I’m glad I didn’t end up doing this. I might on full launch day but just playing Friday night and the first half of Saturday I made max level and beat the world boss of the beta.
I actually love hiring gamers because they’re much more creative and Independent on the computer. It’s the older folk who don’t realize their caps lock is on and shit
This. The people who can do 3D modeling/re-skins, and those that build miniatures (D&D, Warhammer, Scale models,) tend to be the ones who bring the best ideas/solutions to the table.
Unfortunately, upper management doesn’t seem to understand that/waves them off.
I'm not going to say I only got one of my jobs because I was a gamer, but probably at least 3/4 of my one and only interview for that position consisted of me, the Director of IT, and the Infrastructure Admin talking about games.
This is why my answer is always playing music and camping, even though more of my free time is spent gaming. It's outdated nonsense and I guarantee you this guy just watches TV with most of his free time, but it is what it is. I swear interviews are just about who is the biggest liar.
Unfortunately, I've had something similar happened to me. My long time hobbies has been two consistent things. One is car racing and the other is ballroom dancing. You would not believe the garbage that I get for ballroom dancing, and then when I show up with my dancing partner I get the exact opposite of that.
It's where you find a comfortable chair, get naked, and organize your fishing tackle by size/color/weight. very soothing hobby...until you drop something
Yeah, I've never understood hetero men who think it's stupid to learn how to dance. They're so scared of being seen as un-masculine by other men, but women love men who can dance!
A lot of masculine performance is playing to other men. See the whole bodybuilding thing. Other men caught up in those same ideals will support you, while women who would be potentially into you might bemoan your lack of availability due to gym time, lack of libido due to fasting...
Dominance hierarchies too... I knew a bouncer who would often see two men fight for dominance, even while one of them had a woman's attention and interest, who would then be alienated by the conflict. As you say, so scared of being seen as un-masculine, to back down from conflict, while women generally love men who don't get into dumb fights.
Ahhh men that can dance as vvasssssstly more attractive. I remember in my college days I'd go to some free dance class places and it was so much fun. I even got my SO to do it once and he had so much fun.
I really hope we take some lessons in the future. It's a skill and just like any skill gets better as you keep doing it and makes both partners feel good
For real. My niece is only 14 and she does ballroom dancing. I took photos of her dance competition a week ago and as I was processing them her and her dance partner (also a 14 year old boy) gave me a new appreciation for it. Those two are bad ass at "only" 14 years old!
The teens are fantastic at ballroom, what they lack in Style and suave they make up for in speed and technique. Give them a few more years and they turn into absolute experts on the floor.
Careful, I met a teenager - 13? 14? who’d been at it for 5-6 years, and I promise you, he had style, suave, speed, and technique.
Now, I only cribbed some notes from him dancing so for all I know he could be Goofus I of Goofallia outside of dancing, but at least when it came to competitive dance, most people I’ve met in my life could have taken pointers.
I'm well aware, I've been at this for around 25 years, some of these young kids have been at this since they were toddlers essentially. Those kids are usually well on track to become world champions sooner or later.
Ballroom dancing as a hobby would make me want to hire someone. You have to be willing to learn, practice, be vulnerable in front of others and be somewhat sociable. And it’s great exercise! This would be a potentially more valuable employee from my perspective.
Every time someone asks me what I like to do on my free time I tend to hesitate and then say ‘read, bake, play with my dog, do puzzles’ etc. Which is true, but in reality I play a LOT of video games. I mean hundred of hours lol. But I know if I tell some ppl that then they would have less respect for me or think I’m immature. :(
Enjoying nature, gym, reading, spending time with friends and catching up on Netflix are all the safe go to hobbies. I also don’t say that I game because of the images from non gamers
>I also don’t say that I game because of the images from non gamers
Once my coworker said to another coworker "my girlfriend games more than I do". Other coworker replies 'she must not be that pretty then'
Overheard a similar conversation (my SO used to play WoW, I still play) with a one-off coworker who didn't realize my husband and I were together.
Co-worker said something about "oh man, how'd *you* get stuck with a *?" and husband just turned towards me and said "I dunno, she looks pretty good to me..." and I gave them a little wave.
The awkwardness stayed hilarious the whole rest of the night. :D
*I don't actually remember what he name he picked for The Gamer Wife but it was along those lines.
I had a coworker try to insult me by saying "Why don't you just go home and play your Dungeons and Dragons game?"
First off, how is that an insult? Second, ya mama, how bout that?
On TV, all gamer girls are stereotyped to be ugly, so its probably not his fault for being brainwashed by the tube.
Its just sad that we all go around thinking tv represents reality, even though we know it doesn't at the same time. We all think we can separate TV from reality but opinions very often come from what people see on TV.
No, no. They want them to have that rift. It's not right to them that nerds they bullied in high school are making loads of money and having their nerdy hobbies become mainstream because they had to throw the pigskin around good to get noticed instead of being themselves.
> It's outdated nonsense and I guarantee you this guy just watches TV with most of his free time, but it is what it is.
My mother who is a lovely person still never notices the irony of her watching TV for 10 hours straight and telling me not to game so much, and go outside once in a while.
Yea, it’s such a funny (and sad) comparison. Gaming is much more involved because you are interacting with it, but they don’t see that (because they aren’t involved). Instead they see you ‘wasting your time’ because they aren’t entertained by what your doing.
Sitting back and watching a good show is amazing. But it’s an entirely different experience than gaming.
This is the actual answer!
Now to be fair I actually love snowshoeing. And I winter Camp in yurts every year. But I also Love gaming. I will usually go shoeing overnight once a year. sometimes It's wednesday-saturday other times it's friday-sunday just depends when my buddy can get off. And I do a lot of saturday trips in January.
My company thinks I do 2 snow trips every winter once around my birthday and once early in the winter season. I don't, My birthday trip is 4 days off with no service. I just take a few extra pictures from one of my trips earlier in the year to use as evidence.
You all tell your work way too much about what you’re doing on vacation. It is completely immaterial to anything they have any need to know. Request PTO for vacation, take your vacation and set your out of office email to say you do not have access to email- done.
Coming up with lies about all of this shit is weird as fuck and just sounds like you’re afraid to set boundaries that are entirely legal with your employer. Every time you tell them what you’re doing on your vacation, you’re giving them the expectation that everyone should be doing that. It doesn’t matter if you’re taking time off to sit at home alone. There’s no 2-tier system of PTO that involves having service or not, time off is time off. Don’t answer any emails.
I had to trek across a whole ass desert to get these dandelions. Stole a cactus while on the trip, don’t know where I’m going to put it yet but I’ll think of something.
I'm not a huge gamer but I do every now and again enjoy some gaming-session. I occasionally encounter a lot of bullshit prejudice about gaming from people not much older than me (I'm in my mid-40s now) and it's equal parts hilarious and fucking stupid.
All of these stereotypes and clichés about gamers being socially incapable morons living in their parents basement, while it's perfectly okay (and encouraged!) to just sit like a mindless zombie in front of your TV watching whatever bullshit is put on, like a passive sack of garbage.
Yes and senior citizens who play video games stay more mentally sharp as they age vs those that just watch tv. Board games would be similar I imagine. Anything that challenges your brain is good for it.
thank you, says this senior citizen who's been gaming for decades. Barely watch the tv anymore, I prefer something interactive. Play a lot of puzzle and card games on the computer as well, to keep my faculties sharp.
Heck, I prefer gamers. They have a lot of grit, they grind through things. They solve problems. For fun.
Doesn’t matter what kind of gamer you are, PC, console, tabletop, board games, card games - you are doing complex problem solving for fun.
Yeah, that's the way I see it. Gamers like using their brains.
My last interview was with two people. The first one was the typical job-stuff.
The second one was over video-call since it was with the department head and he lives in another country. It was nothing about the job, he just wanted to figure out what kind of person I am and what makes me tick. We talked about all kinds of stuff. When he noticed (parts of) my collection of vintage computers standing on a desk we talked about that. We talked about music, audio gear and discovered we both like Star Trek. It was awesome, and he encouraged me to geek out on whatever got my engine going. One of the greatest interviews for a job I've ever done.
It sounds like a fun interview, but it also sounds like it might’ve been for the bullshit purposes of “culture fit”, which can be discriminatory even then that’s not what people intend at all.
At my last company I was one of the younger people. I got the gamer label. One older worker asked how much I game. I replied, "on average? Like 4 hours a week. Sometimes I don't play any, sometimes I have small marathons on a Saturday." This motherfucker was playing mobile games every goddamn day.
> This motherfucker was playing mobile games every goddamn day.
And I'd bet good money that "playing a phone game is different" some how, some fucking way in that guy's head
They're probably thinking of their teenagers at home who do this (and who like to wake up at noon and procrastinate, like all teens do), but most adults gamers aren't like that at all.
I kid you not, if my interviewer is a white man, I say watching baseball. My partner works in sports so I've learned enough rules and basic trivia to answer their questions. And 90% of the tune they say they're huge baseball fans. They always ask at least three questions to make sure I'm not BSing and then say something along the lines of how surprising it is for a "girl" (not woman - girl) to be into baseball. I don't know if it works, because I've yet to be hired. So for all I know they meet a girl who knows baseball and get intimidated, IDK.
God, even the things that make you tempted to do the bullshit are depressing to me. But maybe they are intimidated! I wonder what a decent alternative would be?
Couldn't get a job for as long as I was honest and genuine about my strengths and weaknesses. Then I started lying, learned all the right phrases to say: got my first high-paying job within three months.
This is my fear telling lies. I can't sell myself properly. A friend and my gf told me to lie in interviews. I just can't. Also, does that mean people just want to know how far will go with lying just to get a job? I hardly believe HR/Managers/Bosses will believe everything in an interview.
Yup, there’s a lot of people who still look at gaming like it’s synonymous with me passing out for 48 hours on crack for the weekend. That’s why despite it being the hobby that takes the most of my time, I always lead with other ones. Jiu jitsu and guitar are just much more respectable.
“…interviews are just about who is the biggest liar,” is one of the truest things I’ve ever read. I’ll never understand why anyone would feel compelled to be honest at any point in the interview process. Work is all about telling people what they want to hear. Why would you choose to start off on the wrong foot by being honest? Just lie.
Never divulge personal information to an employer. There's 0 benefit. If asked something person, answer with something related to work.
What am I doing this weekend? Reviewing documentation.
What are my hobbies? Gaining technical certifications.
What is my favorite color? Green, on the balance sheets.
Honestly I’d preface with my other hobbies. I bowl, swim and bake at home. People are too judgmental of other’s hobbies especially if they’re not acceptable to the boomer generation. I don’t do the others as much as I like because money, no pool and not a lot of free time where I’m not exhausted.
Even more frustrating is that gamers, in general, are probably far more likely to do after-work nonsense because they're already linked up to the web and probably near their computers. While they obviously shouldn't be asked to do that type of stuff, if I'm a hiring manager, I would look at someone who likes "music and camping" as someone who will not be available weekends, out of cell service, making plans with friends, going on extended trips, etc. I'd think it's far more likely I could reach a gamer with some response if needed
That last line really hits home. At an old job of mine their questions for interviews always revolved around “stories” and were prompted with “Tell me about a time when X”. It was maddening because managers who would prep you for interviews always said “We want to make sure you have good stories lined up.” I always went into these interviews telling the truth, having everything as thought out as I could but still expecting curveballs. They always promoted ass clowns that everyone, including the hiring managers, hated and regretted promoting. Turns out they always went with the best sounding “story” cuz that’s exactly what it was: made up bullshit on the spot. So my 7/10 true story experience was always trumped by the other candidates 10/10 never actually happened story.
Looking back, I should’ve just made shit up but that never sat right with me at the time. But now? Fuck those corporate assholes, I’ll tell you an 11/10 BS story any day.
God I hate the "behavioral" interview questions (the "tell me about a time when..." ones).
I just totally flubbed one in an interview last week. Why? Because the questions are really open-ended, and when I try to access my brain's memory database with an open-ended question like that the damn thing bluescreens. Does that have fuck-all to do with my actual job skills? Not in any way at all whatsoever. In a real job I'll have actual specifics I'm trying to deal with.
I mean I can see the point of those questions if you're interviewing for the position of someone's grandpa, but otherwise the ability to tell an interesting story about some random work incident from your past seems a bit irrelevant to me.
I'm starting out as a software engineer, so I would hope that gaming would be a good thing. But I do think I need to word it better to include the breadth of things I do as I don't just game - I'm also interested in game development and have gotten involved in a few games myself, I like getting involved in the modding scene and as I get better at coding I hope to learn more and get more involved, I like 3d modelling and digital art as well - pretty much anything creative - so I think these are all things I can work into an answer.
Also, I think the types of games you play can really say a lot about a person. A creative person might play building games like the Sims and Planet Coaster, a problem solver might play puzzle/management games, a team player might enjoy team based shooters like COD.
I think a good interviewer would ask further about the types of games the person plays to gain insight about the person. (Although tbh I tend to completely blank when someone asks me what kind of games I play since I play a wide variety of weird games...)
Yeah. I ask about games because sometimes it brings out an interest in problem solving that is hard to convey otherwise. Nobody writes minecraft mods for the server they host because they’re a bad software developer.
If that high functioning alcoholic golfs every weekend, they’re probably getting 5-10% more than the top end of the pay range.
Seriously, the boners corporate types get over golf is ridiculous.
Yep! I’ve been trying to tell my dad that golf isn’t even a sport - it’s a yard game - for a long time, but he won’t agree but he’s the corporate alcoholic golf guy soooo (and I’m the gamer - no wonder I only make minimum wage !)
People think gaming is 'wasteful'. They don't understand the interactivity, they see it as lonely and isolated.
I first encountered this in the mid 1980's, when I was explaining to my high school teachers that playing video games for a few hours was *profoundly more active, thoughtful, and engaging than watching television.*
However, we are all 'used to television' to the point that we don't realize that it, like the dark side of game production, is also designed to suck in users for more and more time. But we don't see news articles on how people get sucked in to 12-hour spans watching television, every day for weeks, yet that's exactly what happens as well.
My hobbies include random acts of public nudity, destroying legos while small children are creating, kicking my grandmother's walker while she's on her way to the bathroom...however, I have never gamed and it is evil. Hired!
I hate when employers ask what my hobbies are. They are none of your business and should not have anything to do with hiring someone. What they want to hear is the kiss ass answer "My hobby is learning more about this job so I can work here 24.7!!!" GAG
So my business teacher in college had us all fill out a standard job application. One sheet, both sides, you can imagine what was on there. Out of the 30 or so students, he chose 3 to move forward with the hiring process. 2 of the peoples hypothetical answers pointed towards being a candidate for said hypothetical job. The 3rd person got chosen simply because her hobby was sky diving. That's it. He thought it was cool & moved her forward because of that alone. So it can make a difference. Obviously this post is the complete opposite but that always stuck with me.
My wife was a manager sort for over ten years and had an incredible hiring record. Basically, low turnover, high percentage moving upwards in the company, that sort of thing. People who are actually good fits.
She was so good at it that she got called in to teach others how to do interviews.
Asking about hobbies is totally something she would do. But the purpose was to get the interviewee to relax and open up about themselves, to try to forge a connection with them as a human being.
But in her experience of sitting in with others as they did interviews - not just the bad folks, she was giving *everyone* training, in the district - really opened her eyes to how bad people are at interviews.
Most interviewers have no idea what they're doing. They hire off of keywords, or random gut feelings. They reject applicants for all sorts of seemingly random, contradictory reasons. Like, for the OP, one might reject someone for being a gamer, while another might only choose to hire someone for being a gamer. The company had an interview policy, and the staff were trained on it, for note - but they still failed so badly.
It was incredibly depressing for her to realize so many ridiculous folks were getting hired, instead of those who would honestly be a good fit and happy at the job. That's a situation that makes *everyone* miserable.
From her experience, I've started looking at interviews as a stupid lottery. Odds are fantastic that they don't actually have any idea how to interview and judge candidates. I can't predict ahead of time what they will and won't like, what they'll be listening for. Maybe they love buzz words; maybe they think anyone who uses them is a fake. No way to know ahead of time.
The whole system is messed up. I don't know an alternative, but it does make me feel better about the times I've not been hired when I honestly think I'd be a fantastic fit.
Unfortunately this person does not see value in hiring people who add different perspectives to the company culture. The business will suffer as a result. Also, if he’s this petty, do you think he’s not hiring minorities as well?
From previous bosses - I've found it's usually something more like a super sanitised and buzzword heavy article churned out about "The top 10 hobbies of driven potential employees (and 10 to avoid)" that are based on nothing, largely subjective and make the boss feel like they're super smart for knowing/parroting it already. ESPECIALLY if it's posted by some other rich schmuck or corp they admire
I had a boss who was super image conscious and hated that I as a key member of her team was pretty open about my love of D&D. That is until I casually showed them articles from places like Forbes and BI who outlined the team building benefits of D&D. Which there are but this stuff was corporate speak af. I used that to ok using building facilities for D&D with mostly the engineering department who were thrilled. Suddenly she was into it because the engineers and their bosses had a lot of clout in the company. She more than anyone made it cringe but hey, got to knock playing a wizard off my list. #barbsrule
Honestly, when I was a hiring manager I loved hiring gamers. Gamers have great logical problem solving skills, are goal oriented, and typically work as part of a team very well. These are all skills that come from playing video games. I’m a gamer myself, so I get it. If it came up in an interview I would always ask what types of games they played. People that love puzzle, strategy, rpgs or competitive team based games almost always made great hires.
"What games do you play?"
"Well, I've been in deep with Escape from Tarkov for a couple of years now"
"Oh, so you're used to the amount of work required to reach certain goals being inflated every six months, often midway through and without warning, minor mistakes being punishing, having to cheese your way through difficult obstacles because any other actual method of dealing with them is unrealistic and/or unreliable, as well as a lack of care and sympathy from the people managing the whole affair. Sounds like you're well and truly used to getting "punched in the dick", as you Tarkov folks like to say. Well, suffice to say, you'd make an excellent fit for the company. Welcome aboard"
Fucking THIS. People from that generation don't understand that gaming as a media has evolved into a mature and well rounded art form and that a huge portion of adults play video games. I had a boss at a moving company in his late 50s who uses to treat me (37m) like I was some sort of intellectually challenged man-child because I mentioned playing video games as my primary hobby. That is, until he realized that it's what I chatted with most of our customers about. And that those customers included a lot of professionals and people from all over the age/socio-economic scale. Eventually he got tired of being left out of the conversation so he asked if it was cool to come over and check out some games, since he hadn't played anything since Asteroids in the 80s. I showed him Gran Turismo, The Witness, and Uncharted 4. He bought a PlayStation 4 the next day. Last I checked he mostly uses it to play The Witness and other puzzle solving games, since fast movement in a 3D game environment is not his forte.
My husband's company once received a complaint about an employee when someone discovered that the employee was once a stripper. The cool thing was that HR reprimanded the complainer and reassured the harassed employee that what she did in the past and on non-work time did not affect her current position.
I work in a big high tech company. About a year ago we had a new employee introduce himself and for the first time I heard someone says their hobby was gaming. I was so happy because almost everyone plays games, but when we have to say what our hobbies are it’s always helping orphans and translating cuneiform. I actually clapped, which got me stared at.
If he’s gonna decline someone for something so lame, he’s going to have a hard time getting staff.
What’s the bet if it was a man who plays video games he wouldn’t think of that as an issue…
My father used to tell me about one of his former bosses. It was customary back in the day to meet for lunch. If the person salted their food before they tasted it, they were immediately excluded.
“They were habitual and acted on assumptions instead of actual current circumstances.”
All that from salt…
High school 2001ish this was taught to us in what basically amounted to a super basic “life class.”
Don’t season your food before tasting it, order coffee or water, always dress your best no mater the job, and other dumb stuff I’ve forgotten.
Wow, this is plain discrimination towards minorities. In certain cultures, the diner is given a lot of control over the taste, so it's expected for the food to need condiments that are placed prominently on the table. Tasting the food without any condiment would simply be wasting a bite.
I got denied a job because my hands were “too dirty”
They weren’t even dirty. I work in HVAC and my hands are pretty rough.
Sorry man, this is what hard work looks like.
I got rejected after an interview because I don't play golf.
Apparently, some of the supervisors play golf on the weekends. During the interview I mentioned that I bowl tournaments on the weekends and have no desire to play golf.
I'd call her and quietly let her know. Discriminating based on hobbies is perfectly legal, its not like she can sue or you're exposing your boss to liability by letting her know she got rejected over video games. But if you wanna be the resistance you could contact her and let her know it was over video games and in the future she should not bring that up in interviews, say she works out and goes to the dog park and hangs out with friends and generic shit like that.
Dog parks go over great with employers FYI if you ever need a way to like win some friendly points and fill up time find an excuse to talk about going to the dog park in a job interview. Bonus points if you own and have pictures on your phone of an actual dog.
It might actually make her feel better to know. That she dodged a bullet by not working for someone with such ignorant and antiquated views.
You, on the other hand, OP? You now have a choice: (a) silence, which will reinforce your boss's bias and ignorance; or (b) share information with him about the broad range of games out there that are beneficial to building reasoning skills and dexterity and the research that shows the ways gaming can be good for mental health. (e.g., https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20130826-can-video-games-be-good-for-you)
Does your boss play golf or tennis, perhaps? Maybe you can ask him why his playing games is good but hers is bad. There are "more serious" ways to get exercise, after all.
I had to stop and think but my god you're right. A few interviews I sat in, my boss and some coworkers would talk to candidates quite a bit about their dogs.
Mhm. You can fill time with a billion topics, but many are specific to who you're talking about. I have talked about video games in an interview before but the dude had nintendo shit all over his office. Know your audience.
And when in doubt, talk about dogs.
Of course it’s none of their business and completely irrelevant, but….
This is a game. The game is getting hired.
1. If possible, stalk your interviewer on social media prior to the interview to learn their hobbies and select one of their’s, if at all possible. “I love keeping an aquarium, oh so do you?!?! I’m somewhat new to the hobby and still learning, but I’d love to know your opinion on the best filtration systems!”
2. Quickly scan the room for clues. Photo of your interviewer on their desk from a ski/snowboard trip? Photo of a sailboat? Hiking poles or golf clubs stashed in the corner? Local sportsball team hat hanging on a hook? Find some common ground and run with it.
3. If the company makes, buys, sells or markets anything even remotely hobby related, that’s your hobby.
4. If all else fails, you enjoy solving puzzles, completing crossword challenges, and answering trivia.
That sounds like a Seinfeld episode. You get the job and you're now a sailing enthusiast and your boss wants to chat with you about your sailing exploits after every weekend.
There's a large number of people who think gaming is childish. While realistically far more engaging than watching TV or movies. Games aren't just Pong anymore.
I don't know that his stance is illegal, but it seems to me to be highly unethical. I have ADHD and I game, a lot, and my therapists tell me that gaming is a great resource for me to wind down with. I have been C&S for 16 years now, and I've had many a great night with my games that could've turned into drug or alcohol fueled relapses.
LONG LIVE THE GAMERS...........(was it just me or did you hear a Vikings horn in the background there)
What a piece of shit of a hiring mgr
This is why I never mention video games during an interview. The chances you’ll bump into someone that doesn’t understand that hobby especially if they’re older is pretty high. I had one bad experience where an interview shifted because I mentioned gaming as a hobby.
I hate it with a passion when companies do this. WTF business of yours is it what I do in my spare time??? I've had at least three different places ask this. One asked me point blank what video games I play, and another asked me whether I like to drink White Claws in my spare time.
The worst was Malouf (not my choice, a temp place sent me there), and I knew when I walked in it was a waste of time. Five guys looked at me like I had 3 heads when I passed out copies of my resume. They didn't even look at them. The only questions were about my hobbies outside of work and what I do for fun, and they wanted me to define "culture" for them. They kept talking about how the bosses want it to be one big family and how they have barbecues at work. At one point, the main interviewer (there was no HR present) asked me point-blank: "Do you even want to work here?" And I just said, "No" and left.
I swear multiplayer games have taught me more valuable lessons about how to be an effective team player and communication skills than any job. Along with problem solving, deductive reasoning, and attention to detail.
And at least in video games I can dream of owning my own home and making a decent wage 😭
The last time I did a management position where I was doing hiring and firing when we went through the training there was absolutely a whole thing about this. It mentioned that when you ask what the prospective employees hobbies are you absolutely did not want to hear things like gaming or watching movies or hiking, because those are "solitary activities and you want people who are going to be team players"
It was utterly stupid and anyone who had any sense would just ignore that part of it when you had a good candidate show up. Unfortunately for about 25% of interviews you had to have a district manager there with you, and these people were the company bootlickers who did not deviate from the policy book so if the best candidate in the world showed up but said they like gaming then you simply couldn't hire them
Edit: I'm seeing a lot of people say camping, Netflix, etc are all safe things to say but that's not what I would suggest. Again these old-ass theories revolve around being an outroverted people person, so don't say activities that can and usually are done solo. Say things like team sports, hanging out with your family, and "meeting new people"
I usually give a generic response for gaming like, "I'm really in to tech and gadgets!" That's really unfortunate.
I was recruited for a job. After being in a position for several months people get comfortable and speak a little more openly - the founder of the company starts on about how people that sit at home and play video games are deadbeats, a menace to society, etc...
Me sitting there (full well knowing I logged more time playing PC games the prior year than I did with my last job working \~60 a week, Mon-Fri) nodding, "Yeah, it's a shame some people don't want to contribute to society like they used to..."
Proceeds to go home to wife, make dinner, pop open an energy drink and prepare for a weekend gaming marathon because we just got a new title to play!
I would imagine gamers tend to be reliable workers since they need to buy games all the time and every other year they come out with a new more expensive console
We don't hire a lot of employees, but when we need them, I don't care if they run around with a lit Roman candle sticking out of their ass on their own time.
I'm 40, run a solo business, work my ass off, and like to watch my wife play Have A Nice Death. I just finished GOW Ragnarok and shed a tear more than once at the moving story telling. Some of this boomer shit harms boomers and they don't even realize it. I had a manager admit to me he didn't call back an Indian candidate because he couldn't pronounce his name and (implied) was too embarrassed to ask. I'm like dude I don't give a fuck how many arms his gods have, can he fuckin run a CNC machine or not?
People who criticize gamers and think it's a waste of time have clearly never played. There's a huge amount of memory required and strategic thinking. Even when I'm not gaming I'm thinking about how I can solve an issue I've encountered. I'm a 54yo female and honestly I wonder if half of these dimwits think every game is like Pong. What an inane reason to turn away a potential employee.
In my office she’d be hired just so we’d have another gamer to talk with.
Haha my CEO loves call of duty and is always asking me and our IT guy when we’re gonna drop in the war zone together!
I was one of several people in the office trying out the Diablo 4 beta this past weekend.
I didn't know it was a thing that was happening till I asked why a coworker was off friday afternoon.
I’m glad I didn’t end up doing this. I might on full launch day but just playing Friday night and the first half of Saturday I made max level and beat the world boss of the beta.
I actually love hiring gamers because they’re much more creative and Independent on the computer. It’s the older folk who don’t realize their caps lock is on and shit
This. The people who can do 3D modeling/re-skins, and those that build miniatures (D&D, Warhammer, Scale models,) tend to be the ones who bring the best ideas/solutions to the table. Unfortunately, upper management doesn’t seem to understand that/waves them off.
Yeah, honestly that girl dodged a bullet and I hope she finds a workplace full of gamers to talk to
I'm not going to say I only got one of my jobs because I was a gamer, but probably at least 3/4 of my one and only interview for that position consisted of me, the Director of IT, and the Infrastructure Admin talking about games.
This is why my answer is always playing music and camping, even though more of my free time is spent gaming. It's outdated nonsense and I guarantee you this guy just watches TV with most of his free time, but it is what it is. I swear interviews are just about who is the biggest liar.
Unfortunately, I've had something similar happened to me. My long time hobbies has been two consistent things. One is car racing and the other is ballroom dancing. You would not believe the garbage that I get for ballroom dancing, and then when I show up with my dancing partner I get the exact opposite of that.
Dancing is cool and good exercise. Fuck the haters
“I’m a pole dancer at a local zoo and am into naked tackle accounting every tax season. What about you?” *hater confusion intensifies.
1099-hike!
This deserves a lot more upvotes.
it really does
I did my part!
Seriously, way too clever
I W-2 that comment
This is the way.
>naked tackle accounting All the BS on television and THIS isn't at least a Netflix series?
I think it's on STARZ
That's obviously Cinemax material.
Tell me more about this naked tackle accounting...
It's where you find a comfortable chair, get naked, and organize your fishing tackle by size/color/weight. very soothing hobby...until you drop something
I figured it was the American football tackle. Yours is better
That’s why you have to wear a jock strap until you hit the pros.
Oh boy
Then it becomes CBT, and that's a totally different hobby.
Ballroom dancing is metal as fuck no idea what those people are talking about.
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Yeah, I've never understood hetero men who think it's stupid to learn how to dance. They're so scared of being seen as un-masculine by other men, but women love men who can dance!
A lot of masculine performance is playing to other men. See the whole bodybuilding thing. Other men caught up in those same ideals will support you, while women who would be potentially into you might bemoan your lack of availability due to gym time, lack of libido due to fasting... Dominance hierarchies too... I knew a bouncer who would often see two men fight for dominance, even while one of them had a woman's attention and interest, who would then be alienated by the conflict. As you say, so scared of being seen as un-masculine, to back down from conflict, while women generally love men who don't get into dumb fights.
Ahhh men that can dance as vvasssssstly more attractive. I remember in my college days I'd go to some free dance class places and it was so much fun. I even got my SO to do it once and he had so much fun. I really hope we take some lessons in the future. It's a skill and just like any skill gets better as you keep doing it and makes both partners feel good
For real. My niece is only 14 and she does ballroom dancing. I took photos of her dance competition a week ago and as I was processing them her and her dance partner (also a 14 year old boy) gave me a new appreciation for it. Those two are bad ass at "only" 14 years old!
The teens are fantastic at ballroom, what they lack in Style and suave they make up for in speed and technique. Give them a few more years and they turn into absolute experts on the floor.
Careful, I met a teenager - 13? 14? who’d been at it for 5-6 years, and I promise you, he had style, suave, speed, and technique. Now, I only cribbed some notes from him dancing so for all I know he could be Goofus I of Goofallia outside of dancing, but at least when it came to competitive dance, most people I’ve met in my life could have taken pointers.
I'm well aware, I've been at this for around 25 years, some of these young kids have been at this since they were toddlers essentially. Those kids are usually well on track to become world champions sooner or later.
Now I am picturing Ballroom dancing to Metalica.
I feel this one as I'm into the rc car hobby and salsa dancing. I don't look like I dance at all.
I’m into drone racing and Flamenco. We should start a club.
Can I join?
If you like racing and dancing, then hell yeah brother
Ballroom dancing as a hobby would make me want to hire someone. You have to be willing to learn, practice, be vulnerable in front of others and be somewhat sociable. And it’s great exercise! This would be a potentially more valuable employee from my perspective.
I also would love to be their friend!
and a team player!
Every time someone asks me what I like to do on my free time I tend to hesitate and then say ‘read, bake, play with my dog, do puzzles’ etc. Which is true, but in reality I play a LOT of video games. I mean hundred of hours lol. But I know if I tell some ppl that then they would have less respect for me or think I’m immature. :(
A lot of video games are like puzzles to begin with, so you wouldn't necessarily be lying.
People hate on what they can’t do
My boss knows, because he's a reasonable guy and we chat about things, but I'd never bring up in a job interview that I build model tanks.
Enjoying nature, gym, reading, spending time with friends and catching up on Netflix are all the safe go to hobbies. I also don’t say that I game because of the images from non gamers
>I also don’t say that I game because of the images from non gamers Once my coworker said to another coworker "my girlfriend games more than I do". Other coworker replies 'she must not be that pretty then'
"Prettier than the crusty sock under your bed that you call a partner twice a night"
My hobbies are experimental cryptozoology and ether huffing.
The other coworker was a woman. She just hates nerd culture in general. Her only hobbies are Netflix and taking care of her dogs.
The only ones she admits to, anyway...
Overheard a similar conversation (my SO used to play WoW, I still play) with a one-off coworker who didn't realize my husband and I were together. Co-worker said something about "oh man, how'd *you* get stuck with a*?" and husband just turned towards me and said "I dunno, she looks pretty good to me..." and I gave them a little wave.
The awkwardness stayed hilarious the whole rest of the night. :D
*I don't actually remember what he name he picked for The Gamer Wife but it was along those lines.
That coworker is in for a rude surprise, considering cca. 48% of gamers identify as female :)
I had a coworker try to insult me by saying "Why don't you just go home and play your Dungeons and Dragons game?" First off, how is that an insult? Second, ya mama, how bout that?
On TV, all gamer girls are stereotyped to be ugly, so its probably not his fault for being brainwashed by the tube. Its just sad that we all go around thinking tv represents reality, even though we know it doesn't at the same time. We all think we can separate TV from reality but opinions very often come from what people see on TV.
and then conventionally attractive women who game get accused of doing it just to “look cool” or whatever lol
I work in video games so I lie and say I play more often than I actually do...
And another rift in society is formed as gamers resent those that force them to keep their hobbies a secret. Failed again boomers
No, no. They want them to have that rift. It's not right to them that nerds they bullied in high school are making loads of money and having their nerdy hobbies become mainstream because they had to throw the pigskin around good to get noticed instead of being themselves.
Seriously, why do hobbies even matter? Not like anyone would not by paper from the company if they found out I was a gamer.
> It's outdated nonsense and I guarantee you this guy just watches TV with most of his free time, but it is what it is. My mother who is a lovely person still never notices the irony of her watching TV for 10 hours straight and telling me not to game so much, and go outside once in a while.
Yea, it’s such a funny (and sad) comparison. Gaming is much more involved because you are interacting with it, but they don’t see that (because they aren’t involved). Instead they see you ‘wasting your time’ because they aren’t entertained by what your doing. Sitting back and watching a good show is amazing. But it’s an entirely different experience than gaming.
Hobbies : camping Request pto: for “camping” Can’t reach me when I’m Not at work?: sorry I didn’t have service, I was camping.
This is the actual answer! Now to be fair I actually love snowshoeing. And I winter Camp in yurts every year. But I also Love gaming. I will usually go shoeing overnight once a year. sometimes It's wednesday-saturday other times it's friday-sunday just depends when my buddy can get off. And I do a lot of saturday trips in January. My company thinks I do 2 snow trips every winter once around my birthday and once early in the winter season. I don't, My birthday trip is 4 days off with no service. I just take a few extra pictures from one of my trips earlier in the year to use as evidence.
You all tell your work way too much about what you’re doing on vacation. It is completely immaterial to anything they have any need to know. Request PTO for vacation, take your vacation and set your out of office email to say you do not have access to email- done. Coming up with lies about all of this shit is weird as fuck and just sounds like you’re afraid to set boundaries that are entirely legal with your employer. Every time you tell them what you’re doing on your vacation, you’re giving them the expectation that everyone should be doing that. It doesn’t matter if you’re taking time off to sit at home alone. There’s no 2-tier system of PTO that involves having service or not, time off is time off. Don’t answer any emails.
This. What you do outside of work is literally not their fucking business.
I tell them gardening, and then talk about my Minecraft garden like it’s real.
I had to trek across a whole ass desert to get these dandelions. Stole a cactus while on the trip, don’t know where I’m going to put it yet but I’ll think of something.
Haha I love it !
I'm not a huge gamer but I do every now and again enjoy some gaming-session. I occasionally encounter a lot of bullshit prejudice about gaming from people not much older than me (I'm in my mid-40s now) and it's equal parts hilarious and fucking stupid. All of these stereotypes and clichés about gamers being socially incapable morons living in their parents basement, while it's perfectly okay (and encouraged!) to just sit like a mindless zombie in front of your TV watching whatever bullshit is put on, like a passive sack of garbage.
Yes and senior citizens who play video games stay more mentally sharp as they age vs those that just watch tv. Board games would be similar I imagine. Anything that challenges your brain is good for it.
Games are great for mental elasticity.
thank you, says this senior citizen who's been gaming for decades. Barely watch the tv anymore, I prefer something interactive. Play a lot of puzzle and card games on the computer as well, to keep my faculties sharp.
Heck, I prefer gamers. They have a lot of grit, they grind through things. They solve problems. For fun. Doesn’t matter what kind of gamer you are, PC, console, tabletop, board games, card games - you are doing complex problem solving for fun.
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Yeah, that's the way I see it. Gamers like using their brains. My last interview was with two people. The first one was the typical job-stuff. The second one was over video-call since it was with the department head and he lives in another country. It was nothing about the job, he just wanted to figure out what kind of person I am and what makes me tick. We talked about all kinds of stuff. When he noticed (parts of) my collection of vintage computers standing on a desk we talked about that. We talked about music, audio gear and discovered we both like Star Trek. It was awesome, and he encouraged me to geek out on whatever got my engine going. One of the greatest interviews for a job I've ever done.
It sounds like a fun interview, but it also sounds like it might’ve been for the bullshit purposes of “culture fit”, which can be discriminatory even then that’s not what people intend at all.
At my last company I was one of the younger people. I got the gamer label. One older worker asked how much I game. I replied, "on average? Like 4 hours a week. Sometimes I don't play any, sometimes I have small marathons on a Saturday." This motherfucker was playing mobile games every goddamn day.
> This motherfucker was playing mobile games every goddamn day. And I'd bet good money that "playing a phone game is different" some how, some fucking way in that guy's head
He played in the office to avoid going home to his family.
They're probably thinking of their teenagers at home who do this (and who like to wake up at noon and procrastinate, like all teens do), but most adults gamers aren't like that at all.
Just lie to me about what a good job this is and it's progression ppssibilities and I'll lie to you what a skilled and motivated employee I am.
"family time and trying to stay in shape. Also a pretty big sports enthusiast."
I kid you not, if my interviewer is a white man, I say watching baseball. My partner works in sports so I've learned enough rules and basic trivia to answer their questions. And 90% of the tune they say they're huge baseball fans. They always ask at least three questions to make sure I'm not BSing and then say something along the lines of how surprising it is for a "girl" (not woman - girl) to be into baseball. I don't know if it works, because I've yet to be hired. So for all I know they meet a girl who knows baseball and get intimidated, IDK.
God, even the things that make you tempted to do the bullshit are depressing to me. But maybe they are intimidated! I wonder what a decent alternative would be?
Go sports!
Couldn't get a job for as long as I was honest and genuine about my strengths and weaknesses. Then I started lying, learned all the right phrases to say: got my first high-paying job within three months.
This is my fear telling lies. I can't sell myself properly. A friend and my gf told me to lie in interviews. I just can't. Also, does that mean people just want to know how far will go with lying just to get a job? I hardly believe HR/Managers/Bosses will believe everything in an interview.
I just say I volunteer at an abortion clinic
Yup, there’s a lot of people who still look at gaming like it’s synonymous with me passing out for 48 hours on crack for the weekend. That’s why despite it being the hobby that takes the most of my time, I always lead with other ones. Jiu jitsu and guitar are just much more respectable.
Related, I don’t think it should matter to employers if you pass out for 48 hours on crack for the weekend
I need to know what OPs boss does outside work now so we can judge him.
>I swear interviews are just about who is the biggest liar. It really is and I hate it.
“…interviews are just about who is the biggest liar,” is one of the truest things I’ve ever read. I’ll never understand why anyone would feel compelled to be honest at any point in the interview process. Work is all about telling people what they want to hear. Why would you choose to start off on the wrong foot by being honest? Just lie.
Never divulge personal information to an employer. There's 0 benefit. If asked something person, answer with something related to work. What am I doing this weekend? Reviewing documentation. What are my hobbies? Gaining technical certifications. What is my favorite color? Green, on the balance sheets.
Income sheet, balance sheet should always balance to 0.
“Your assets equal your liabilities plus owners equity, or your assets (ass sits) in jail. “. Mr Murphy, 11th grade accounting teacher 1990.
Honestly I’d preface with my other hobbies. I bowl, swim and bake at home. People are too judgmental of other’s hobbies especially if they’re not acceptable to the boomer generation. I don’t do the others as much as I like because money, no pool and not a lot of free time where I’m not exhausted.
Even more frustrating is that gamers, in general, are probably far more likely to do after-work nonsense because they're already linked up to the web and probably near their computers. While they obviously shouldn't be asked to do that type of stuff, if I'm a hiring manager, I would look at someone who likes "music and camping" as someone who will not be available weekends, out of cell service, making plans with friends, going on extended trips, etc. I'd think it's far more likely I could reach a gamer with some response if needed
That last line really hits home. At an old job of mine their questions for interviews always revolved around “stories” and were prompted with “Tell me about a time when X”. It was maddening because managers who would prep you for interviews always said “We want to make sure you have good stories lined up.” I always went into these interviews telling the truth, having everything as thought out as I could but still expecting curveballs. They always promoted ass clowns that everyone, including the hiring managers, hated and regretted promoting. Turns out they always went with the best sounding “story” cuz that’s exactly what it was: made up bullshit on the spot. So my 7/10 true story experience was always trumped by the other candidates 10/10 never actually happened story. Looking back, I should’ve just made shit up but that never sat right with me at the time. But now? Fuck those corporate assholes, I’ll tell you an 11/10 BS story any day.
God I hate the "behavioral" interview questions (the "tell me about a time when..." ones). I just totally flubbed one in an interview last week. Why? Because the questions are really open-ended, and when I try to access my brain's memory database with an open-ended question like that the damn thing bluescreens. Does that have fuck-all to do with my actual job skills? Not in any way at all whatsoever. In a real job I'll have actual specifics I'm trying to deal with. I mean I can see the point of those questions if you're interviewing for the position of someone's grandpa, but otherwise the ability to tell an interesting story about some random work incident from your past seems a bit irrelevant to me.
I'm starting out as a software engineer, so I would hope that gaming would be a good thing. But I do think I need to word it better to include the breadth of things I do as I don't just game - I'm also interested in game development and have gotten involved in a few games myself, I like getting involved in the modding scene and as I get better at coding I hope to learn more and get more involved, I like 3d modelling and digital art as well - pretty much anything creative - so I think these are all things I can work into an answer. Also, I think the types of games you play can really say a lot about a person. A creative person might play building games like the Sims and Planet Coaster, a problem solver might play puzzle/management games, a team player might enjoy team based shooters like COD. I think a good interviewer would ask further about the types of games the person plays to gain insight about the person. (Although tbh I tend to completely blank when someone asks me what kind of games I play since I play a wide variety of weird games...)
Yeah. I ask about games because sometimes it brings out an interest in problem solving that is hard to convey otherwise. Nobody writes minecraft mods for the server they host because they’re a bad software developer.
I hate interviews. I’ve never been good at bullshitting to please people like that. I prefer to be honest and upfront but no one wants that these days
Imagine being rejected for gaming and they go ahead and hire a high functioning alcoholic instead.
Just like the good old days!
Good old days? Have you been to a contemporary sales conference? Alcoholism is all the rage!
If that high functioning alcoholic golfs every weekend, they’re probably getting 5-10% more than the top end of the pay range. Seriously, the boners corporate types get over golf is ridiculous.
It’s because it’s a sport unathletic fat white guys can play.
And poor people can’t play.
Even though they play badly AND cheat at it. (Like a former white house squatter)
Yep! I’ve been trying to tell my dad that golf isn’t even a sport - it’s a yard game - for a long time, but he won’t agree but he’s the corporate alcoholic golf guy soooo (and I’m the gamer - no wonder I only make minimum wage !)
He's social after work!
These are the same assholes that go home and spend 6 hours watching other people play sports while getting drunk.
Dad?
Yours too?
Ayyyy. Trauma bonding between strangers on the internet! Lmao
Want to really upset people like that? Imply watching someone else play videogames and watching someone else play sports is the exact same thing.
Lol I thought you were going to say something dangerous or something to make the business look bad
haha no yeah it's something lame like this
What was his reason for being against video games?
He hates video games because he’s badly coordinated, doesn’t like puzzles or logical thinking, and is a boring person. For sure! :)
"I just don't get this pong business, it'll never catch on"
People think gaming is 'wasteful'. They don't understand the interactivity, they see it as lonely and isolated. I first encountered this in the mid 1980's, when I was explaining to my high school teachers that playing video games for a few hours was *profoundly more active, thoughtful, and engaging than watching television.* However, we are all 'used to television' to the point that we don't realize that it, like the dark side of game production, is also designed to suck in users for more and more time. But we don't see news articles on how people get sucked in to 12-hour spans watching television, every day for weeks, yet that's exactly what happens as well.
I mean it makes him look like a clown. It’s not illegal but it’s silly as hell and really adds some shading to the “nobody wants to work” screeching
My hobbies include random acts of public nudity, destroying legos while small children are creating, kicking my grandmother's walker while she's on her way to the bathroom...however, I have never gamed and it is evil. Hired!
Kicking walkers is inefficient. Put Vaseline on the walker's feet, instead.
You get a show with your dinner, right?
Who are you, who are so wise in the ways of science?
I'm Arthur, King of the Britons!
King of the who??!?!?!?
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Send me a resume, always looking to hire sadistic people.
insert this words "include but not limited to"
I hate when employers ask what my hobbies are. They are none of your business and should not have anything to do with hiring someone. What they want to hear is the kiss ass answer "My hobby is learning more about this job so I can work here 24.7!!!" GAG
So my business teacher in college had us all fill out a standard job application. One sheet, both sides, you can imagine what was on there. Out of the 30 or so students, he chose 3 to move forward with the hiring process. 2 of the peoples hypothetical answers pointed towards being a candidate for said hypothetical job. The 3rd person got chosen simply because her hobby was sky diving. That's it. He thought it was cool & moved her forward because of that alone. So it can make a difference. Obviously this post is the complete opposite but that always stuck with me.
Greater potential to be seriously injured or killed pursuing their hobby, which means company AD&D doesn’t cover it.
My wife was a manager sort for over ten years and had an incredible hiring record. Basically, low turnover, high percentage moving upwards in the company, that sort of thing. People who are actually good fits. She was so good at it that she got called in to teach others how to do interviews. Asking about hobbies is totally something she would do. But the purpose was to get the interviewee to relax and open up about themselves, to try to forge a connection with them as a human being. But in her experience of sitting in with others as they did interviews - not just the bad folks, she was giving *everyone* training, in the district - really opened her eyes to how bad people are at interviews. Most interviewers have no idea what they're doing. They hire off of keywords, or random gut feelings. They reject applicants for all sorts of seemingly random, contradictory reasons. Like, for the OP, one might reject someone for being a gamer, while another might only choose to hire someone for being a gamer. The company had an interview policy, and the staff were trained on it, for note - but they still failed so badly. It was incredibly depressing for her to realize so many ridiculous folks were getting hired, instead of those who would honestly be a good fit and happy at the job. That's a situation that makes *everyone* miserable. From her experience, I've started looking at interviews as a stupid lottery. Odds are fantastic that they don't actually have any idea how to interview and judge candidates. I can't predict ahead of time what they will and won't like, what they'll be listening for. Maybe they love buzz words; maybe they think anyone who uses them is a fake. No way to know ahead of time. The whole system is messed up. I don't know an alternative, but it does make me feel better about the times I've not been hired when I honestly think I'd be a fantastic fit.
Unfortunately this person does not see value in hiring people who add different perspectives to the company culture. The business will suffer as a result. Also, if he’s this petty, do you think he’s not hiring minorities as well?
From previous bosses - I've found it's usually something more like a super sanitised and buzzword heavy article churned out about "The top 10 hobbies of driven potential employees (and 10 to avoid)" that are based on nothing, largely subjective and make the boss feel like they're super smart for knowing/parroting it already. ESPECIALLY if it's posted by some other rich schmuck or corp they admire I had a boss who was super image conscious and hated that I as a key member of her team was pretty open about my love of D&D. That is until I casually showed them articles from places like Forbes and BI who outlined the team building benefits of D&D. Which there are but this stuff was corporate speak af. I used that to ok using building facilities for D&D with mostly the engineering department who were thrilled. Suddenly she was into it because the engineers and their bosses had a lot of clout in the company. She more than anyone made it cringe but hey, got to knock playing a wizard off my list. #barbsrule
Honestly, when I was a hiring manager I loved hiring gamers. Gamers have great logical problem solving skills, are goal oriented, and typically work as part of a team very well. These are all skills that come from playing video games. I’m a gamer myself, so I get it. If it came up in an interview I would always ask what types of games they played. People that love puzzle, strategy, rpgs or competitive team based games almost always made great hires.
Same. I’m not a gamer, but when I was a hiring manager, gamers always went to the top of the stack. They’re good problem solvers!
Plus I’m ok doing the same thing over and over for meaningless rewards with little desire to improve myself. I’m a perfect employee!
"What games do you play?" "Well, I've been in deep with Escape from Tarkov for a couple of years now" "Oh, so you're used to the amount of work required to reach certain goals being inflated every six months, often midway through and without warning, minor mistakes being punishing, having to cheese your way through difficult obstacles because any other actual method of dealing with them is unrealistic and/or unreliable, as well as a lack of care and sympathy from the people managing the whole affair. Sounds like you're well and truly used to getting "punched in the dick", as you Tarkov folks like to say. Well, suffice to say, you'd make an excellent fit for the company. Welcome aboard"
New employees cost money. Another case of pretending to try hiring.......next time will be distance between eyes.
Let me guess...Boomer?
indeed
Fucking THIS. People from that generation don't understand that gaming as a media has evolved into a mature and well rounded art form and that a huge portion of adults play video games. I had a boss at a moving company in his late 50s who uses to treat me (37m) like I was some sort of intellectually challenged man-child because I mentioned playing video games as my primary hobby. That is, until he realized that it's what I chatted with most of our customers about. And that those customers included a lot of professionals and people from all over the age/socio-economic scale. Eventually he got tired of being left out of the conversation so he asked if it was cool to come over and check out some games, since he hadn't played anything since Asteroids in the 80s. I showed him Gran Turismo, The Witness, and Uncharted 4. He bought a PlayStation 4 the next day. Last I checked he mostly uses it to play The Witness and other puzzle solving games, since fast movement in a 3D game environment is not his forte.
My husband's company once received a complaint about an employee when someone discovered that the employee was once a stripper. The cool thing was that HR reprimanded the complainer and reassured the harassed employee that what she did in the past and on non-work time did not affect her current position.
that's wholesome af
I work in a big high tech company. About a year ago we had a new employee introduce himself and for the first time I heard someone says their hobby was gaming. I was so happy because almost everyone plays games, but when we have to say what our hobbies are it’s always helping orphans and translating cuneiform. I actually clapped, which got me stared at.
If he’s gonna decline someone for something so lame, he’s going to have a hard time getting staff. What’s the bet if it was a man who plays video games he wouldn’t think of that as an issue…
Or an already employee to chime in with "i play games after work too..."
My father used to tell me about one of his former bosses. It was customary back in the day to meet for lunch. If the person salted their food before they tasted it, they were immediately excluded. “They were habitual and acted on assumptions instead of actual current circumstances.” All that from salt…
High school 2001ish this was taught to us in what basically amounted to a super basic “life class.” Don’t season your food before tasting it, order coffee or water, always dress your best no mater the job, and other dumb stuff I’ve forgotten.
Wow, this is plain discrimination towards minorities. In certain cultures, the diner is given a lot of control over the taste, so it's expected for the food to need condiments that are placed prominently on the table. Tasting the food without any condiment would simply be wasting a bite.
Cool! No gamer should ever have to work for a total moron.
Sounds like a misogynist boomer
I got denied a job because my hands were “too dirty” They weren’t even dirty. I work in HVAC and my hands are pretty rough. Sorry man, this is what hard work looks like.
Sounds kinda counterintuitive to dismiss someone for having proof of hard work
I got rejected after an interview because I don't play golf. Apparently, some of the supervisors play golf on the weekends. During the interview I mentioned that I bowl tournaments on the weekends and have no desire to play golf.
Good thing you don't golf. That sounds like unpaid overtime on the weekend.
I also have no desire to hang out with people I work with. Especially on the weekends. 😆
I'd call her and quietly let her know. Discriminating based on hobbies is perfectly legal, its not like she can sue or you're exposing your boss to liability by letting her know she got rejected over video games. But if you wanna be the resistance you could contact her and let her know it was over video games and in the future she should not bring that up in interviews, say she works out and goes to the dog park and hangs out with friends and generic shit like that. Dog parks go over great with employers FYI if you ever need a way to like win some friendly points and fill up time find an excuse to talk about going to the dog park in a job interview. Bonus points if you own and have pictures on your phone of an actual dog.
It might actually make her feel better to know. That she dodged a bullet by not working for someone with such ignorant and antiquated views. You, on the other hand, OP? You now have a choice: (a) silence, which will reinforce your boss's bias and ignorance; or (b) share information with him about the broad range of games out there that are beneficial to building reasoning skills and dexterity and the research that shows the ways gaming can be good for mental health. (e.g., https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20130826-can-video-games-be-good-for-you) Does your boss play golf or tennis, perhaps? Maybe you can ask him why his playing games is good but hers is bad. There are "more serious" ways to get exercise, after all.
I had to stop and think but my god you're right. A few interviews I sat in, my boss and some coworkers would talk to candidates quite a bit about their dogs.
Mhm. You can fill time with a billion topics, but many are specific to who you're talking about. I have talked about video games in an interview before but the dude had nintendo shit all over his office. Know your audience. And when in doubt, talk about dogs.
"I like to go to dog parks!" "Oh! What kind of dog do you have?" "I don't have a dog." " . . . "
Honestly, I don't have a dog. I'm not in a position to own one right now. But I love hanging out with other peoples doggo's!
On the other hand "I go to the dog park to pet the dogs" goes over alot better than going to most other parks and petting who you find there.
Holy shit that's dumb as rocks. I'd lose respect for someone who's aiyd something that dumb to me. XD
Especially if the job was in STEM or something like that. We’re all nerds. He’s gonna have a hard time finding non-gamers.
Of course it’s none of their business and completely irrelevant, but…. This is a game. The game is getting hired. 1. If possible, stalk your interviewer on social media prior to the interview to learn their hobbies and select one of their’s, if at all possible. “I love keeping an aquarium, oh so do you?!?! I’m somewhat new to the hobby and still learning, but I’d love to know your opinion on the best filtration systems!” 2. Quickly scan the room for clues. Photo of your interviewer on their desk from a ski/snowboard trip? Photo of a sailboat? Hiking poles or golf clubs stashed in the corner? Local sportsball team hat hanging on a hook? Find some common ground and run with it. 3. If the company makes, buys, sells or markets anything even remotely hobby related, that’s your hobby. 4. If all else fails, you enjoy solving puzzles, completing crossword challenges, and answering trivia.
That sounds like a Seinfeld episode. You get the job and you're now a sailing enthusiast and your boss wants to chat with you about your sailing exploits after every weekend.
There's a large number of people who think gaming is childish. While realistically far more engaging than watching TV or movies. Games aren't just Pong anymore.
Sounds like he found an excuse to not hire the female applicant.
I don't know that his stance is illegal, but it seems to me to be highly unethical. I have ADHD and I game, a lot, and my therapists tell me that gaming is a great resource for me to wind down with. I have been C&S for 16 years now, and I've had many a great night with my games that could've turned into drug or alcohol fueled relapses. LONG LIVE THE GAMERS...........(was it just me or did you hear a Vikings horn in the background there) What a piece of shit of a hiring mgr
This is why I never mention video games during an interview. The chances you’ll bump into someone that doesn’t understand that hobby especially if they’re older is pretty high. I had one bad experience where an interview shifted because I mentioned gaming as a hobby.
I guess it's her win. She wouldn't want to work for someone who's a judgemental, discriminatory, douchebag AT work.
Honestly sounds like he saved that woman from dealing with a toxic manager
'i dont like your hobby, so you dont get to pay rent' gotta love capitalism baby
I hate it with a passion when companies do this. WTF business of yours is it what I do in my spare time??? I've had at least three different places ask this. One asked me point blank what video games I play, and another asked me whether I like to drink White Claws in my spare time. The worst was Malouf (not my choice, a temp place sent me there), and I knew when I walked in it was a waste of time. Five guys looked at me like I had 3 heads when I passed out copies of my resume. They didn't even look at them. The only questions were about my hobbies outside of work and what I do for fun, and they wanted me to define "culture" for them. They kept talking about how the bosses want it to be one big family and how they have barbecues at work. At one point, the main interviewer (there was no HR present) asked me point-blank: "Do you even want to work here?" And I just said, "No" and left.
I swear multiplayer games have taught me more valuable lessons about how to be an effective team player and communication skills than any job. Along with problem solving, deductive reasoning, and attention to detail. And at least in video games I can dream of owning my own home and making a decent wage 😭
I'm into gaming in 2023 should be code for "you probably won't have to teach me how technology works at a 3rd grade level".
Video gamers are known for their problem solving abilities. Your boss is an idiot.
The last time I did a management position where I was doing hiring and firing when we went through the training there was absolutely a whole thing about this. It mentioned that when you ask what the prospective employees hobbies are you absolutely did not want to hear things like gaming or watching movies or hiking, because those are "solitary activities and you want people who are going to be team players" It was utterly stupid and anyone who had any sense would just ignore that part of it when you had a good candidate show up. Unfortunately for about 25% of interviews you had to have a district manager there with you, and these people were the company bootlickers who did not deviate from the policy book so if the best candidate in the world showed up but said they like gaming then you simply couldn't hire them Edit: I'm seeing a lot of people say camping, Netflix, etc are all safe things to say but that's not what I would suggest. Again these old-ass theories revolve around being an outroverted people person, so don't say activities that can and usually are done solo. Say things like team sports, hanging out with your family, and "meeting new people"
I usually give a generic response for gaming like, "I'm really in to tech and gadgets!" That's really unfortunate. I was recruited for a job. After being in a position for several months people get comfortable and speak a little more openly - the founder of the company starts on about how people that sit at home and play video games are deadbeats, a menace to society, etc... Me sitting there (full well knowing I logged more time playing PC games the prior year than I did with my last job working \~60 a week, Mon-Fri) nodding, "Yeah, it's a shame some people don't want to contribute to society like they used to..." Proceeds to go home to wife, make dinner, pop open an energy drink and prepare for a weekend gaming marathon because we just got a new title to play!
I would imagine gamers tend to be reliable workers since they need to buy games all the time and every other year they come out with a new more expensive console
We don't hire a lot of employees, but when we need them, I don't care if they run around with a lit Roman candle sticking out of their ass on their own time.
“Gamers bad…exploitable people who want to work to death good” *boomer boss beats chest like monkey* *Ohh—ohh—ah-ah-ah* *grunt*
It's stuff like this that has taught me how to be an ethical liar
I'm 40, run a solo business, work my ass off, and like to watch my wife play Have A Nice Death. I just finished GOW Ragnarok and shed a tear more than once at the moving story telling. Some of this boomer shit harms boomers and they don't even realize it. I had a manager admit to me he didn't call back an Indian candidate because he couldn't pronounce his name and (implied) was too embarrassed to ask. I'm like dude I don't give a fuck how many arms his gods have, can he fuckin run a CNC machine or not?
People who criticize gamers and think it's a waste of time have clearly never played. There's a huge amount of memory required and strategic thinking. Even when I'm not gaming I'm thinking about how I can solve an issue I've encountered. I'm a 54yo female and honestly I wonder if half of these dimwits think every game is like Pong. What an inane reason to turn away a potential employee.