From Video Gaming to Career Gaming - How A Generation of Xboxers Can Use 'Game Theory' to Find Career Success

NEW YORK, April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Mastering "game theory" not only can help video gamers win on the Xbox, it can help job hunters win the "career game," says a new book, Your Career Game coming out this month.

Co-authors Nathan Bennett, Wahlen Professor of Management at Georgia Tech, and Stephen Miles, Vice Chairman of top executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, advise job seekers to take what they already know and leverage it in a whole new way:

"Achieving what you want in your career – whether it's landing in the C-suite of a major global corporation or becoming the rainmaker at a top investment firm – takes many of the same skills that game strategy teaches."

"You can apply the same theory that you've learned in business school – or used in video gaming – to design a personal career strategy that will take you to where you want to be."

Your Move 

In Your Career Game, the authors show new MBAs and college graduates how the moves of other "players" can affect them in a tough job market.

"Game theory takes into account the people who will advance your cause, such as professional mentors, and the people who will stand in your way – those who will compete with you for the best job openings."

"You can't just look at your career goals in a vacuum. You can and should be thinking several moves ahead toward your end goal, and about what your competition is doing as well."

"The key to positioning yourself for the best jobs is to be where the competition isn't." 

Several "moves" will help you stand out from your peer group:

1. Jump at international experience. "Spending time in an overseas office is critical to moving up in many organizations. You have to be able to tell a 'global story' about your brand and your industry."
2. Don't be afraid of the "dreaded staff role." "Taking a job at corporate HQ – even a job such as the executive assistant to the CEO – teaches you how to get stuff done without positional authority. You have to learn how things work off the org chart in order to push past the rigid structures of most companies."
3. Take internships seriously. "Many young people never see the value these provide because they don't take them seriously enough. An internship can be an important way to build a social and business network, and to build relationships that can last for many years and pay off in a big way, often sooner than we think."

Turning the Nose of the Rocket 

"Just as turning the nose of a rocket just a couple of degrees upon launch can have a huge impact on where it will land, the decisions that we make early in our careers can affect us for decades down the road."

"If you are coming into the job market today – or are in your first or second job out of school – you are in the perfect position to make smart choices that can determine the arc of your career, and take you closer to your ultimate goal."

LISTEN to Nate Bennett explain how Your Career Game differs from other career books: http://www.yourcareergame.com/news.html

WATCH Stephen Miles explain the value in finding a mentor: http://www.yourcareergame.com/news.html  

If you would like to speak with Nate Bennett or Stephen Miles, please contact Davia Temin, Suzanne Oaks, or Elisabeth Behr of Temin and Company at 212-588-8788 or [email protected].

Your Career Game: How Game Theory Can Help You Achieve Your Professional Goals is being published this month by Stanford University Press.

Stephen Miles is a Vice Chairman of Heidrick & Struggles, overseeing the firm's worldwide executive assessment/succession planning activities. He specializes in CEO succession and has partnered with numerous boards of global Fortune 500 companies to ensure that a successful leadership selection and transition occurs. Mr. Miles is a coach to 10 CEOs/COOs around the world.

Nathan Bennett is the Catherine W. and Edwin A. Wahlen Professor of Management at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Bennett is a founding member and academic advisor to the COO Circle, a group of more than 100 Chief Operating Officers from the world's largest companies and leading non-profits. He is a frequent speaker and commentator in the business press and has spent over 20 years in the design and delivery of career development programs for executives in a number of Fortune 500 companies.  

CONTACT:  Davia Temin, Suzanne Oaks, or Elisabeth Behr, all of Temin and Company at 212-588-8788 or [email protected].

SOURCE Nathan Bennett; Stephen A. Miles