McDonald’s in Sweden found a way to attract the attention of schoolchildren by launching the “Happy Goggles” – a one-of-a-kind VR viewer-created from an ordinary Happy Meal box.
The children could watch immersive skiing activities that taught them the importance of staying attentive and staying away from hazards, including other skiers, when skiing. This is one such example of how Virtual reality can be used to educate the masses in a creative and impactful manner.
If you are someone who wants to build a better experience for people through VR, you should consider becoming a VR Specialist. In this blog, we’ll cover the career as a VR Specialist, the career path, job roles, duties, qualifications, and the industries for VR Specialists.
Virtual Reality (VR) experts use cutting-edge technologies to produce unique effects or animations to enhance the online experience. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are similar but differ slightly in that AR uses the outside world while VR is fictional.
The nature of the job demands the following duties and responsibilities:
Virtual reality has various uses outside entertainment. Virtual reality can provide a substitute for any profession that is too risky, expensive, or impractical in the actual world. VR enables us to take virtual risks to obtain real-world experience, from pilots to medical applications for aspiring surgeons.
In a world where technology rules, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR), along with other technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and blockchain technology, have emerged as foundations.
Following are the career paths one can follow to have a career as a VR Specialist:
Path I
Path II
After the completion of either pathway, one can opt for MSc./M.Tech/MCA/MS in Virtual Reality and Augmented reality. Followed by this, they can apply for positions of VR Specialist or related job roles.
Based on the job roles mentioned above. Here is an estimated average annual salary insight:
| Job roles | Unity Developer | UX/UI Designer | Software designer | Technical 3D Artist | VR Game Engineer | VR Sound Effects Specialist |
| Avg. Salary p.a | ₹4,52,000 | ₹7,31,800 | ₹515,558 | ₹ 9.50,000 | ₹24,00,000 | ₹5,20,000 |
If you wish to pursue a career as a VR Specialist, you must possess the following technical and interpersonal skills:
Technical skills:
Inter-personal skills:
It is one of the streams that has expanded tremendously over the past few years. The revenue from VR gaming alone reached $1.1 billion in 2017 and is anticipated to reach $1.6 billion in 2022.
However, virtual and augmented reality use is not limited to video games. The fields of medicine, education, travel, and hospitality are also employing them. We have listed the industries that hire AR/VR specialists for their development in the next section.
According to Deccan Herald, the market for augmented reality and virtual reality is expected to reach USD 161 billion globally by 2025, increasing at a compound annual growth rate of almost 48%. Therefore, opting for a career as a VR specialist seems profitable in the future job market.
Forbes Agency Council, in its 2020 article, 10 Industries Likely To Benefit From AR/VR Marketing, talks about leveraging AR and VR in various industries to ease the consumer experience and broaden professional knowledge.
The types of industries listed in the article are as follows:
If you wish to have a career as a VR specialist, a few of the leading and largest VR and AR companies in the world you should know of are- Oculus VR, Google, HTC Vive, Unity, Microsoft, etc. The pandemic has accelerated this field’s growth, and more and more companies are willing to adopt AR and VR for a better consumer experience.
Here are a few companies in India that recruit Virtual Reality (VR) Specialists:
Although the field is pretty young, there are quite a few certificate courses one can opt for right after Grade 12. These courses focus on the tools or software used and provide a project for hands-on experience. It will help you to build your portfolio for a career as a VR Specialist.
Check out the JuniorMBA Chief Technology Officer Program to upskill yourself towards becoming a VR Specialist.
| Name of the course | Duration |
| Biomedical Visualization by the University of Glasgow | 1 – 4 weeks |
| Introduction to Virtual Reality by the University of London | 1 – 4 weeks |
| User Experience & Interaction Design for AR/VR by the University of Michigan | 1 – 4 weeks |
| Introduction to XR Technologies by MIT xPro | 8 weeks |
| Professional Certificate in Virtual Reality (VR) App Development by UC San Diego | 5 months |
Programming skills, web design expertise, graphic rendering skills, and software development expertise are all required of a VR expert. Choosing degrees that are connected to these expertise areas will therefore aid in landing the job.
After completing undergraduate coursework, earning a master’s degree, or gaining work experience as an assistant or in a similar industry, one can become a VR Specialist.
Undergraduate courses in Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, Special Effects, Digital Arts, Game and Interactive Media Design, Graphic Design, and other disciplines are provided by various universities.
For more information on top colleges and courses refer to our blog, How to become a VR Specialist.
After completing grade 10, one must select a stream, ideally in science. A minimum of 55% in Grade 10 + 2 or equivalent in science (recommended PCM) from a recognized board or university is required. There are also entrance tests dedicated to universities.
The duration of the courses is 3-4 years. Here are a few courses one can opt for:
Here you will study topics such as Network Security and Cryptography, Advanced Database Management Systems, Cognitive Analytics and Social Skills for Professionals, Advanced Software Engineering Principles, Machine Learning for Real World Application, etc.
A few of the degrees one can apply for:
| Name of the course | Duration |
| MCA in Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality | 2 years |
| M.Tech in AR and VR | 2 years |
The estimated duration of undergraduate programs is three to four years. One can apply for a bachelor’s in Virtual And Augmented Reality, Digital Media Design, and Development, Game Design and Development (Virtual Reality), Games, and Virtual Reality, etc.
To apply for a postgraduate degree one should have a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% or aggregate from a recognized university in computer science, augmented reality, programming, etc. IELTS score of 6.5 or a TOEFL score of 90.
A few of the degrees one can apply for:
| Name of the course | Duration |
| Master in Design for Virtual Reality | 2 years |
| MSc Computer Science (Augmented and Virtual Reality) | 2 years |
| MSc in Virtual Reality | 2 years |
Books to read on Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality:
With the recent developments in VR and AR, the potential of the field is said to expand to virtually all fields. If used correctly, it can replace many expensive or unfeasible technology and increase accessibility. One should try a career as a VR specialist to aid in this process of development.
Virtual Reality (VR) experts use cutting-edge technologies to produce unique effects or animations to enhance the online experience. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are similar but differ slightly in that AR uses the outside world while VR is fictional.
Ans: Forbes Agency Council, in its 2020 article, 10 Industries Likely To Benefit From AR/VR Marketing, talks about leveraging AR and VR in various industries to ease the consumer experience and broaden professional knowledge. The types of industries listed in the article are as follows:
E-Commerce
Automotive
Fashion
Gaming
Hospitality And Tourism
Events
Higher Education
Policy Advocacy And Lobbying
Commercial And Residential Renovations
Furniture And Home Goods
To apply for a postgraduate degree one should have a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% or aggregate from a recognized university in computer science, augmented reality, programming, etc. IELTS score of 6.5 or a TOEFL score of 90.
Virtual reality has various uses outside entertainment. Virtual reality can provide a substitute for any profession that is too risky, expensive, or impractical in the actual world. VR enables us to take virtual risks to obtain real-world experience, from pilots to medical applications for aspiring surgeons.
Here are a few job roles:
Unity developer
UI/UX Designer
Software designer
Technical 3D Artist
VR Game Engineer
VR Sound Effects Specialist
According to Deccan Herald, the market for augmented reality and virtual reality is expected to reach USD 161 billion globally by 2025, increasing at a compound annual growth rate of almost 48%.
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