Cole Skilbeck

I chose to study at the University of Northampton because of the range of facilities available for the Esports course. I was part of the first cohort to study Esports and it’s a course which not many universities offered at the time, so UON seemed like a no-brainer to me, as Esports is something I’m very interested in.

Once I leave University I’d like to pursue a career in social media, as well as working with a variety of Esports companies. The Esports course steered me towards this decision as I found myself particularly enjoying the modules that were based on events, media and marketing.

Studying this course has helped me to build a network of contacts and opportunities which I can build upon once I graduate. The media modules I completed helped me gain an understanding of the world of social media, as well as how it works, the roles it requires and much more.

The knowledge I’ve gained that I believe will be most useful when I graduate is focused on media editing, networking and trendsetting, and those are the skills I would like to be able to use within my future career. Gaining work experience with companies such as Guild and Dreamhack has given me experience which I believe has benefited my skill development and will massively benefit my future career.

As part of my course, the University organised a work placement, which was volunteering at DreamHack in Sweden. My main duty was to look after the Nerf battle arena and ensure the area ran smoothly. The benefit of this placement was that it showed me how big certain events can be, and how many roles and responsibilities come with organising and running a single event. It demonstrated that there are many opportunities when it comes to working with esports events and how I would be able to incorporate those into my future career.

I also developed leadership and organisational skills through overseeing the arena and working with the other staff involved. DreamHack gave me an opportunity to work and lead a team after being promoted to manager through my hard work and determination. DreamHack is a popular and well-known event around the world, and having a role in the event itself will showcase to potential employers that I’m familiar with the industry and the roles involved, which will help my CV to stand out when applying for future employment opportunities.

When it comes to a placement, I believe the most important thing is working hard – whatever you put in, you get out, so it will benefit your career if you put in as much work as possible. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions, as the placement is there for you to learn, whilst experiencing what the business side of things entails. Use the time wisely, make sure you take part in as much as you can, and really get yourself out there and introduce yourself to as many people as possible – as who knows, there might be a job opportunity from it.

The advice I’d give to undergraduates interested in this career path would be to talk to everyone, no matter who they are, as you never know what the outcome will be.

My time at UON is proving to be an eye-opening experience exploring the world of Esports.