Make no mistake - the Metaverse feels closer than it ever has before. Tech giants such as Microsoft and Salesforce are bracing themselves for its arrival, signalling that it’s far more than just part of some crisis communication strategy from Facebook.
Whilst consumers wait to see the impact it has on their daily lives, for tech professionals it offers exciting opportunities for further career development and progression. The down side is that the technology is so much in its infancy that it's difficult to predict what you’ll need to get a head-start.
However, the soft skills you have in your armory will be just as important as you begin your journey as a Metaverse specialist. Nabila Salem, President at Revolent Group explores why.
Willingness to learn
Most leading tech ecosystems have their own certification programs that allow professionals to learn new areas of the technology and advance their careers as they get to grips with each new skill. In fact, employers place so much importance on them that they'll often fund most, or all costs associated with them too. As an emerging technology there's likely to be plenty to learn as it develops in order to meet business demands. And that means an ability to adapt and learn will be an extremely attractive trait in any professional working with it.
Creativity
Those fast-moving changes will require more than just a wise head, of course. The need to pivot to match customer needs will require a creative mind in order to come up with actionable solutions. And with the technology very much in its infancy, there won't be a textbook or backlog of experience to rely on, so it's going to need you to tackle projects from an entirely new perspective. Although that's exciting for many, it can also be daunting—if you're in that camp, it's worth spending time in sandbox environments in your existing area of expertise, getting used to getting your hands dirty and trying new things.
Storytelling
Storytelling plays a huge role in any tech solution. Your customer’s digital experience with you is a vital part of any platform's success, which includes a fully-mapped journey from beginning to end. The Metaverse is, to all extents and purposes, an experience in itself—so the ability to create an engaging and immersive user experience will be essential to its success. You'll need to be able to build solutions that fit that narrative, as well as helping to create the story itself. The tools we have to build that are more powerful than they've ever been, but it still requires some magic from your own mind to make something truly outstanding.
Problem solving
Of course, it won't just be using your creative flair to come up with amazing new solutions or ways to help your organization grow. While the tech is in its infancy and infrastructure is grown at pace, the potential for things to go wrong will be there. That means someone who enjoys getting under the hood, rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty will be a vital asset to any team working within the Metaverse. There's much to being a problem solver beyond just knowing what goes wrong—having an analytical mind that can address risks, as well as planning and executing plans based on those, is essential beyond just being a walking encyclopaedia.
Teamwork
If this seems intimidating, hopefully you’ll be reassured that you won't be going it alone. However, that can also bring its own challenges to those who struggle with a more collaborative approach. Those organizations throwing resources into Metaverse solutions will be doing it at scale, so any projects you work on will be as part of a team. That means knowing your role as part of the group, the importance of your ideas within that dynamic, as well as when to lean on the knowledge of others and embrace what they also bring to the table. It doesn't always come naturally to everyone, so start understanding the role you play in your current team and exploring what you may need to improve in order to be a better team player.
