Metaverse Jobs Reach an All-Time High – How Do You Apply?
Metaverse job listings have grown by 379% since October 2021, according to recent research from Adzuna, a job search engine.
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“Hiring metaverse experts is the latest recruitment trend to show exponential growth,” said James Neave, Adzuna’s Head of Data Science.
Job listings related to cryptocurrency, the primary currency used in the metaverse, reached an all-time high in February 2022 with 5,302 vacancies relating to crypto advertised. Cybersecurity positions grew as well, with 64,659 listings. These numbers are “back to pre-pandemic levels,” up from 27,267 in 2021, according to the research.
The top six industries for metaverse jobs include:
Information Technology
Creative & Design
Public Relations
Advertising & Marketing
Engineering
Sales
But what are companies looking for when it comes to metaverse workers? And can you get a job in the metaverse with no specific technology or meta (or even Web 2.0 social media) experience?
If you’re looking for work in the virtual space, the best place to start is to create your resume in the metaverse, Neave told GoBankingRates.com in an email interview.
“As we see in the world of start-ups, scale-ups and companies breaking new ground, the more creative you show you are, or [if you can present] evidence about being an early adopter, while also willing to take risks in new areas like this, the more likely you are to land your dream job,” he shared.
Similar to job hunting in the real world, you can attend networking events or job fairs when searching for roles in the virtual world.
“Network at events aimed at virtual reality and the metaverse,” Neave advised. “Explore how to build, join and be part of your own metaverse space, social network, or similar.”
Adzuna’s research showed that today’s top opportunities range from “openings for UI [user interface experts] and animation designers to developers, UX designers, writers and data scientists.”
While engineers, developers, marketers, advertising professionals and other creatives are likely to have an advantage in seeking work in the beginning, many other real-world positions will translate to jobs as opportunities expand.
Neave sees teaching as a so-far unrealized opportunity in the metaverse. “Throughout the pandemic, we’ve learned that remote learning is a thing. If you take this a step further, imagine being able to attend any university in the world, and being part of a lesson run by some of the most famous lecturers around, while sitting next to your global classmates in Virtual Reality,” he said.
And, if you happen to have marketable, teachable skills, you can carve a niche for yourself by offering courses in the metaverse, with nearly the entire virtual world as your potential audience. “Areas like education are clearly going to win from this shift,” Neave said.
He also said he foresees entirely new job descriptions popping up related to public safety, which will toe the line between cybersecurity and real-world human resources and protection. “There’ll be new roles like ‘Metaverse Safety Manager’ to control issues like online abuse, discrimination, and privacy,” Neave said. “[These jobs] could be a great fit for anyone currently working in the police, security or armed forces.”
Similarly, as brands such as Nike and Disney grow their presence in the metaverse, other support roles will open. Even though many tasks can be automated with ease, there will still be a need for human connection, albeit through VR headsets. “Maybe not initially, but as with every business, support areas around that business, including customer service and support, will follow,” Neave surmised.
He pointed to some of the obvious benefits for employees working in a virtual reality, including the ability to work from home while still interacting seamlessly with your co-workers. “Benefits-wise, what’s not to love?” he pondered. “And with areas like NFTs being sold for huge sums, the thinking follows that jobs in the metaverse are going to be well-paid.”
The virtual world may also open opportunities for increased equity in the workplace, experts say.
“Coming together in the metaverse, people can present themselves however they feel confident doing so, which is empowering and emboldening,” Rebecca Binny, Director of PR + Marketing for RayCo Media, told GoBankingRates.com in an emailed statement. “These new, hyperpersonal communication models can be more authentic, and thus more trust-building, than face-to-face conversations, which are often stifled by social anxieties and power differentials.”
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“Early studies show that computer-mediated communication leads to higher productivity, saves time and money, connects people around the globe with ease, and fosters cooperation. The metaverse can learn from social media the negative effects of letting people speak freely with anonymity and cultivate a new subculture of respect and inclusion,” she added.
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