The Metaverse is being discussed excessively in tech news these days, especially since Facebook rebranded itself. After renaming itself to Meta, the social media giant has launched many Metaverse development tools. Mark Zuckerberg’s rebranding announcement shook the world and drew a global interest in the possibilities associated with the new virtual reality.
With big companies already entering the virtual space, businesses of all kinds and sizes will likely seek to capitalize in the Metaverse. But a roadblock in the process may be the skill gap currently plaguing the market. How can you find and hire Metaverse developers who will let you be a part of this next-age revolution?
Below, we talk about the skills your new employees need to tap into the new reality successfully. We also share tips on where to hire Metaverse engineers and how to get them on board.
What Is the Metaverse?
To fully understand the Metaverse, one should first explore its history. The term was coined by Neal Stephenson in his fiction novel ‘’Snow Crash’’ in 1992. The novel envisioned a world of virtual environments where lifelike avatars met. Today, the term refers to a similar culmination of media, augmented reality, and virtual reality.
In the Metaverse, you have a hyper-real alternative world where you can interact with others and enjoy daily activities. The virtual and the physical world become more linked as users get a chance to "live" digitally in augmented reality.
The advocates and supporters of Metaverse predict the digital world will allow users to interact, work, and play with each other in 3D spaces. We expect Metaverse to have similar systems like video games, including virtual economies.
How Can Companies Benefit From the Metaverse?
Virtual reality is an excellent place for companies to introduce and market their products. Companies can share concepts and ideas with potential users and get valuable feedback. Furthermore, they can design virtual prototypes and roll them out for the target audience.
Hyundai did just that by launching the Hyundai Mobility Adventure on Roblox. This Metaverse includes a shared virtual space for avatars to communicate and experience company offerings. The avatars can join the platform, connect with others, and test-drive the company’s new transportation solutions and vehicles.
Other companies can also follow suit and engage their customer base without releasing their products in the real world. More importantly, businesses can use the Metaverse to increase their earnings. The global revenue from Metaverse is expected to be up to $400 billion by 2025.
How are brands making all this money? The answer lies in the connection between virtual reality and real life. Luxury houses, such as Rebecca Minkoff and Balenciaga, have already tapped into the Metaverse by launching digital products users can buy in the digital world. Similarly, other brands have released their limited-edition non-fungible tokens (NFT) for people to get in the Metaverse using real money. NFTs work as digital assets that stand for real-life artifacts, such as clothes, art, or music.
Top 3 Platforms Used by Metaverse Developers and the Skills Needed
Starting with a Metaverse project will require a team of capable and experienced engineers. When you hire Metaverse developers for your company, you must ensure they are proficient in the most commonly used platforms for virtual reality development. Here are some of the most significant ones:
Meta (fka Oculus)
Meta Quest is the new name for Facebook’s series of VR headsets previously called Oculus. First introduced in 2012 by independent hardware enthusiasts and developers, Oculus was funded by a Kickstarter campaign. In multiple funding rounds, the project collected nearly $921 million.
Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion in 2014. Since then, many variants of Oculus have been released, such as Oculus Quest 2 and Oculus Go. Since Facebook rebranded itself to Meta, it renamed Oculus to Meta Quest.
Description
Initially, Meta Quest was focused on gaming, but Facebook mentioned that the company is strengthening the social capabilities of the Meta Quest. The VR headset already had a personal life and work-related collaborative features, but Facebook declared that it would relaunch these services as Meta Horizon. Users can expect to get Horizon Venues, Horizon Friends, Horizon Workrooms, and Horizon Home from Meta.
Required Tech Skills
To be truly immersive, Metaverse must have a three-dimensional environment, and developers must be familiar with 3D modeling found in these tools:
- Unreal: With superior graphics, free resources, and an impressive community, Unreal claims to be the most advanced real-time 3D creation tool. The Unreal engine makes custom projects, internal projects, and linear content. Since it has everything from Blueprint scripting and Python to free source code, the tool allows developers to maximize their customization potential.
- Unity: Another tool widely used in the game production process is Unity. Developers can use Unity’s 2D or 3D platform for video game creation. In the Meta, Unity can help create visual scenes, such as a 3D poster.
- C#: Metaverse developers must be proficient in C# since the programming language has been used on Unity since 2005. Considering Unity is integral for Metaverse development, knowing its native programming language is also paramount.
- C++: Meanwhile, C++ is the programming language used on Unreal. Although some experts may consider it more valuable than C#, it’s not sufficient if you also plan to use Unity for Metaverse development. It’s best to hire Metaverse engineers who are familiar with both languages.
Roblox
Roblox is an online gaming platform and storefront that allows players and users to delve into virtual reality. It’s not a game itself but a virtual environment where people play games made by developers.
What sets Roblox apart from other similar models (like Steam) is that all games on the platform come from other users. With millions of games created on Roblox, there’s always a scope for you to hire Metaverse developers to design a game for you.
Description
Creating and playing games is undeniably fun, but on Roblox, you can earn money. A 24-year-old made $1 million in just one year by monetizing his game.
Roblox itself is free to play, but players can use Robux, the virtual currency in the game, to buy merchandise and other items. The game developers on the platform get a share of these transactions. After earning enough Robux, developers can use the Developer Exchange to convert the virtual currency into real money.
Required Tech Skills
Like any other platform, Roblox has a unique architecture. Developers must have the following skills to create games on Roblox:
- Lua: Roblox uses Lua, a programming and scripting language for creating games. Lua is also present in other popular games, like World of Witchcraft.
- Roblox API: Developers should also be familiar with the Roblox application programming interface (API) to make games on the platform. APIs allow interactions on the platform. On Roblox, some functions, like Instance: Destroy and Instance: Clone, permit developers to interact with the engine.
- Blender: The Metaverse developers need to have the latest version of Blender. The 3D creation suite supports the whole Roblox game creation pipeline, from modeling and animation to rendering and motion tracking.
Ethereum
Ethereum is still a top solution for creating Metaverse applications and coins. Being the pioneer in decentralized finance (DeFi) and smart contracts, Ethereum hosts prominent Metaverse players, such as Decentraland.
Decentraland is a 3D Metaverse on Ethereum that lets players buy land while exploring the digital world. Players can also enjoy different experiences, such as concerts, galleries, and casinos. With a market cap of over $5.3 billion, Decentraland is among the most prominent applications in the Metaverse. Recently, Samsung built a mini-city on Decentraland where it introduced the latest technology.
Description
Ethereum is a smart-contract blockchain that allows developers to build decentralized environments to host different applications. Metaverse developers can unlock Ethereum’s potential to decentralize gaming, governance, and social media.
With the introduction of second-layer platforms, such as Optimism and Arbitrum, and tech solutions, such as Zero-Knowledge (ZK) rollups, transaction fees will get lower in the Metaverse. There'll also be more room for a new avenue of tech innovation in the virtual space.
Required Tech Skills
The crucial components of Ethereum are 3D modeling and blockchain, so your developers need to be well-versed in these areas. Here are the programming languages and tools the creators should know to work on Ethereum:
- Solidity: Although convenient for writing smart contracts on different blockchain platforms, Solidity is used chiefly on Ethereum. Solidity is a high-level, object-oriented programming language you can use to implement smart contracts.
- Unity: As mentioned above, Unity can help developers accomplish different game production-related processes. Developers can use its 2D and 3D platforms to build video games.
- Unreal: If developers want to have the advantage of easy customization while creating games, they can use Unreal. This game engine has a range of tools that ensure easy operation. However, developers should also know how to use the C++ language with Unreal, considering these two are compatible.
Where to Find Developers for Metaverse Projects
Considering the growing scope of Metaverse, it’s about time companies start looking for Metaverse developers to speed up their entry into the virtual world. Here are some places where you can find and hire Metaverse developers:
Metaverse Jobs — Metaverse Job Board
Metaverse Jobs is a board where companies post jobs in all categories, including crypto, blockchain, operations, augmented reality, avatar design, community, and marketing. Then, interested developers get to browse through open positions and apply to the most appealing ones.
Another popular place to find Metaverse developers is LinkedIn. The online service allows you to search for talent based on the skills you require. All you need to do is go to your Recruiter Account and click the Search icon on the top of the page. The results will come out immediately.
If you want to perform a Guided Search, do the following:
- Type the name of the job title you want to hire for, such as Metaverse developer or blockchain developer.
- A drop-down list will appear. Choose the job title that best fits the search criteria for your company.
- If you want to hire based on area, enter a location in the search bar.
- In the skills search box, choose the skills you want the talent to have. You can add as many skills as you like.
- Click Go, and you’ll see many professionals available in the region.
Talent Marketplaces
Although job boards and LinkedIn are widely popular for recruiting, they may lack the advanced features you need. Talent marketplaces allow you to hire Metaverse engineers that fully suit your needs. They match people to potential roles based on their preferences, interests, and skills. The most notable benefit of a talent marketplace is that you don't have to vet your talent since all professionals are already tested.
Revelo
Revelo is a talent marketplace that lets you find, hire, and manage top talent all from one platform. We match you with the best developers at zero risks. If you find our talent is not a good fit for you after two weeks, you pay nothing.
Most employers on Revelo review their first candidates in just three days and recruit within the first month. Our team is also there to support you and speed up the process. You can quickly hire Metaverse developers from the platform without worrying about vetting them. Revelo pre-vets candidates and takes over other recruiting responsibilities to ease the process and save you time, effort, and money.
How to Hire a Metaverse Developer
Before you hire remote developers for your Metaverse project, you may want to consider a few things. Firstly, there's a big difference between in-house developers and remote professionals, so you should decide what kind of team you need. Secondly, Metaverse developers can have very diverse skill sets. You should determine the skills you want a developer to have before starting the entire recruitment process.
Once you settle on all the needs and requirements, you can develop a comprehensive recruitment process. Crafting a quality job post will be one of the first steps in the process, as it will help you attract the best applicants out there.
Metaverse Engineer Job Post Example
To hire a Metaverse engineer successfully, you need a well-crafted job post. Here's an example of what you can add to it:
- Description: The job description section is the most significant part of your job ad. This is where you introduce the potential applicants to the job offer and your company. A solid description attracts candidates with thoroughness and accuracy, so make sure to mention all the aspects relevant to your company. For example, highlight whether a position is remote or not and describe your company culture so people can know whether the job is right for them.
- Responsibilities: In this section, you should list the roles and responsibilities of the Metaverse developer. The job post mentions everything the Metaverse engineer will do in their position at the company.
- Minimum Qualifications: What qualifications and experience do you want the Metaverse developer to have? Which platform should the candidates be proficient in, and which programming or scripting languages should they know? Should they have experience working with Photoshop, Blender, and similar software? The answers to these questions will guide you in writing the minimum qualifications.
- Salary Range: You can also mention the salary range in your job post, although that's not mandatory.
- Extra Requirements: If you’re looking for a Metaverse developer with proficiency in any specific programming language or design engine, you should mention it in the job post. Making this clear will ensure that only the most competent applicants get in touch with you.
Metaverse Interview Questions
Once you’ve shortlisted applicants for the position, you can use some common questions to narrow down your choices furthermore.
- Could you sum up the Metaverse in a few sentences? The answer will let you know how aware the applicant is about the recent advancements in the Metaverse.
- Are you working, directly or indirectly, on a Metaverse project? You can also ask the applicants if they have previously done a project of this sort.
- How do you think the Metaverse alleviates some limitations of the current technology? You should ask this question if you want to see how suitable applicants are for the projects at your company.
- How is blockchain related to the Metaverse? If you plan to use Ethereum, this question is a must-ask.
Coding Challenges
You can also hire Metaverse developers by going through online websites that host coding challenges. Codewars and Edabit are two good examples of such websites. Here, you can find professionals who participate in online coding challenges to practice their Metaverse and blockchain development skills.
Final Words
The Metaverse is bound to take the world by storm as more innovations find their way to the virtual world. Thus, businesses should hire Metaverse developers to introduce their products and services to the rapidly growing virtual reality.
Before hiring Metaverse developers, though, make your needs and requirements specific and find the right place to address them. Although you can always use job boards to post your offerings, consider relying on a talent marketplace for the best results.
Revelo has a pool of the highly-qualified and pre-vetted Metaverse developers for you. Start building your workforce today or contact us for a 14-day trial and more information.
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