Trend #2: Making Sense and Making Way for the Metaverse

This article is the fourth part of a blog series that discusses our insights into major workplace and hiring trends. As you prepare for what’s next in your own career, we invite you to check out the entire series. Learn more about how these trends could positively impact your career and make it an even more rewarding experience.

If you believe the buzz, the metaverse promises to blur the lines of our workplace (and beyond) realities, so our real lives can coexist with our virtual ones, with the use of artificial intelligence and virtual reality technologies.

We’ve already witnessed how globalization and technology have made the world a smaller, more connected place, enabling us to work closely with people across continents and time zones. The metaverse will take this even further.

Companies—including Microsoft and of course Meta—are preparing for what they say is an inevitable and dramatic shift— although not imminent, owing to hardware development and other factors. Here’s what you can expect:

The ability to visualize and solve problems in 3D.

Many of us tackle problems visually. In fields such as healthcare, architecture, and construction— to name but a few—being able to engage with ideas and problem solve visually using 3D models is a smarter way to work. In the metaverse, anything can be 3D-modeled, allowing more precise assessment, design, and decision-making with fewer time constraints and financial costs.

Digital workspaces and tools and no space restrictions.

Space is not an issue in the metaverse. Virtual workspaces can be expanded easily. And there’s less need for physical tools. Working in the metaverse will require only digital whiteboards and digital workstations. Also, 3D avatars are free and able to meet “face-to-face” without the need for conferencing equipment.

New jobs, and not only in the traditional sense of technology tool development.

The metaverse promises to create a new parallel reality that both mimics and dovetails with our real lives, so the possibilities are endless. Think anything from the seemingly fun and frivolous—avatar clothing designers, for example—to metahuman doctors who can use technology to diagnose or suggest treatments.

Interested in getting more insights like this to support your next career move? Check out the next article in the series and download our 2022 Job Market Trends to Watch report now.