Despite advancing technology, virtual reality has largely been used merely as a form of entertainment for things such as video games. We still feel a long way away from the future promised by sci-fi films like Ready Player One where careers and the entire school system are run virtually.

But the metaverse is looking to change that, and The Wall Street Journal analyzed how the future of work will be impacted if such a shift is possible.

Currently accessing the metaverse requires a lot of hardware, such as large headsets to see and hear what is happening, and even special gloves that allow you to interact with virtual objects. But those developing the technology believe it is going to quickly start having utility for all sorts of careers.

Instead of conducting meetings by Zoom, workers could all meet in a 3-D virtual environment where their avatars could truly interact with everything.

It is expected this would have capabilities for workers to collaboratively design things like vehicles or buildings. It could likely save companies a great deal of money as well by testing out products virtually rather than having to physically produce them during the design phase.

Proponents for the metaverse even believe it will open the door for new kinds of jobs that we have not even thought of yet. Back in the ‘90s, nobody would have envisioned some of the careers that now exist thanks to the internet.

If the metaverse became similarly ubiquitous in its use, it could enable the creation of totally new careers.

While the capabilities of the metaverse are intriguing, the technology itself still needs further development. As mentioned, currently the hardware can be cumbersome, especially during extended usage. And it is also too expensive to be commonplace.

However, once the technology is further refined, it could change our lives in much the same way that the internet and smartphones did.

If you want to learn more about the metaverse and how it could change your career, read the Wall Street Journal article here.

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