If you’re looking to get into pro Starcraft 2 as a player, the answers are all around: work hard, practice thoroughly, promote your personality via Twitter and streaming, etc.

The other options are

1. Media - Start your own blog/vlog/site and sign up for media passes at events. Network. Meet players and team mangers. See who might need a writer or photographer. Prove your value and people will notice.
2. Event Organizations - Companies like MLG and IGN hire staff just to work certain events.  These roles (photographers, gophers, refs, etc) allow you to network, demonstrate skills you might have, and prove yourself as a possible full-time addition to the staff.
3. Online Communities - Establishing a stable and positive presence in an online community through useful contributions can earn you “street cred” when it comes to real-life events and even more frequent on-line events.  Find your niche, be it making fabulous art or explaining Starcraft-related jokes on Reddit. Be cool. :)

The root of it is really…find a unique way to contribute to the community.  See what needs doing and do it!

I hope this helps!

I got into gaming competitively when I started visiting trade shows and playing walk-up challenges for prizes (win this walk-up tourney for a headset! insert ram into a motherboard and win two sticks!).  It was at one such event, Digital Life 2006 in NYC, that I saw my first pro gamer, WeMadeFOX.Moon, playing Warcraft 3 (with a broken arm nonetheless) and I was fascinated.

Later while I was researching a paper for college, I interviewed PMS Clan co-founder and pro gamer Amber “AthenaTwin” Dalton and she recruited me to start the PMS Team Fortress 2 division.  PMS hooked me up with a server, a team, and some sweet gigs at events making money, and through that I got deeper and deeper into the scene.

After Amy (PMS Athena) and Chelsea (PMS Delicate) were on Ultimate Gamer, I decided I wanted to be on season 2, so I bought an Xbox and practiced and made the show (and came in 6th….fucking Pac Man).

After the show, I started working on more gaming media and Starcraft 2 was just starting to explode at the time, so I teamed up with my boyfriend TorcH to start producing coverage of the scene.  A little after, I was picked up by the company Cyber Sports Network to represent them at events, produce content, and build their social media presence. It’s a fantastic opportunity to work in my favorite parts of the competitive gaming industry and to feel like I’m helping grow the culture I love!

The travel is my favorite part of the job. Gaming events, aside from the incredible eSports that take place there, are where I get to see all my friends in the industry and where I can network. China, Korean, Sweden… wherever I go for gaming, I have a group of friends there looking for adventure too!

It’s also important to pack carefully, plan carefully, and make very accurate lists! ^^