With average salaries of around $180,000 a year, a career in AR/VR can be quite profitable. However, if you’re looking to change careers or are a college student, you may be wondering what skills you’ll need to learn. This article looks at 7 must-have skills if you want to work in the augmented, virtual, and mixed reality industry.

Skills you’ll need for a career in AR/VR

Here are 7 skills most recruiters look for in candidates who want to start a career in AR/VR:

1. A degree in computer science or related

While this is not a necessity, a degree in computer science or any related field can help boost your resume and help you stand out from the crowd. It should be noted that a title alone may not be enough. That said, a bachelor’s degree may be enough, but if you decide to pursue a master’s or doctorate. you will be helping your chances.

2. Programming skills

AR and VR environments are powered by scripts designed with programming languages, so if you want to have a career in this industry, you may want to consider developing your programming skills. C#, Java, Python, and JavaScript are just a few of the programming languages ​​you may want to learn.

While learning a programming language, make sure you understand concepts like object-oriented programming, Big O notation, abstraction, and other important concepts like writing clean code. This would be important as you will likely be working in a team, so you may want to make sure your code is clear and easily understood by others.

3. Experience with building solutions

Whether you have a computer science degree or have taught yourself to code using online learning platforms, it’s important to build your experience with software development by working on a project or two.

By creating a portfolio of projects, you will help improve your understanding of the main concepts related to the industry and will also help show potential recruiters what you have to offer. You may decide to start small with simple projects, but don’t be intimidated to try more challenging projects as you go. Platforms like GitHub can be quite helpful in building your portfolio.

4. A basic understanding of extended reality

Extended reality, also called XR, refers to all real and virtual world environments generated by computer graphics. It is also the generic term used to refer to AR and VR. Since the industry is driven by XR, it might be helpful to have a basic understanding of the concepts and terminologies so you can find ways to contribute.

5. An understanding of good user experience design

AR/VR environments often require good design and usability solutions to be fully appreciated. For users to have a good experience, it takes time and effort in the design process. A proper understanding of UI/UX, also known as user interface and user experience, can go a long way in designing comfortable and efficient AR/VR headsets for users to enjoy. Therefore, aspects such as usability, accessibility and interactions must be considered important.

6. 3D modeling and animation skills

Blender, Unity, and Unreal Engine are just a few of the 3D software solutions you may want to learn about, as they are very helpful in designing virtual and augmented reality environments. You can use this type of software to create prototypes and show them to potential employers or clients; this can be very helpful, as some design concepts can be difficult to explain with mere words or drawings.

7. A constantly updated view of trends

No matter what field you’re in, it can be very helpful to stay up-to-date on recent trends. This can help you figure out what’s quickly becoming obsolete and what skills you might want to start learning now or in the near future.

An easy way to do this is by using social media. Platforms like Twitter have users offering updates in different fields like AR/VR. As you like, comment, and share AR/VR related tweets, the algorithm that is designed to show you the content you prefer will likely start showing more AR/VR related information. You may also want to attend webinars to get a more academic look at trends.

final thoughts

The AR/VR industry, while fairly new, is constantly moving forward. To have a career in this field, the skills listed in this article may come in handy. If you don’t have a programming background, some skills can be a bit difficult to master, but as long as you have the passion and the time, you have a good chance of getting where you need to be.

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About Guest Authors

donald fomby

Donald Fomby is a 3D modeling artist and freelance writer. He is also a contributor to reviews of research writing services that help students find reliable academic help. He often uses his articles to educate people on the recent advances in AR/VR and the skills needed to break into the industry. Also, Donald likes to play video games and hang out with friends in his spare time.