Oddball
2021-04-08 10:18:11
Sounded cool to me. After signing up, I was invited to a Discord with hundreds of energetic users. You'd have thought North America had won worlds with the level of excitement going on. Everyone was eager to connect with other users and collaborate. People posted job offers or shared their recent work—with everyone happy to praise. Enlight staff members were on standby to offer advice and answer questions, so there was definitely a lot of good information to be gleaned.
"We see our members get inspired by the community and our coaching sessions, which motivate them and give them the tools to progress."
The community was probably my favorite part of it. I made a lot of cool friends that I still talk to several months later. There were definitely many different levels of experience among the community—lots of fresh newcomers just breaking into the scene, along with those like me wanting to brush up on their knowledge of the industry. It was really nice being able to not only receive advice from veterans, but also offer my own to younger ones.
In addition to the networking aspect, there was plenty of learning material and exercises to keep students engaged. Each week would introduce new topics to learn about (marketing, social media, etc.). There were several core aspects:
Insight provided assignments (or in their words, challenges) that encouraged students to act. Whether improving one's resume, defining one's work style, or creating an elevator pitch—it encouraged sitting down and actually doing some work.
Students were encouraged to share their answers and work with others in the class. There were also open sessions with Eunice; users could join to ask additional questions. There was definitely a feeling akin to an actual classroom, only users were far more engaged.
The program was only six weeks long, but Enlight has bigger aspirations. "There are endless ways to make knowledge more accessible, with different programs ranging from short-term workshops to year-long continued education. We want to elevate esports business talent across the industry, training people of all knowledge and experience levels, to develop the leaders of tomorrow. I also want to create scholarship programs to improve accessibility and diversity."
Coming out of the program, I felt a lot more confident in my understanding of the business. Overall, Enlight is a positive force for the esports industry. It provides valuable information for people looking to enter the space, and connects them with veterans of the industry. It encourages people to come out of their shell and meet fellow newcomers to the scene.
Most importantly, the lessons provided reach farther than esports—skills that are helpful for a peoples. all throughout their lives. I'm excited to see Enlight grow and continue to contribute to the industry, the education they're providing is invaluable. Its founder says it best:
"Learning is the unique skill we can all cultivate to become better, and Enlight lowers that barrier for everyone."