By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.
For part-time work, I do résumé consulting. I take past work information from clients and construct and build a résumé out of what they share with me. Recently, I had a client who just graduated from college. When I asked him to tell me about his work history, he told me that he makes money as a Fortnite gameplay coach. He said that he did it part-time and he charges $20 dollars per hour for his expertise on the Epic Games smash. The job surprised me a little, but it made sense; it seems like it’s the year of Fortnite.
I first heard about the free game when the singer Drake tweeted something about playing it with a famous gamer named Ninja. Then, quickly, I started hearing others talking about Fortnite. Now, I know people who stay in on Saturday night playing the addictive game.
My client told me that he mostly helps gamers with Fortnite: Battle Royale, and he plays along with them to guide them through combat. He helps with fighting strategies and how to be a better wall builder for shielding during fighting. And he said he always teaches clients to keep moving as if a sniper is always aiming at you from a far. The best advice he says he gives: Getting good angles during your enemies reload is vital.
My client didn’t share with me how many actual wins he has. He sheepishly said to me, “A lot.” He added, “Every player wants wins and they’ll pay to gain them.”
As I listened to my client, I wondered if any of the information would be important to a potential employer. I suspect that many people in their 30’s and 40’s would have no idea what Fortnite was. But then, with the number of players rising into the millions, perhaps they would? The game’s just not being played by teenagers and college students. A potential employer who’s a fan of Fortnite may be impressed by a job candidate who took the initiative to start a small business to help other gamers. It’s one of the most non-traditional jobs that I’ve ever heard from a client.
There is a unique, unofficial Fortnite marketplace that exists. Fans of the game are buying other player’s profiles and skins on eBay for thousands of dollars. Fortnite, in an odd way, has become a game of status. None of the side businesses around Fortnite are approved by the makers of the game. But, when anything becomes as massively popular as Fortnite, an unconstrained marketplace is going to spring up.
I have never played Fortnite, but after my meeting with my client, I watched several live streams of the game. I don’t have a desire to play; however, as I was watching the live stream, 35,000 other people were watching as well. That’s a popular video game.
image source: inverse.com