tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post9053827940173013356..comments2024-03-27T07:28:18.776+00:00Comments on Frontline Gamer: The Sunday Sermon: Are our gaming skills transferable?Frontline Gamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09110901356802705087noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-43824684109814238902012-10-29T19:53:56.969+00:002012-10-29T19:53:56.969+00:00Roleplaying and wargaming actually helped me get m...Roleplaying and wargaming actually helped me get my current job as an Online Content Editor. Back in the 90's I had a couple of gaming-related Geocities sites, which I used as a way to teach myself the basics of HTML. When I applied for the job I was asked to provide writing examples, so I handed over a couple of short freelance writing projects. A week later, I had the job.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11348087456953598565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-485963564171898212012-10-29T08:59:28.550+00:002012-10-29T08:59:28.550+00:00Ah, I had actually read those series of 'gamin...Ah, I had actually read those series of 'gaming curriculum' articles. I actually quite enjoyed them. They're well worth a read by the way if you lot haven't read them. <br /><br />As for linkages between teaching, the other half is now lecturing at one of the local universities, and I find it quite interesting that some of the things she's most nervous about, are the exact thing that as you put it GMs have to be good at. Again there's a chicken an the egg thing going on, but many of the GMs I know are highly effective communicators and a couple of them actually work in marketing and advertising and are damn good at it.<br /><br />As always thanks for stopping by! :)Frontline Gamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09110901356802705087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-228570995944354192012-10-29T08:55:11.409+00:002012-10-29T08:55:11.409+00:00I agree that part of the discussion about whether ...I agree that part of the discussion about whether those who are attracted to certain activities are also likely to have skills that make them suitable for certain roles very well. However, hobbies like wargaming allow us all to practice and perfect certain skills. I just thought it'd be interesting to see what others thought, and whether they'd noticed things in there hobby that have also helped them in the workplace.Frontline Gamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09110901356802705087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-15473542903093914122012-10-29T08:46:36.898+00:002012-10-29T08:46:36.898+00:00As I may have indicated in the past, I think there...As I may have indicated in the past, <a href="http://kaptainvon.wordpress.com/tag/a-gaming-curriculum" rel="nofollow">I think there's an incredible overlap between teaching and gaming</a>. I'd go so far as to say that I learned at least as much about teaching from running RPGs for all these years as I ever did from formal teacher training...<br /><br />After all, with one of the things I do, you're encouraging people to participate in an activity that requires a lot of soft skills, quick thinking and on-the-spot calculation, more than a little forward planning, and interaction with complex texts and processes. It has a high buy-in, and people are leery of being embarrassed by 'doing it wrong'. They often need to be patiently walked through things several times, and gently encouraged to just do something and see if it works, by someone with the patience of a saint and boundless capacity to improvise...<br /><br />... and the other one's roleplaying.Vonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-43223149957693208212012-10-28T18:27:33.760+00:002012-10-28T18:27:33.760+00:00I've learned some valuable things from wargami...I've learned some valuable things from wargaming, the biggest of which is patience. Our society offers a lot of instant gratification and tends to downplay the value of practice. When I was ten and wanted a WHFB army I had to spend massive amounts of time painting and waiting for the paint to dry. There were some important lessons about delayed gratification that did help me out later in life. <br /><br />On the other hand, I think a lot of the 'skills' of the wargamer that I can apply professionally are less things I learned wargaming then they are the same personality trait manifesting in different ways. I'm I obsessive and mildly ODC? Certainly. Am I obsessive and ODC about toy soldiers? Yes. Does being obsessive and ODC make me a good accountant? For sure. Maybe wargaming helps teach people how to channel their obsessiveness, but for the most part I think it simply attracts meticulous people.<br /><br />Wargaming has helped me in my life. Therapeutically if nothing else. I doubt I'd ever put it on a resume, not enough people know about it and I have enough trouble keeping my resume down to one page without listing what I get up to off duty. Spiffy Iguanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08267391927372370493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-81274033094708145312012-10-28T17:58:46.033+00:002012-10-28T17:58:46.033+00:00Of course you are right, any hobby can teach you s...Of course you are right, any hobby can teach you skills, it's just that many of the skills that make wargamers good, are actually specifically transferable to the workplace. I really do genuinely believe that. Would I let everyone know I was a wargamer at interview? Probably not, but I've had no problem when in work letting people know. Frontline Gamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09110901356802705087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1448296907784874327.post-5818738135325308782012-10-28T17:39:03.373+00:002012-10-28T17:39:03.373+00:00An interesting view on things. Good stuff!
In the...An interesting view on things. Good stuff!<br /><br />In theory, I think you can learn important skills from just about anywhere. Especially the soft skills you learn from social hobbies as these are more difficult to teach in the standard classroom. But also fine motor skills and improved reaction time you can get from video games. I say in theory because it can depend on the individual itself to 'see' the link between his hobby and his job (like your ex-colleague with the team building). But this same problem can occur with expensive trainings.<br /><br />But as you say, I wouldn't include it on every CV. Only when you have a link with the job at hand. Especially if you live in a country where there can be a bit of a stigma around the hobby. Aeria_Glorishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08809554922625492683noreply@blogger.com