- UK job search for ‘Augmented Reality’ (AR) and ‘Virtual Reality’ (VR) roles more than doubled between 2014-2016 (256% increase)
- ‘AR’ and ‘VR’ job postings increased by 605% over same period
According to new data from global job site Indeed, there has been a surge in people hunting for careers that involve the use of futuristic digital technologies, with interest more than doubling between 2014-16. Job searches related to ‘augmented reality’ (AR) and ‘virtual reality’ (VR) increased by 256% since 2014.
Indeed’s UK Managing Director, Bill Richards, comments that Brits are already proactively looking at how they can incorporate jobs of the future into their careers today. He said: “Use of augmented reality in the workplace has exploded and it’s beginning to transform the way we work. As its commercial application grows in tandem with mobile and tablet use, we expect to see more related job opportunities across numerous industries in the UK over the next five to 10 years.”
Indeed’s jobs data shows skilled AR and VR professionals are already in high demand - not just in the gaming industry - but in sectors where the technologies are being used to boost efficiencies and improve safety.
In healthcare, patients are already starting to opt for e-clinics, as an alternative to physical clinics, and soon will expect doctors and other healthcare professionals to pay virtual visits to their homes as and when they need them. As the technology becomes more practical and more mainstream, augmented reality could become a must-have tool for industries such as education, publishing, entertainment and retailing.
Indeed also notes the start of a trend in the UK on the employer side. Job postings for ‘Augmented Reality’ / ‘Virtual Reality’ have increased six-fold since 2014, and more than doubled since the start of 2016.
Pokémon Go, the game taking the world by storm, could signal huge growth potential in businesses implementing virtual technologies bringing with it new potential for the creation of jobs. Bill Richards continues: “The Pokémon Go effect could be a game-changer because it’s likely to focus attention on a range of skills from programming and design to art and 3D modelling. These could be the hot jobs of the future.”
“Employers may soon need an army of augmented reality architects to design the virtual worlds we’ll all be accessing. The smartest thing companies can do to be part of this trend, is to hire switched-on, open-minded, and tech-savvy individuals to help them build workplaces of the future.”
