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How can I use my MMO experience in my Resume

4 points by ps3ud0nym ↗ HN
I am a Solutions Architect/Infrastructure Architect who is also likes to play EVE online. I was the HR manager for a 2500 player corp (the largest single corporation in the game) and was wondering if any one has any suggestions as to how I might apply this experience to my resume?

15 comments

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Sadranyc
Even though your in-game experience could really have been helpful to your work skills, I think putting this in your resume might backfire, PR departments wouldn't take this seriously.
ps3ud0nym
So far, that has been my thinking. It has helped me build quite a few IRL skills.
Sadranyc
I understand, and other players might understand. But the people who could read your resume and potentially hire you probably wouldn't.
sc68cal
Having the skills is far more important than how you acquired them. I'd just emphasize your communication skills and organizational abilities in broad terms, unless your interviewer is also an EVE online addict. Then, by all means, disclose it.
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civilian
Also, what is a "Solutions Architect/Infrastructure Architect"?
ps3ud0nym
I design networks and systems that exist between stakeholders, vendors and support providers and internal IT groups as well as design the network infrastructure itself (Logical data flow, physical structure etc etc). Last project was to design and implement a network to provide tele-health and network services to 100 health centres in native communities throughout the province where I live utilizing a large provincial network called the SuperNet.
civilian
Dang, impressive. Also, it honestly sounds kinda nerdy. Which means the people interviewing you might be kind of nerdy? In which case, include it. (I would go with the other's suggestion though, of presenting it Briefly and with an emphasis on the skills.)

I volunteered for a presidential campaign and put that on my resume-- I scrubbed the paragraph a lot to be very broad and not contain any hints about which presidential candidate I was helping, and tried to focus on the actual skills. (Lots of customer service and communication with a very tired and over-campaigned Iowan voter population.) I think it helped, I got some opportunities in interviews to talk about the experience. I would have a good "story" about your item ready, some kind of EVE-online HR dilemma that is easily translatable to the real world.

civilian
I've heard of WoW guild leaders putting it on their resume. Not sure how they pulled it off, though.
DeepThoughts
Unless you are actually applying to a company in the video game industry, I would highly recommend that you avoid trying to use this as legitimate bullet point on your resume. In my experience, unless a person is a game player themselves, it is very difficult to see the value in such a potion, or organization skill required to maintain it. In fact, a great deal of people might see it in a bad light, which of course is the opposite of the intended effect.

That said, if you are certain that you want to go this route, make sure you mention it only briefly, and couch the experience in terms that are a bit more obtuse than you would otherwise. For example, instead of saying your position was for a guild in EVE, state that it was a leadership role in a 2500+ strong online community. Emphasize the elements of the position that directly relate to the skills that a prospective employer would hire you for. Most importantly, keep it short, very short. It should be the icing on the cake for an employer, almost an afterthought, something that solidifies their interest in you. And if you find yourself in a place where you need to explain the position further, don't start gushing about the gameplay aspect of it, stay steady and calm and direct any conversation about it towards the importance of the role and the responsibility and trust you carried while you held it.

Sadranyc
" For example, instead of saying your position was for a guild in EVE, state that it was a leadership role in a 2500+ strong online community. Emphasize the elements of the position that directly relate to the skills that a prospective employer would hire you for"

I couldn't have said it better

GrandMasterBirt
I must disagree. Managing 2500 people is a daunting task. I've seen problems that arise out of managing 30 young people playing a game. It is an extremely difficult task and most can't tackle it in the smallest of scales.

Writing this will involve mentioning what you ran, how many people, how long it was ran, turnover rate of members, conflict resolutions, etc. During the interview I would point out examples of large-scale conflicts which could have potentially threatened having lost large numbers of people and how you resolved those.

Also important is time spent in that position, what you did to make the job scalable, etc. These problems are absolutely real-world problems.

I must mention this: Focus on problems solved. You can say online community, but saying that it is a game with people dedicating good amounts of time to it is useful since it shows that this is not a facebook community where moding one can be a fairly simple task most can do.

namank
Your job descrp. sounds like its in the corporate world. That culture demands professionalism at the forefront.

I wouldn't put this in my resume but mention in the interview I think that'll help them relate to me.