Looking for a Job in the Metaverse

Looking for a job working in the metaverse? It’s not all that different from working for any software or gaming company, but with a few key differences.

What is the Metaverse?

Generally, the metaverse is a virtual world in which users will create an avatar for themselves and experience this immersive, virtual world through their chosen characters. Avatars will be able to socialize with each other, play games, perform work, create, and make purchases. It is also understood that this virtual world will be experienced by wearing virtual reality (VR) headsets.

If you’re reading this post, chances are you’re looking for a new career path, and considering a career path related to the metaverse. Unfortunately, the topic is still a bit murky in that the metaverse is still widely misunderstood. For instance, some might wonder if metaverse jobs pay in fiat money or pay salaries in crypto. In fact, some might imagine people working as shopkeepers, lawyers, doctors, or even janitors in the metaverse. Is that really how it’s going to be? We don’t necessarily see it that way.

Instead, the most common roles are likely to require some experience with or knowledge of mixed reality (like AR or VR), GameFi, digital assets/NFTs, IoT, and software or hardware development. Of course, metaverse companies will still need workers to fill traditional roles in sales, marketing, HR, and business development as well. In addition, there are lots more opportunities for community members to become evangelists or for key opinion leaders (KOLs) to promote specific projects, not to mention the ability to receive tokens which could appreciate in value over time.

Major names are sounding off on the metaverse in a positive light as well. For instance, Google CEO Sundar Pichai described the metaverse as “evolving computing in an immersive way with augmented reality.” His company has already invested  around $40 million in a private equity fund geared towards partnering with metaverse projects. Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is clearly on the metaverse bandwagon as well. Gaming studios are also not wasting time in making moves in the direction of Web3-based AR and VR gaming experiences.

With so much attention focused on building out the metaverse and its supporting infrastructure, it’s clearly a promising opportunity to land a job in an exciting and growing new field. Let’s explore a few of the new jobs which might be coming as a result of the metaverse coming to life. In addition, we’ll discuss where to look and how to prepare for a job in the metaverse.

Upskilling Yourself for a Metaverse Job

Much like in any field of work, in order to land a job working in the metaverse, you’ll need to have the right combination of experience, knowledge, or education. Frontend, backend, or full stack engineers will need to have experience working with Javascript, Rust, React, Typescript, NodeJS, Git, API integrations, and often need to be proficient in several coding languages to make themselves more competitive. Knowledge of and experience working with a few of the top smart contract programming languages, like Move or Solidity, will also help applicants stand out from the crowd.

Digital artists will likely need to know Maya, 3D Max, Cinema 4D, or Blender. Web3 game developers will probably have experience in designing traditional game characters, creator skins, and knowledge of operating the Unity or Unreal gaming engines. Applicants looking to work in metaverse product roles should not only have experience with the latest trends in Web3, a mind for marketing, and the ability to connect with people and get them excited about buying and selling NFTs.

Many reading this will think that you will need to upskill yourself before you’re qualified. If that’s the case, you can always join a coding bootcamp or even apply to join a university course offering training in your desired field. Schools like NYU and Stanford are offering AR and VR-related courses which are sure to get students started in the right direction. UPenn’s Wharton actually offers a 6-week online certification entitled Business in the Metaverse Economy. On the other hand, you could simply attend some classes at The New School in order to get your training done by utilizing metaverse-like technologies to deliver course materials.

Additionally, MIT Reality Hack hosts an annual augmented reality and virtual reality hackathon which is obviously geared towards a future metaverse. Thought leaders, brand mentors, creators, students, and other participants attend tech workshops, discussions, fireside chats, hacking challenges, and more. This event would not only be an opportunity for upskilling, but also presents a fantastic opportunity for networking.

Potential Sectors and Jobs Within the Metaverse

Some have predicted that within the next 5 years, over a quarter of the world’s population will be spending a meaningful amount of time within the metaverse. While this is a highly speculative claim, it nevertheless raises the question of how this might play out and in what ways will new employment opportunities open up simply by existing.

The timeline for adjusting to the technological developments is certainly compressed, with everything seeming to move at warp speed. Job vacancies with the keywords ‘metaverse,’ ‘crypto,’ or ‘Web3’ have been growing at a rapid pace. As you can see from the diagram, there are at least 5 different angles at which people can participate in or contribute to metaverse projects.

Not only do metaverse projects require engineering, marketing, product, sales, and BD departments, but they also involve a lot of community members. Furthermore, connecting the digital to the physical realm will also require a number of traditional roles which can help bridge the gap between them.

To elaborate a bit more specifically on metaverse jobs, here are some of the more prominent roles one might want to prepare for before going on your metaverse job search:

• Hardware engineers
• Software developers
  • Front/back/full-stack
• Web3 developers
  • Smart contracts and blockchain
• UX design and management
• Product managers
  • Glassdoor reports a base pay of over $100K
• Game developers/writers
  • Average salary in the US is around $80K
• Digital artists
• Extended reality (XR) specialists
  • AR/VR software devs stand to earn over $100K in major US tech hubs
• Cybersecurity roles   
• Whitehats/security auditors
• Virtual hosts/stewards
• Business Development
• PR and Marketing roles
• Copywriters
• Community managers/growth hackers
• Brand ambassadors/evangelists

Conclusion

Networking is going to be key for not only understanding metaverse trends, but identifying up-and-coming companies with job openings. Finding out about openings at Web3 startups before they are listed is a really great way to get your foot in the door. The more within your Web3 network, the more opportunities you’ll find presenting themselves to you in the metaverse space.

Websites like meetup.com often lists local opportunities for networking with others interested in the metaverse. Additionally, recruitment firm Hirect hosted a metaverse jobs fair for Y-combinator backed startups, and Capgemini also hosted a college career fair in the metaverse. Attendees could create their avatars and wear VR headsets, or else simply join the event via their web browsers. Being in the metaverse might just let recruiters know how serious you are, helping to get your food in the door and scoring you an interview at the very least.

On the other hand, spending time in virtual worlds like Decentraland or the Sandbox could give you a more sophisticated idea of what the metaverse could be, and some of the ways to optimize it as the technology is rolled out. Personal experience and insight with regards to actually using Web3, digital assets, or XR technologies are certainly looked on favorably by employers.

After all, why would you want to work on the metaverse if you aren’t interested in using it, right? Inside the metaverse, you may even meet the digital avatar of a metaverse company co-founder, a future coworker, or even simply a friend who may have knowledge of the opportunities for which you’re looking. If you want to go ahead and browse metaverse jobs, check out themetaversejobs.com for some listings.

Jobs can also be found at angel.co, however metaverse job listings there are mixed up with a variety of other non-Web3 startup job openings. Going straight to the source and seeking out openings at places like Binance, Animoca Brands, OpenSea, Roblox, Meta, Google, Microsoft, and even companies like Epic Games are a good bet for finding leads. With all of these opportunities on the upswing, we expect job growth around the metaverse to continue picking up steam for some time to come.

References

1. Book, A. (2021, 7 Nov.). 10 metaverse jobs that will exist by 2030. Honeypot.
2. Boreham, J. (2022, 29 Jul). 6 in-demand metaverse jobs to start a career in 2023. The Metaverse Insider.
3. Jones, S. (2022, 26 Feb.). I went to a metaverse recruitment fair with 30 companies and 200 attendees. Business Insider. 
4. Tassi, P. (2022, 23 Sep.) Fortnite’s Epic Games makes a metaverse investment to scale up even further. Forbes.

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