As mobile game development continues to boom, many gamers are wondering if listing their gaming skills on their resume can actually hurt their job prospects. A recent study in Germany explored this very question, and the results might surprise you.
Gaming is not just a form of entertainment; it requires a range of valuable skills that are often transferable to other areas of life. These skills include problem-solving, strategic thinking, hand-eye coordination, rapid decision-making, and the ability to learn complex rule systems. Many games also demand social skills like teamwork, communication, leadership, and conflict management – essential for success in today's fast-paced work environment.
Historically, employers have undervalued gaming skills, viewing them as irrelevant to formal education or certification. However, this perception is shifting, especially in fields like IT, engineering, design, data analysis, and project management, where mobile game development skills can be a major asset.
In fact, some employers now recognize the value of gaming-related competencies like systems thinking, adaptability, and collaboration under pressure. Despite this, gaming skills require careful framing in professional contexts, as they still tend to be undervalued by many.
To better understand how gaming skills influence job prospects, researchers conducted a study involving 162 participants recruited via social media. Participants were randomly divided into four groups, each receiving a fictitious applicant's resume listing either jogging or volleyball (or gaming) as an extracurricular activity. The results showed that applicants listing gaming as an extracurricular activity were rated lower in hireability compared to those listing volleyball.
The study highlights the importance of recognizing mobile game development skills as valuable assets, rather than mere hobbies. By framing these skills in a way that showcases their transferable value, gamers can effectively leverage their experiences to boost their job prospects.
As the authors concluded, "This study can be seen as a first step in investigating the role of gaming skills in the preselection of candidates... Future research is needed to pick up the limitations of our study and to examine whether these effects vary across different job sectors, job requirements, and organizations."
The study contributes to our understanding of how gaming and gamers are perceived in job-related contexts, emphasizing the need for careful framing of mobile game development skills in professional contexts.