Since we are currently assisting the Defense with recruiting new personnel based on the games candidates play, we thought it would be a great idea to create a general guide for anyone looking to enhance their resume with the games they play, aiming to play specific games to train their skills, or simply to better understand which games are useful for which skills or career goals. To make this manageable, I’ve provided several game genres below along with the skills you’ll develop and the career paths where they can be beneficial. If you’d like to learn more or are curious about how this can help with recruitment or career guidance, feel free to contact us!

Let’s start with a tip for job seekers. If you play games, include it on your resume. It might sound obvious, but not everyone does it. If you list games on your resume, mention the genre and perhaps even the specific game. For instance, mention if you play competitively and at what level. This helps recruiters who might not know much about games to understand that it’s more than just mindless entertainment (because it certainly isn’t!).

Tip for recruiters or career advisors: Ask about it. Just like with other hobbies or leisure activities, inquire about the relevance. We all know what it means when someone has been part of a committee, but not everyone understands how significant it is if a candidate has been a guild leader for an international guild (meaning remote top management with people they’ve never met).

Now, moving on to the genres. Like movies, games can be categorized into genres. These are diverse and far from being as black and white as I’m presenting them here. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough space in a blog to cover all nuances. If you’re unsure about something or want to know more about the games or genres listed below, feel free to contact me or ask your candidate, or consult Google.

Strategy Games

The name says it all. These games require careful planning and strategizing before taking action. In many strategy games, you manage and expand a base (village, city, or country). You encounter opponents you need to defeat to expand your base or territory. Alongside planning battles, you often need to closely monitor the economy of your own base. As a result, these games align well with management or leadership positions. They are also useful for roles in logistics where you need to oversee multiple processes and plan effectively.

Recommended games to train your skills or include on your resume:
Civilizations (any installment)
Age of Empires (especially Age of Empires II HD, a true classic)
Clash of Clans

Sports

Sports games usually revolve around a social element, where people enjoy playing games like FIFA with friends. The genre is diverse, but this social aspect can be a great addition to your resume. It shows you’re a true team player who enjoys semi-competitive collaboration. FIFA and other sports games are often played within companies with colleagues and against them, and are sometimes intentionally offered within a company to encourage competition and team spirit. Definitely worth mentioning on your resume!

Consider games like:
FIFA
Rocket League
WII Sports (a bit old school but still fun)

Shooters

For many non-gamers, shooters can be difficult to understand. What’s enjoyable about shooting each other? Yet, there’s often more to it than just that (which, by the way, can be a great way to blow off steam). Gamers who frequently play first-person shooters are better and quicker at identifying anomalies in a context. In such games, you need to rapidly determine whether something is an enemy or just a tree. Shooters are often played online in teams, where communication, cooperation, and tactics become crucial. This makes shooter players excellent team players. Moreover, you need to maintain focus in the chaos around you, which can be useful in certain work environments (like an open office layout). As a result, shooters are well-suited for dynamic workplaces that require teamwork under pressure.

Think of games like:
Call of Duty
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Overwatch
Rainbow Six

Racing

It’s all about being the first to cross the finish line! Racing games have remained somewhat similar over the years, but nowadays, they excel in simulating reality. Many Formula 1 drivers, for example, practice certain tracks in games before racing them in reality. Racing has become more of a simulator than a game. Consequently, these games are extremely suitable for professions requiring the same level of reaction speed. Think of roles in the transportation sector or, as we’ve experienced in Defense: pilots.

Consider racing games like:
F1 Racing
Forza
Gran Turismo

RPG/Adventure Games

You might find it odd that I’m mentioning these together, but as I said, I need to generalize a bit. What many RPG (role-playing game) and adventure games have in common is the feeling of being part of another world where you can explore the environment and interact with characters. Storytelling often plays a significant role. It’s similar to reading a good book, but interactively in a game. It’s important to actively explore the world and the story, often encountering puzzles or obstacles that require unique solutions. This can help improve your problem-solving skills and develop creative abilities and empathy. These skills are valuable in the creative sector or healthcare, where the ability to empathize is important.

Consider games like:
World of Warcraft
Witcher series
Pokemon
Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The list above is far from comprehensive, and I expect (and hope) that we’ll continue discussing this for a long time. From my perspective, we can’t start taking games seriously enough as a source of skills and experience that are crucial for your career. Therefore, I believe this blog is just the beginning of a series where we can explore different aspects of games and their significance for career development.