Stress disorder. People in offices struggle more and more to release their tensions and to express their emotional discomfort. Consequently, more and more startup companies are looking to create a virtual platform to allow stressed-out employees to manage their situations. A well-being application that keeps the management team informs of stress levels, and pressure in a playful manner can help to avoid serious health issues. It would be beneficial to use a graphic design such as the 7 cups path to track emotional complaints within the workplace. This can also act as a self-improvement tool for employees.

Create a live game

Not all games happen online. Escape room games have gained strong popularity as a team building exercise. Consequently, you can develop your own live game to welcome teams and encourage them to work together. You will need to build custom-made puzzles. But more importantly, you need to provide a follow-up workshop that helps people to cooperate towards a single objective.

Ultimately, games are there to stay. They have now become part of the professional landscape. Therefore it is the ideal time to embrace the potential of gaming to build a new profitable and professional career.

College Rejection: You Need These Inspiring Alternatives

For many young people, getting a higher education at college or university is the first and most common-sense choice. However, life doesn’t always go to plan and there may be things that get in the way of you achieving your goals. For example, illness could get in the way of you finishing your exams or you may be rejected by your desired colleges. It can seem like your world is falling apart and you may not be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But, not being able to get a degree right now doesn’t mean you’re out of options. Take a look at these alternatives for some inspiration on what to do next.

Start a Business

Did you know that 14% of the current American workforce is self-employed and operate a business entirely on their own? Working for yourself has never been more possible than it is now. In fact, thanks to the wonders of the internet, it doesn’t cost much to set up a business either. There’s now far more advantage in operating an ecommerce store than there is a bricks and mortar store, not to mention all the costs you’ll avoid. If you think you need a degree to manage a business well and make a good earning, think again. Names like Richard Branson, Walt Disney and Bill Gates come to mind, none of which had a degree. Sometimes, all it takes is a good idea, passion and some perseverance.

Community College

There seems to be some kind of snobbery when it comes to the thought of community college, but there shouldn’t be. Learning is learning, no matter where you are or how you do it. You may not be able to gain the type of degree you were hoping for at community college, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be of use. In fact, there are many benefits to going straight from high school to community college. The first is that it doesn’t cost anywhere near as much as a degree does, so it’s more affordable for families on a low income. The second is that it makes the transition into a degree much more bearable. You’ll learn what it takes to study intensely at a gradual pace, rather than being thrown right in the deep end. See what’s on offer and you could come away with everything you need to start a career where you can climb the ladder. You may even find that you beat your fellow students, who have a degree, to the same spot.

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Trade Work

If all you want is a career that will remain secure for the foreseeable future, going into a trade is an ideal choice. Trades like, building, plumbing or electrics will always be of value to people. When you’ve developed the skills you need and have the certifications to prove it, you have two choices. You can either work for a trades company or startup your own business. Because you’ll have skills that are in high demand, you’ll have a certain amount of flexibility. You can often do your vocational training at a technical school. The courses are full-time and affordable and once you’re finished you’re likely to be making the same kind of salary as someone with a degree, if not more. One of the other benefits is that you’re almost guaranteed a job as soon as you finish your studies, unlike graduates who are just leaving college. It often takes a graduate up to year to find a suitable job because there are so many people applying for the same roles.

Follow Your Passion

Do you enjoy painting? Why not try and sell some of your work? Following a passion doesn’t just have to be a hobby. These days, there are many people interested in bespoke work because everyone wants to be unique. It’s much easier now to turn a passion into a salary. Whether you enjoy writing, creating music or sports, there will be a way to make money from it too. However, establishing a career out of your passion can take time and money. So, it’s often a choice of which do you want the most – a degree or a career you’re passionate about. Studying a degree will mean that your passions may have to take a side line and you’ll probably leave college with a significant amount of debt.

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Gap Year

Just because you didn’t get into college this year, it doesn’t mean you can’t try again next year. In the meantime, you could use the time you have to travel the world and gain some more insight about life and yourself. This is an option many students are voluntarily taking. One, because it’s a break from studying, and two, because travelling has a way of maturing you that college just can’t offer. Being out in the world, on your own, will teach you things you can’t learn in a classroom. You’ll have the advantage of gaining some real life skills, which employers value highly. It will teach you to manage your finances well, be accepting of other ways of living and different cultures and you may change your mind entirely about what you want for the future. It’s likely that you’ll have to work while you’re travelling to ensure you have the money to live properly. Having those jobs on your resume, as well as an eventual degree, could put you ahead of the competition.

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Volunteer Work

Volunteering can be rewarding for many reasons. Perhaps you’ve lived with dogs your whole life and would like to volunteer at a dog rescue or you have a passion for working with children and would like to volunteer at a children’s charity. Although you may not be paid for your time, it doesn’t mean volunteer work isn’t worth doing. In fact, it can often open many doors. If you’re passionate about what you’re doing and enjoy giving back, it may be noticed. It’s not impossible to climb up the ladder and get offered a paid position. Even if it doesn’t amount to anything, volunteer work looks great on a resume. It shows you’re willing to work, even when you’re getting very little for it. Volunteering is also a great way to build character, and it teaches you to think positively about life.

Apprenticeship

Becoming an apprentice is like killing two birds with one stone. Firstly, you’ll be gaining qualifications and experience on the job, which is often more valuable than learning something in theory. Secondly, you’ll get paid for your work. It may not be much, but at least you’ll be earning something while you’re studying. Take a look at what’s on offer, like nursing vacancies. It also means you won’t have to pay to gain your qualifications. It’s the best way to become skilled at what you do because you don’t have the option of making mistakes. The only downside to an apprenticeship is that they’re becoming so popular, you often have to compete with large numbers if you want a spot.

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The Armed Forces

Many parents try to steer their teens away from joining the armed forces because they’re scared of the potential dangers. That’s understandable, but for many people, the armed forces is an ideal choice. Perhaps you enjoy fitness, have good coordination and quick reaction times. Maybe you thrive under pressure and believe you could serve your country well. If you’re willing to accept the fact that the job is dangerous and you may lose friends during your time serving, the army could offer you more than a job. It often becomes a second home too.

Whatever you decide, know that you have plenty of options.

Degrees: Top Careers That Need One & Top Careers That Don't!

Degrees are often a hot topic of discussion among anyone talking about careers. There’s always a debate as to whether or not they’re actually worthwhile. People voice their opinions from either side of the debate, and it just goes on and on.

We’re not here to enter this debate again. If you know this blog then you know we believe that higher education is very valuable. The skills you learn and the things you go through during a degree can help you in all walks of life. Having said that, there’s no denying that you can get into a lot of careers without needing a degree.

This is what we’re going to focus on today; careers you don’t need a degree for, and careers you do need one for. By looking at both sides, it should hopefully show you the different types of career you can pursue if you choose to get a degree or not.

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Top Careers That Require A Degree

In this section we’ll look at some of the top careers that require a degree to get into them:

Public Affairs Careers

The public affairs career sector is very vast, and there are plenty of jobs available. The most common of which is probably a social worker. To pursue this career, you’ll need either a DSW or MSW degree. The benefits of earning a MSW degree over a DSW is that you get better qualifications and are eligible for higher jobs. It’s also worth noting that this is just one degree that leads to a career in public affairs. There are plenty of others you can pursue to get different jobs in this sector. Degrees are required as these jobs are very important. They often involve working with the public and dealing with high-pressure situations. As such, it’s vital you learn how to deal with the public and gain knowledge of various regulations and laws to do with public affairs, etc. This is where the degree comes in handy as it teaches you this information.

Healthcare Careers

There are few careers that rely on degrees as much as healthcare ones. When you’re working with people and looking after their health, you need to understand what you’re doing. The only way you can get a healthcare career is if you study for one. With a degree in medicine, you will learn all about the human body and understand how to diagnose problems and treat patients. This sets you up for a healthcare career as a doctor. There are loads of other degrees too such as dentistry, physiotherapy, and so on. The bottom line is, qualifications are required when you deal with human health.

Engineering Careers

Engineering jobs have always been in demand as they’re very well paid. But, you have to work hard to earn your wage. To even get a foothold in this career you need to study an engineering degree. They can be long and arduous, but they’re absolutely essential. This is because engineering is a very important job where mistakes can’t be made. If you engineer a building or bridge incorrectly, it can have devastating consequences. So, you need a degree to learn how to hone your craft and develop your engineering skills to the highest standard possible.

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Top Careers That Don’t Require A Degree

Now, we can look at some careers that don’t require a degree yet still pay well and offer good future prospects:

Web Design Careers

A career in web design can be very fruitful in this day and age. Companies will pay top dollar to get the best designers to work on their websites and other projects. You don’t need a degree for this career as it’s based purely on talent and experience.

Personal Trainer Careers

Personal trainers work with clients to help them reach fitness goals. You don’t need to spend three years on a degree course to pursue this career. Instead, you can get simple qualifications by taking a few short courses. This is a job that pays well, and you can be self-employed too.

Plumbing Careers

As a plumber, you will carry out all manner of work on people’s properties. It’s a career that will always be guaranteed to work as people always have plumbing problems. Not to mention it pays incredibly well too, and you can go solo or be part of a larger company. No degrees are required here whatsoever.

There is a difference between jobs that require degrees and those that don’t. In general, you don’t need a degree when your career is based on a specific skill that anyone can learn and develop. Always check if your chosen career requires a degree or not before you commit to higher education.

Spider-Man & Life/Work Balance

Greetings, true believers!

In an attempt to blog more regularly, I'm going to pour out some of my brain juices on a fun connection I talk about often and has even been mentioned on the episode I did for the Life/Work Balances Podcast earlier this year (check it out here). The idea is using Spider-Man as a foil for these discussions about how to find a more perfect balance in our lives.

Spider-Man is one of favorite superheroes for this reason, he always has to struggle with being Peter Parker and his job of being your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. He has to go to class, see his Aunt May, try to date Mary Jane (or Gwen Stacy), make sure to get some photos into J. Jonah Jameson, and just take care of himself. His workload is comparable to some of ours as student affairs people, so the juxtaposition gels.

Where I feel I can connect with the Spectacular Spidey is that he comes to a better balance when he doesn't put up a wall between his personal and "professional" lives. When he tells the people he cares about that he's this amazing hero, the walls come down and it is easier to live his life when he is authentic. The people in his life can help him and be there when he needs it.

I feel as though you can't ever really block off what's going on in your life from your work. They should blend together so that you are always genuinely you in everything that you do. Your passions should be on display and your colleagues able to know the true you since they see you all the time. This will lead to better work, I feel, since this schism would go away that you feel like you always have to have a mask on with as much as our work overtakes our lives. I say we flip it the other way around; bring your interests, passions, and transparent self into the work we do for students. It will be a refreshing change of pace.

I learn lessons and make connections from my geeky passions often, and I joke that I take my entertainment very seriously so I hope this was helpful to you all out there. So take this in, reflect, and go out being the most ultimate you that you were born to be!

As always, remember; With great power, comes great responsibility.