At first it might not feel like your career has much in common with videogames. After all, you’re not a superpowered plumber or a Pokémon Master. But think about it: when you first start out, you’re level one, then you gain experience, and eventually get access to new areas and better opportunities. That sounds pretty videogame-y, right? Turns out there are plenty of career tips to glean from classic videogames. Let’s press start!
- Pokémon – Teamwork is Everything
In Pokémon, you play as a young trainer, out on your own for the first time to challenge the gym leaders and eventually the Elite Four in epic Pokémon battles. That might sound scary, but you have your Pokémon pals with you every step of the way.
Pokémon is all about the unbreakable bond between you and your pocket monsters. You might not have an adorable yellow electric mouse to help you at your job, but you do have powerful co-workers. Getting to know them and depending on them is crucial to growing your career.
- Tetris – Everything Has Its Place
In Tetris, players organize an endless cascade of falling blocks in to form complete lines.These lines disappear and reward the player with points. The goal is to get as many points as possible before the screen fills with blocks the player isn’t able to make disappear.
The main point of Tetris is to think one step ahead and already know where you want your pieces to go to maximize your points. In your career, you want to plan things as best you can. If you have an ultimate goal of being a banking CEO, for example, you may start out in a teller position and work your way up. Every step in your career journey has a place.
- Super Mario Bros. – Sometimes Your Princess Really Is in Another Castle
In the classic Super Mario games, you play as Mario, a plumber with the power to jump really high (and sometimes throw fireballs). Players hop across levels, collecting coins along the way, and eventually find the princess’ castle. Unfortunately, most of these castles are empty except for a lone attendant of the princess, who tells you she’s in another castle. You won’t actually find her until you beat the game.
Not every job in your career is going to be a dream job, and sometimes it might be time to move on to a better opportunity. If you aren’t happy in a particular position, consider looking for another job within the company or, failing that, a different job entirely.
Do you have any other career lessons you’ve learned from videogames? Let us know in the comments section below!
