Meet Ozzy from Leeds. He's 20 and is a professional gamer. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
Ozzy:
I'm Oscar Scott. I go under the alias Ozzy. I'm 20 years old and I'm a professional gamer.
Esports to me is video games but played on a competitive level. It can be done online, it can be done all around the world, it can be done by people of any age – as long as you can get access to a computer, you can compete in esports.
I've played games all my life casually and eventually I started playing online games and competing in esports and eventually I worked my way up through the ranks and I joined better and better teams. This is definitely the best one I've been in. I love the competitive aspect of the game and there's some aspects that you can compare it to sports such as through the hard work, dedication, teamwork and communication in the game. Some people compare playing online games to chess. I'm focused for 40 minutes at a time, eight times in a row. Sometimes we play up to about 12 hours. It can vary. It's very mentally straining. Because we all live in different places, we usually use online voice application. But what's great is when we come to the facility so we can speak face-to-face. Our coach, basically, goes through the strategies with us. He makes sure we're drilled, makes sure everyone knows what they're doing on each strategy and work on team bonding.
Ozzy's teammate:
Playing on a team with Ozzy's great. He's become a really good friend of mine. I've been playing in a team with him for over just a year now. It's great to be a professional gamer, you get to travel the world, experience new things and get paid for it.
Another teammate:
There's a lot of training involved, we're no longer competing just to be better than our friends, we're competing to be best in the world just as you would in football or rugby or any traditional sports.
Ozzy:
Some gamers only play into their late 20s so I also do study for a law degree. My priority right now is to win the ESL UK Premiership.
"As long as you can get access to a computer, you can compete in esports."
Ozzy has turned a casual hobby into his career. He started out playing online games and competing in esports, then worked his way up through the ranks, until he joined his current team, Vexed
Being successful at online gaming takes hard work, dedication, teamwork and communication. It also requires a lot of mental stamina
Ozzy's team all live in different locations so they usually play together remotely. They come together every few months to talk face-to-face, discuss strategy and work on team bonding. They also compete professionally in online game competitions which can take place in big arenas
Alongside his gaming, Ozzy is studying law. Egaming, like any sport, is very competitive. It takes a lot of commitment and may not be an option for Ozzy's whole working life. He is studying to help keep his options open for the future.
Ozzy is a professional gamer. A similar role to a professional gamer is a computer games tester. Computer games testers play computer games to check they work, and find and record problems or ‘bugs’.
What to expect if you want to be a computer games tester
- Computer games tester average salary: from £24,000 to £50,000 per year.
- Computer games tester typical working hours: 37 to 39 hours per week.
What qualifications do you need to be a computer games tester?
You could get into this role via a university course, a college course (such as a Level 3 Diploma in Creative Media, an A-level in Computing, or a T-level in Digital Production, Design and Development (England only), an apprenticeship or applying directly if you have relevant experience.
Sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service, GOV.UK
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed and the GOV.UK website for more on T-levels.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
Work experience in your area
Find work experience placements with Workfinder.
Tips and advice
Help with interviews, writing a CV and all things work experience related.
Thomas: concept artist. video
Thomas designs characters and worlds for games and films.
How I turned my hobby into a career
Find out more about Megan's journey.
Jaidon: rap workshop leader. video
Jaidon's a rap workshop teacher and youth ambassador.
