When you picture a software developer, you might picture a person who thrives in symbols and abstract theories, meanings, and patterns and impressions.
But Jesse Kosydor pays more attention to physical reality — what he sees, hears, touches, tastes and smells. He likes the practical use of things and learns best when he can see how to use what he’s learning.
The advantage — he has extraordinary focus on the task at hand.
You can see this in his pro-gaming hobby, a love that blossomed in high school and led to a local PlayNTrade Halo 3 tournament.
Entering in, PlayNTrade looks like your typical video game store — racks and shelves full of video games; a half-moon checkout counter with the retailer’s logo — but walk through a side room, and two rows of four TVs are lined back to back.
PlayNTrade hosts three separate tournaments in one day — a free-for-all, a doubles and a 4v4. The winner of each tournament takes home a copy of an upcoming game.
Jesse’s first year — he didn’t do too hot.
But the second year, he swept all three tournaments and took home three copies of Halo 3: ODST. It was mentally exhausting — more than 20 rounds of gameplay across 10+ hours. He’d have to refocus after each round, prepping himself to continue playing skillfully.
But it was the competition and camaraderie that kept him going. That, and the hours he’d already devoted to exploring the expansive world of Halo 3 and the innumerable possibilities within.
And the third year, he won the free-for-all and the doubles, and made it to the finals of the 4v4.
The experience has helped prepare him for software development: not just because of the mental focus, camaraderie and exploration, but also because he had to assume responsibility for any mistakes and to constantly evaluate how to improve himself — all qualities required for a developer.
Now, Jesse lives in Granite City, Ill., with his girlfriend of four years, a dog and four chickens. The change in pace has gotten him to focus on bigger goals beyond his hobbies, and Daugherty is the perfect place for him to apply the strengths he’s learned through pro-gaming.
At Daugherty, he’s encouraged to pursue a career by his own design, driven by his own passions — a career that isn’t limited to one specialty but is instead supported by leadership to pursue the training and certifications to unlock his full potential.
“I do my best work when I feel at home, whether with where I am or with what I’m doing,” Jesse said, “and I feel at home here at Daugherty!”
Do you have any unique quirks you’d like to share with the enterprise? Email us at Jake.Russell@daugherty.com.
