Job offers for full-time gamers are available for the first time in Israel
More than NIS 2 million was raised by the eSports organization "Team Finest" to employ gamers working remotely from their own living rooms.
By GADI ZAIGFrom left to right: Yotam Nachshon and Ruvik Milkis(photo credit: YOSSI LEVY)
The Israeli eSports organization "Team Finest" will now be able to make gamers into start-up employees, after having raised NIS 2 million. This will include social conditions, benefits and a full-time salary – just to play all day in front of the computer.As the highest recruiter of its kind for an Israeli eSports organization and as the first competitive eSports group in the nation, "Team Finest" boasts of being the first gaming organization in Israel to employ about 20 employees locally and abroad full time.For those who are unfamiliar with the term, eSports is a form of sport competition using video games. It often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams.Participation by professional gamers and spectators in these events through live-streaming saw a large surge in popularity during the previous decade. According to world estimates, this is a market that rolls in about $20 billion a year.Just like in any other competitive sport, a professional gamer can earn large amounts of money yearly, just like a professional athlete. But as is the case with many of the country's sports, except for basketball and football (called soccer in the US), there is currently no organization in Israel that funds the gamers institutionally. Therefore, professional gamers mainly benefit from participating in tournaments and competitions by winning various prizes and sponsorships.For gamers, this opportunity sounds like a dream, as they will be able to turn their hobby into a profession."Team Finest" will be run as a start-up company with offices and management composed of professional players as well as a team of coaches, who will compete in a variety of games and competitions around the world.The organization elaborated that the number of hours required to work close to that of a full-time job, as "the average number of working hours of our players ranges from 6 to 8 hours a day."IN ORDER to advance and develop their talent, the organization will provide its players with all the tools and conditions necessary for success – including the best equipment, accompanied by a professional team of managers and coaches, a professional training routine and salaries every month.
In an interview with Mako News, Yotam Nachson, VP of marketing at Team Finest, said that "the average salary of our gamers depends on a number of variables depending on age, previous achievements, etc.""If a gamer is good enough at the competitive level and achieves good results, we will want them with us," he said. "They are more important to us than the size of the exposure. We are looking for those who are looking to invest and improve; those who want to make a career out of it and do not look at computer games as just something they enjoy doing in their free time."The organization continues to scour for more talent, so if you are considering applying for the job there may be vacancies – but it probably won't help for you to submit a resume. "Like any other sports club, we run a scouting system to keep track of young talent and are constantly exploring options for recruiting gamers and other content creators," Nachshon explained.More people are turning toward technology and electronics and even more for entertainment and employment, as the type of job that "Team Finest" offers is exclusively working remotely.Popular online multiplayer games, such as Fortnite and Among Us, provide people the opportunity to connect with others while social distancing.With many people around the world having to stay at home and unable to work, online gaming has seen record numbers of players during the pandemic as a popular activity – countering the physical distancing necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, a practice recommended by the World Health Organization – which helped boost revenues for many companies in the gaming industry.
