Esports Careers Are Not Just Limited to Playing and Casting.
More often than not only those careers which are visible to the audience are spoken of because that's where all the glitz and glamour is.
I probably get 5-10 DMs a day from fans and viewers alike, either asking me for an opportunity or wondering how to get into the industry. I understand this may not be the best time to write an article like this because of the esports winter. But the question is still relevant, and the answer is a distant dream for most, at least in India.
In contrast to traditional careers, there is no "right" path for breaking into the scene. If anything, most of us who have spent more than a decade in the industry will admit there was a whole lot of being at the right place at the right time involved. Most of the professionals will tell you they did not set out to get the role they have, rather, the role found them. But that was also due to the fact that most jobs that exist now for esports didn't exist back then. Things were not as orderly as they are now with specific roles for specific people.
There are many people who started out with one role and ended up somewhere completely different. One of them is Kanwardeep Singh (Head of Live Broadcast, Nodwin Gaming), one of the finest esports producers we have in the country, but he began his career as a game admin for CS:GO tournaments. Then there is also Bleh and me, who were players first and eventually transitioned to talent roles. There was never a roadmap about how our careers would pan out in the long run; or if we would even have careers in esports at all. Most of us were mentally prepared to retire and move on to more "normal" jobs. But the common theme among all of us was that we would give ourselves a limited amount of time to give it everything we have to see if it works out. Years later, here I am writing this article.
The entry barrier for a job in the esports industry is not as high as it is perceived. Most of the professionals are young adults with some of them still in school or college. But how do they get in?
The easiest way to get in is to volunteer for events. Tournament organizers are always on the lookout for volunteers to help them during events. But even if you live in a place where LAN events don't usually happen, programs like TEC Spartans make it more accessible.
But apart from the obvious player and team manager/coach roles, what are the other job roles available in esports?
Excluding all the general roles like HR, IT, Legal, etc. which are necessary for the smooth functioning of an organization, roles exclusive to the industry which put you right in the thick of things are:
League Operations
Content
Observer
Production
Manager
Talent
Products
1. League Operation: They are responsible for overseeing and managing the day-to-day operations of leagues and tournaments, along with ensuring that events run smoothly and that rules and regulations are followed.
League op is the best way to get your foot in the door because of how accessible roles lower in the hierarchy are. TOs are in constant search of admins who can be easily trained to bring them up to speed. The hierarchy usually is :
Head of League op > Head Admin > Admin(s)
When you start in league ops, you will start as an admin overseeing a team on the stage, not only making sure there is nothing fishy going on, but also assisting the players in case of a tech issue and helping them set up their peripherals. A natural progression in the role would be up the hierarchy, but if you do not pick up new skills you will hit a glass ceiling. The way to avoid this would be to plan for what other role you would like to pivot to and build skills for it.
2. Content: Content is the name of the game. A great deal of reach and hype depends on the content; more and more organizations/teams/players now upload behind-the-scenes footage of what goes on in the business. But it is not solely limited to that. Bantering on social media is a very crucial aspect of building rivalries and eventually making money off of it. There is not really a defined hierarchy of roles here, but there is a differentiation between roles.
Content writer, Social Media Manager
A social media manager is responsible for maintaining an organization's online presence, engaging with fans, and promoting events across various platforms.
While a content writer's responsibilities would be producing engaging and informative written materials for various platforms within the industry. It also includes but is not limited to writing news articles, features, interviews, event coverage, and website content.
3. Observer: This is probably one of the most important roles that fly below the radar to an average viewer. An observer is responsible for controlling the in-game camera and covering all the action. But the reason why it is such an important role is that having a competent observer is the difference between making or breaking a broadcast. While the casters are usually great storytellers, they only see what the observer shows. And the observer is responsible for providing viewers with a seamless, engaging, and visually appealing experience that covers all the action. But this is not possible without knowledge of the highest level of play and their ability to read the map and anticipate action. It is an incredibly tough job, but if you are good at it, it can pay well.
4. Production: This is an entire vertical on its own. There are so many elements involved that listing all of them would require its own article. But some of the most basic elements in a broadcast would be the gameplay itself, replays, graphics, and putting it all together. While the gameplay is pulled from the observer feed, in large-scale broadcasts there is usually a person dedicated solely to graphics/on-screen overlays, and another person for pulling the best replays. At the top of the hierarchy sits the producer who brings it all together, being the ringmaster who coordinates all resources like cameras, show flow, and coordinating between different production teams like lights, sounds, etc. A broadcast producer makes sure the show is delivered as smoothly as possible.
It is a difficult role to get into and even more difficult to master because the margin of error is nonexistent during live shows, and a tiny mistake could derail the show. But it is something you can learn. A good producer and a good production team to work with are incredibly valuable to any organization because you have a large impact on how the tournament/property is perceived.
5. Talent: This is definitely the most visible and sought-after role because of all the glamour, popularity, and compensation. If you are among the best in the world, you are very well taken care of in all these aspects. But just like production, the stakes for talent are incredibly high, and the margin for error here is also nonexistent.
But it is also not an easy role to get into because of the skills required. You are not just required to be presentable, but you also need to have a captivating personality (your own flair), and you need to be comfortable in front of cameras and thousands of people. It is of utmost importance for you to be a good storyteller and be quick on your feet. Because no two days are the same at work, and there will be times when your producer will tell you to "buy some time" because of an unforeseeable problem. You are expected to hold the show together without letting the audience figure out something is wrong. Talent roles are very well-defined and self-explanatory. Major roles are :
Caster, Analyst, Host, Interviewer
6. Manager: Broadly speaking, there are two types of managers in esports. Team manager and Talent Manager. These two roles are mostly similar, with a few variations. A team manager oversees various aspects of team operations, from logistics and scheduling to player welfare, public relations, and communication. In some cases, they are also responsible for managing contracts, budgets, and sponsorships.
Broadly speaking, a talent manager has the same responsibilities except they do not have to worry about sponsorships, PR, or any other activity which might be related to growing the business. Their responsibilities are limited to ensuring effective communication between the organizer and talent while making sure the talent fulfills all their obligations and that they are well taken care of.
7. Product/Head of Product: While this is a typical business role, I still decided to put this under the category of "esports job" because while this requires a strong foundation of marketing, fiscal responsibility, and business development, none of this would be impactful if you do not have a very good grasp on the esports industry and various consumer habits. But it is a role that only comes with seniority and experience.
While there are more roles, they are common to every industry. So I chose not to write about them. I’ve tried to give the readers a bird’s eye view of typical esports jobs and a brief of what they are. I hope it helps you choose a place to start if you ever wish to get a job in the esports world.
Thanks alot mamba bhai, but how do I contact tournament organisers for being an volunteer or how could I know they are looking for volunteers ?