A Guide to Metaverse Jobs

In recent years, the metaverse has become a trending topic, with Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg calling it “the future of the internet.” The metaverse is a virtual universe that’s a network of worlds that uses virtual and augmented reality; users can socialize, buy and sell items, and play games.  In 2021, the Metaverse market was worth $63.3 billion and by 2024, experts anticipate it to reach $800 billion [1, 2]. 

This significant growth potential signals new opportunities for job seekers. In addition to changing existing jobs and how technology gets incorporated, the Metaverse will create new jobs and career paths if you have the right skills and knowledge. 

What is the metaverse?

The metaverse is a virtual universe with a network of worlds that can be accessed through a VR headset. The metaverse term comes from Snow Crash, a science-fiction novel, in which author Neal Stephenson talks about a digital world that exists alongside the physical one. Today, many in the industry describe the metaverse as a three-dimensional internet experience. 

Metaverse is a broad term that encompasses many technologies, including virtual and augmented reality. Many organizations view the metaverse as an emerging digital economy and a place where users can buy and sell items and interact. 

Eventually, you may be able to transfer virtual assets between platforms, creating one unified “metaverse.” Today, however, each company or product typically counts itself as its own metaverse.

A single shared, immersive, and interactive virtual space does not exist yet. The metaverse continues evolving with its virtual and augmented reality, including avatars and holograms. Games and platforms such as Decentraland, Fortnite, and Roblox have already incorporated the concept into their experiences. Eventually, the metaverse may play a significant role in entertainment, the work world, and education. 

How does the metaverse work?

How the metaverse works depends on the experience you're engaging in. For some, you only need a computer. For a fully immersive, three-dimensional experience, you need a VR headset. Tech companies are working to create holograms that will allow virtual viewing and interactions without headsets.

Within the metaverse, you communicate and interact with others using an avatar. An avatar is your digital representation within that virtual space. The device you use to engage in the digital world determines how much your avatar can do. For example, some devices include eye-tracking technology, allowing your avatar's eyes to move like yours. Head and hand movements are often synced, allowing you to communicate non-verbally within the metaverse.

What are some job opportunities in the Metaverse?

As the Metaverse continues evolving, so does the job market surrounding it. As more organizations explore the Metaverse and the virtual world expands, your job options within the Metaverse depend on the skills and experience you have to offer. Depending on your skill set, you may be able to work in various roles ranging from content creation to world development and design to cybersecurity—and more. 

3-D animator

Animators will likely be in demand as the need to create immersive animated experiences grows. As a 3-D animator, you’ll transform inanimate objects into virtually living, breathing things that feel real. This may include objects in games, commercials, and entertainment.

Read more: What Is a Game Developer (and How Do I Become One)?

Blockchain engineer

The blockchain is like a digital ledger that connects its blocks of records using cryptography. This makes it safe and low risk for fraud, with transparency on every transaction. Blockchain is used in cryptocurrency and may also help anchor the metaverse, providing much-needed stability. As a blockchain engineer, you'll design, develop, operate, and manage blockchain networks within the metaverse. Those uses could include in-game assets, real estate, and user authentication.

Read more: What Is a Blockchain Developer (and How Do I Become One)?

Graphic designer

The Metaverse’s virtual space is an opportunity for current and aspiring graphic designers. In this role, you’ll be able to actively shape the digital world. Some everyday tasks may include designing avatars, using design to ensure accessibility, boosting user engagement, and shaping the interactive experience.

Read more: What Does a Graphic Designer Do? (And How Do I Become One?)

Metaverse content creator

As the metaverse continues to expand, creators and developers may work together to generate virtual experiences and environments. As a metaverse content creator, you may have an opportunity to create immersive content in varying media. For example, a blogger may create a two-dimensional recipe post that links to an immersive cooking experience within the Metaverse.

Metaverse cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is already important outside of the metaverse. Experts estimate that 93 percent of companies are vulnerable to cybercriminals [4]. The virtual, digital universe within the metaverse will drive demand for cybersecurity professionals. If you're interested in a career in cybersecurity, you may work to help safeguard data. Other tasks may include protecting users’ augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) devices from malware and guarding against scams like fake NFT sales or malicious smart contracts. 

Read more: 5 Cybersecurity Career Paths (and How to Get Started)

Metaverse planner

In this role, you'll fulfill a similar function as project managers do outside the metaverse. You'll take ideas, visions, and concepts and ensure they are integrated. You’ll typically have a portfolio demonstrating your ability to seize opportunities from concept to fulfillment. You'll also need to identify opportunities within the market, create use cases, and develop business models and metrics.

Read more: 11 Key Project Management Skills

Metaverse research scientist

Research scientists are already hard at work in the AR and VR world. As the metaverse continues expanding, opportunities for this position will also grow. In this role, you'll develop the architecture designers, and developers can use to create marketing materials, health applications, games, and more. This role will require you to have advanced computer graphics, C++, and computational imaging knowledge.

Read more: What Is C++? (And How to Learn It)

Metaverse safety manager

Part engineer, part security expert, as a metaverse safety manager, you'll work to make the digital landscape of it safe. The challenge will be incorporating privacy and safety measures without removing design or function. You'll need to be able to predict how different aspects could be misused and various components that are critical from a safety standpoint. Having experience in consumer electronics and engineering can be helpful.

Metaverse storyteller

As a storyteller, you'll help users feel immersed in a fictional world by creating entertaining storylines for virtual experiences. You may work in gaming or within other areas, including social sites, simulations, and education. Ideally, you will have a mix of marketing fundamentals, creativity, and tech experience. 

Metaverse marketing specialist

The Metaverse presents a new marketing opportunity for brands and marketing professionals. In this role you’ll typically experiment and test strategies to learn more about what may or may not work in the Metaverse. You'll pioneer marketing strategies and campaigns to appeal to users, often creating experiences that allow consumers to interact with brands or products. You'll need a sound foundation in marketing, creativity, analytical skills, and business knowledge.

Virtual reality (VR) game designer

Gaming already delivers much of what the metaverse promises and it will continue playing a prominent role as it evolves. As a VR or AR game designer or developer, you’ll play a significant role in designing and developing these immersive digital game experiences. You will create 3D visions that developers turn into a game that users can play. Designers bring creativity and artistry while creating prototypes and building engaging experiences. You'll need a combination of programming skills, experience in gaming programs like Unreal Engine or Blender, and a strong foundation in computer animation.

Read more: How to Become an Oculus Developer in 4 Steps

World designer

In this role, you'll combine content, stories, and architecture to create worlds within the digital universe. It's similar to video game design but requires you to dream up new landscapes while considering ethics, rules, and solutions. You'll need creativity, graphic design, and technology skills.

Sectors where you can get metaverse jobs

Some sectors are more likely to incorporate the virtual universe than others. For example, although games like Fortnite and Roblox already dip their toes in the Metaverse, more than 50 percent of gamers anticipate that the virtual universe will change the gaming industry forever [5]. The technology allows gamers to have immersive experiences that blend gaming with other forms of entertainment, like concerts and other events. 

Some areas that experts anticipate embracing the metaverse include:

Arts and media

The metaverse may expand users' exposure to various experiences within art, music,, VR theme parks, and more. Media psychology explains how people can accept virtual reality and the impact of multi-sensory experiences. Some of the entertainment companies already investing in these experiences include Walt Disney, which announced in 2020 that it intended to build a theme park within the metaverse.

Fashion

The metaverse won’t only change the way you’re entertained. It may alter how you shop for clothing. Collaborating with gaming platforms is one-way fashion houses like Gucci and Balenciaga are already experimenting with the technology. Examples of how fashion may leverage the metaverse include: 

• Digital clothing and try-on experiences

• Using non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for digital clothing

• Cryptocurrency payments

• Virtual fashion collections for avatars

• Virtual showrooms and fashion shows

Read more: What is NFT Art? (How Does it Work)

Finance and insurance

NFTs and digital currency are only the beginning of how the financial world might make its foray into the digital universe. Some banks are already creating digital, virtual experiences for training, branding, product development, and education. The customer experience will also be a priority, with financial organizations better able to deliver unique virtual experiences.

Real estate, renting, and leasing

Platforms already exist that sell virtual land. Experts anticipate that the value of metaverse real estate will mirror the physical world, with supply and demand, location, and characteristics of the neighbors driving the value of real estate for sale, lease, or rent.

Education

The metaverse could transform education, bringing history to life and allowing students to experience learning in new and powerful ways. In addition to providing immersive remote learning, the learning process will include collaborating with others across the globe. 

Technologies that are important for metaverse jobs

Having a working knowledge of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), VR, AR, and 3-D animation will be important for metaverse jobs. The broader your scope of expertise, the better you’ll be equipped to build various digital and virtual products. Ultimately, the technologies you’ll need to learn will depend on the position you’re considering. Common metaverse technologies include:

• 3-D animation and modeling: Straddling the line between the physical and virtual world requires the ability to bring the metaverse to life. The process begins with 3-D modeling to accelerate digitization and 3-D animation to make the virtual world immersive and realistic.

• Artificial intelligence (AI): AI is a major force needed to create realistic avatars and generate 3-D chatbots known as digital humans. It’s also used for language processing, scaling, and improving the metaverse’s output.

• AR and VR: VR technology will provide sensory experiences, while AR will help users become immersed in their interactions with objects.

• Distributed computing and storage: Because this technology requires large volumes of power and space for storage, you'll need to have knowledge of how to keep it working reliably. Distributed computing allows you to spread things out to minimize interruptions.

• Extended or mixed reality (XR or MX): This technology goes beyond AR and VR, which only allow you to experience the virtual world based solely on what’s in your sight. XR and MX blend elements of the digital world into the physical one for more immersive, tactile interactions.

• NFT technologies: Being able to develop NFTs will help you build structures, avatars, and other objects, in addition to creating seamless identity transfer across multiple metaverses.

• Unity: Largely used for developing games, this tech is often considered critical for creating metaverse infrastructure.

• Unreal Engine: This Unity competitor is a free graphics engine and platform you can use to create in real-time to create 3D objects within the metaverse. It’s often used for gaming and can also be applied to other sectors. 

Skills needed to get a metaverse job

The metaverse is still in its infancy, giving you time to determine your career path. The path you choose determines the skills you’ll need to cultivate. In addition to relevant technologies, you’ll also need skills like:

Coding

Even world-building solutions like Roblox or low-code tools such as Unity require a foundation in computer programming. Helpful languages include C++, C#, Java, Python, and CSS3. If you’re going into gaming, you may also consider Lua, CUDA-C, or Swift. 

Read more: What Programming Language Should I Learn? 

Big data

Within a few years, experts anticipate the metaverse market to grow exponentially, creating significant business opportunities. Expanding parallel to it is big data, which allows organizations to harness data-driven insights to learn about their customers. Helpful big data technologies to learn include Apache Spark, Cassandra, Hadoop, and MongoDB.

AI and machine learning (ML)

AI and ML will help shape and enrich user interactions. Having experience working with ML algorithms like linear regression, decision trees, logistic regression, and more can help prepare you. Additionally, it helps to have some experience working with AI frameworks like TensorFlow, Theano, and Caffe. Deep learning (DL) algorithms like long short-term memory networks, convolutional neural networks, and radial basis function networks may help sort out complex patterns from large volumes of data to create a superior visual experience. 

User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design

Having UI and UX skills help ensure that metaverse creations interact naturally with users. Good UI and UX can create a seamless experience across platforms and devices while enhancing user enjoyment. 

How to get metaverse jobs?

To get a metaverse job, you need to have the right qualifications for that position. Because of the broad range of possibilities, there are many paths for your desired role. Consider your goals, pursue the necessary education, and gain practical experience to cultivate the essential skills. 

Consider earning a degree.

Knowledge is critical to getting a metaverse job, which is typically heavily tech-centered. Obtaining a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science may be the best route if you’re looking to get a job in design or engineering. If you’re considering marketing, you may prefer getting a degree in marketing while minoring or taking some courses in computer science. 

Develop your technological expertise and experience.

Having the right skills can help you get your foot in the door. For example, if you want to become an AR or VR engineer, you'll need professional experience and a portfolio demonstrating past work. Some skills you may need in your resume include:

• Coding

• Knowledge of AI algorithms

• Data analysis

• Storytelling

• Content creating

• Writing

• Game development 

Build your brand.

Becoming visible within your chosen field and establishing your personal brand can help you get a job. Visibility can go a long way to getting noticed. For example, if you want to go into marketing, consider launching a viral campaign, or you could get published writing in-depth articles about the metaverse or related technologies. 

Understand the structure and elements of the metaverse.

Developing a strong foundation in the concepts, architecture, and other components of this digital universe is a must. Not only will this help guide your career path, but it may even help you seize new opportunities by identifying unique ways various elements could fit together. 

Network.

Like any other job market, networking is a plus if you’re looking for Metaverse jobs. Join communities in the metaverse and network with other professionals already working in positions that pique your interest. Building professional and personal connections may connect you with new job opportunities, expose you to learning opportunities, and enhance your skills and knowledge. 

What does the future hold for Metaverse careers?

The future of metaverse jobs looks bright. Although no one can predict exactly how everything will unfold, the evolution of the metaverse depends on having skilled professionals to drive its growth. This virtual universe will also likely create new jobs.

Next steps

If the metaverse interests you, consider learning more about it as it continues to expand. Here are some courses on Coursera to learn from: 

Start by figuring out what direction you want to take your career so you can map out the path to achieve your goal. Then, consider taking a Course like Virtual Reality Specialization, offered by the University of London, to get a feel for virtual worlds and to begin building skills that can help you in your journey.