Alvin Hartono, a lifelong gamer and program manager at Google, shares how his love for gaming began with Pokémon Gold on the Game Boy Color and has evolved alongside advances in technology. He explains how early gaming taught him resilience, problem-solving, and self-directed learning, all skills that have translated to his professional career. Alvin Hartono reveals that once he started talking about his passion for gaming during job interviews, it helped him stand out and connect with others more authentically. He notes that many workplaces now foster community through gaming tournaments and dedicated channels for sharing interests, which enhance social connection, especially in remote settings. Alvin Hartono encourages listeners to embrace and share their passions, believing these interests reveal more about a person than their job title. He advocates starting conversations by asking about hobbies, as people light up when discussing what they love outside of work.

Episode Highlights

· Growing up gaming fostered resilience, curiosity, and a love for learning by encouraging continual trial and error and problem-solving without much guidance.
· Modern games are increasingly designed with tutorials and gamification to keep players engaged and coming back daily, which can be addictive but also rewarding.
· Gaming sparked an interest in computers and programming, leading directly to career skills, including early experience in customization, automation, and understanding software.
· Sharing personal passions like gaming in professional settings can create authentic connections, help in job interviews, and allow you to stand out by showing a fuller picture of who you are.
· It's important to own your passions and lead conversations by asking about hobbies and interests outside of work, as these reveal more about who people truly are and help create more genuine connections.