The unfortunate truth is that there are tons of people who want jobs in esports, and not enough to go around. While Counter-Strike is one of the biggest esports in the world, this remains equally true of the CS scene. We’re going to show you some ways to stand out from the crowd to help look for Counter-Strike jobs. You can trust me – I have one.
Be a master of one trade, rather than a Jack of all
Credit: Helena Kristiansson | ESL
Because esports is such a competitive industry, being decent at something probably won’t be enough to land you your dream Counter-Strike job. You’re far better off mastering one skill than being fine at several, as you’ll put yourself head and shoulders above the competition.
The good news is that esports is versatile. Got the chops to go pro? Get yourself on a team. Want to work on graphic design? Master the Adobe suite. Want to work as an on-screen talent? Read the next section for that one…
Take on projects for yourself
Personally, I’m a big believer in never working for free. The idea of “working for exposure” is pretty hideous when it comes to putting out work for someone else. However, the reality is to break into the Counter-Strike jobs space, people need to know you can actually do the task. It’s not exactly beginner-friendly, in that sense.
So, once you’ve decided on your niche, take on projects for yourself. If graphic design is your passion, then create CS-related edits and post them online. If you want to work as talent, then make a YouTube channel. We even saw Voo on a desk recently at BLAST Bounty, showing it can be done if you’re good enough. Again, you’re not working for free – you’re just working for yourself.
Keep an eye on social media personalities
Credit: Enos Ku | ESL
If you’re serious about finding a Counter-Strike or esports job, you need to follow as many prominent social media personalities within the space as you can. These individuals often have projects of their own that they’re working on, and you could be just right for what they’re looking for. If you do see any opportunities like this, you must be comfortable with putting yourself out there to get your name into the hat. I’m not saying you should be in SPUNJ’s DMs every day begging for a gig, but keeping your eyes out doesn’t hurt.
A recent example of this is NaToSaphiX, the former professional player. He recently put out an open call for a new YouTube thumbnail artist. If you were following him at the time, you had an open invitation to put your case forward as to why you should be his next thumbnail artist. It’s about getting that initial first foot in the door, which is admittedly difficult.
NaToSaphiX is just one example, though. There are plenty of small creators and Counter-Strike tournaments looking for people with various talents. You just need to know the right place to look.
Look through traditional avenues
Working in esports and Counter-Strike jobs seems glamorous, so most people assume there’s some “special” way to get into it. What people don’t realize is that traditional avenues like job-seeking sites and LinkedIn sometimes have jobs up in this business, too. Even checking individual teams’ sites can yield solid results like this. Esports is a global business, so you’ll rarely find a gig that requires you to be in a specific location.
Overall, this is definitely the least efficient method on this list, as these jobs don’t pop up often. But if you’re checking traditional avenues frequently, you might find one at just the right time.