With the number of World of Warcraft players estimated at more than 11 million worldwide, the internet game is a bona fide sensation that can no longer be said to simply cater to a small hardcore fan base. As its popularity continues to grow, we’re seeing this online phenomenon spilling over into real world. There are enterprising gamers who sell their hard fought virtual loot on sites like eBay, dating sites that cater to the game’s far flung community and even a WoW-themed restaurant that opened recently in China, but the NY Times points us to the burgeoning debate over the implications this diversion has for jobseekers. One camp feels the game’s all-consuming nature would prevent a potential employee from dedicating the proper amount of time and energy to their work, while others argue that WoW’s complex missions teach leadership, teamwork and project management – valuable skills for any world, real or imagined. While would-be employers might have already begun looking into your Facebook and MySpace profiles for insights into the person behind the resume, we don’t expect most to be digging into your latest guild activities anytime soon, unless of course, you give them reason to. So, in light of the volatile job market, the lesson to be learned here is that for the time being at least, it’s probably best to leave your battle axe at home.
[via NY Times]
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Having been a very hardcore player with WoW for 3.5 yrs and getting my guild to the top 150th (USA server) I can tell you that it is true that being able to achieve that kind of success takes a lot of time and dedication. Very much like a part time job. The amount of research, planning, people management, troubleshooting reflects what it would be like running a small company except that you don’t see these people and probably won’t meet them in real life. When recruiting new members to a successful guild, it’s not uncommon that the application format and interview process mimics what it would be like to go for a real job interview. So yes, it does teach you dedication, teamwork etc but at the end of the day, your not taking home a salary.
I’ve quit playing WoW as a New Year resolution. Time to get dedicated into the real world :)
December 30th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
I’m imagining that there must be an underlying connection between all gamers that impacts the ‘REAL’ world….. most possibly transparently. The values gained from gaming HAS to transfer into real-time jobs and add value…. the issue is owning these values as financial value-adding qualities such that they can be rewarded.
Perhaps when people step into their characters (extensions of themselves) for real there’ll be a real shift.
December 31st, 2008 at 11:34 pm
Sad thing if this is how recruiters do their thing. If the applicant was really a WOW addict, he/she wouldn’t bother to find a job in the real world to earn real money rather wow gold.
January 14th, 2009 at 4:22 pm