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Choosing a career path is one of the most crucial decisions in an individual's life. Youngsters often find it challenging to choose their ideal career as there are a plethora of opportunities, but there are plenty of uncertainties at the same time. Usually, students rely on career guidance programs, aptitude tests, or online blogs to identify a career path. However, we must ask ourselves, "Are these methods really effective?" With a report suggesting that 70% of American workers are unsatisfied with their career choices, it is obvious something is not working in our current approach.

Fortunately, we live in a technologically advanced era where cutting-edge tech like virtual reality (VR) is gaining popularity in diverse sectors. Virtual reality helps students experience "a day in the life" of a profession. The immersive simulations of VR bring career exploration to life by offering learners a first-hand experience of exciting career opportunities.

Do you wish to adopt a virtual reality-based approach for career exploration? 

On 20 September 2022, 11:00 a.m. EST, XR Guru is conducting a webinar on "Career Exploration in Virtual Reality." Join our webinar to learn more about using VR for career exploration.

1. What is Career Exploration?

Career exploration is the process of researching, analyzing, and learning about different job opportunities and how students can pursue the profession of their choice. The earlier a student can begin this process, the sooner they can identify their ideal career.

2. Why Should Schools Consider VR for Career Exploration

Often career decisions made by students are influenced by external factors such as parents, friends, or the media. Popular TV shows and movies often overrate some professions and give students the wrong idea about a career. Immersive virtual reality technology enables learners to explore a wide range of jobs in a safe, computer-generated environment, allowing students to make informed career decisions.

3. Benefits of Career Exploration Programs

Here are some of the benefits of participating in career exploration programs:

4. How Can Virtual Reality Improve Career Exploration

Wouldn't it be better if you could gain first-hand experience in a profession you aspire to pursue? Adopting VR for career exploration offers exactly that! The immersive nature of virtual reality will help young learners get a closer look at different careers and evaluate the pros and cons of these jobs. Keep in mind that VR experiences are not designed to replace real-life experiences; it is a tool that offers an engaging overview of career options.

Utilizing VR technology for career exploration can be a game-changer, as it allows students to identify a career pathway that excites them.

5. Benefits of Using VR for Career Exploration

Adopting virtual reality for career exploration offers several benefits, and here are some of them:

5.1. Better Comprehension

VR allows learners to be completely immersed in a virtual experience. Trying out jobs in a virtual 3D environment helps them visualize the workplace and understand what their desired role would be like. 3D VR visuals help students understand the content better compared to 2D videos or traditional career guidance programs.

5.2. Enhanced Engagement Levels

One of the significant disadvantages of traditional career guidance programs is the lack of student engagement. Nowadays, students are easily distracted in a classroom. Educators are exploring different techniques to increase engagement, and a few have started to use VR technology. The new-gen kids gravitate towards tech-based education. VR eliminates the distractions in a conventional classroom setup and immerses students in life-like simulations, thus increasing engagement levels.

5.3. Eliminates Geographical Boundaries

Occasionally, students wish to explore employment opportunities outside their home country. However, not all students are blessed with the financial means to travel abroad, and the available online information about these jobs is often limited and/or misleading. VR applications eliminate geographical boundaries, allowing students to explore different options from the comfort of their homes. Also, VR-based programs can nullify the language barrier, creating an uninterrupted career exploration experience.

5.4. Boosts Confidence

By offering a job shadowing experience and simulating informational virtual interviews, virtual reality instills confidence in students to take the necessary steps to further explore a career path. With VR, students can sharpen their skills in a virtual world and get instant feedback, helping them to perform better in real-life interviews.

6. Use Cases of Virtual Reality in Career Exploration

Here are some interesting use cases of virtual reality in career exploration:

6.1. Job Shadowing

Job shadowing usually means spending a short period observing a professional on the job. VR can facilitate job shadowing from remote locations, allowing students to experience a job without physically traveling to the workplace. VR simulations help youngsters get a first-hand experience of the day-to-day responsibilities of their desired careers. These immersive experiences can help students better understand a job and analyze whether it suits them or not.

6.2. VR Job Fairs

Organizing a real-life job fair is quite challenging as it involves a lot of effort and preparation. An effective alternative to real-life job fairs is emerging in the form of virtual reality job fairs. A virtual job/career fair is similar to a traditional career fair minus the need to travel to a different location. It is an online event where recruiters and job seekers can meet through virtual conferences without ever stepping out of their homes. VR conferences can help people meet, network, and connect with others and chat, discuss, and share their thoughts. For example, earlier this year, Hirect organized a "Hired in the Metaverse" event, which brought companies and interested job seekers together for an afternoon of networking and panel discussions.

(Image Courtesy: Venu)

6.3. Virtual Informational Interviews

An informational interview is an informal conversation in which you can seek insights on a career path, a company, or general career advice from someone who is experienced in an area of interest to you. In the post-pandemic world where traveling has become difficult, VR meetups eliminate physical boundaries and help you connect with industry experts around the globe.

6.4. Virtual Work Environment Simulation

A virtual tour of the work environment paints a clear picture of the work at hand. VR simulations can replicate real-life workplaces and help you better understand the procedures, tools, and devices used to complete a task. Understanding a company's processes and a professional's daily responsibilities become easier with VR simulations.

6.5. VR Internship Programs

VR-based internship programs enable young graduates to gain valuable work experience while working from remote locations. With the help of 3D VR content, youngsters can learn the essential skills and relevant tools to complete typical tasks in an employee's workday. VR allows people to comprehend complex concepts and master essential skills faster.

7. Identify Your Best Career Option with VR

Nowadays, it is impossible to imagine a world without smartphones, soon VR will become an indispensable part of our lives. A report predicts the global virtual reality in the education market to increase from $6.37 billion in 2021 to $8.66 billion in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 36%. The shift to tech-based education post-pandemic and the advent of 5G technology are driving factors of VR market growth. Unsurprisingly, several recruiters and schools/universities are starting to adopt virtual reality for career exploration. VR will significantly improve the job-seeking experience by helping students find the ideal career that offers a high salary as well as job satisfaction.

Do you want to adopt a VR-based learning approach? XR Guru is an immersive learning hub that advances education and training in the metaverse. XR Guru brings learning to life through immersive experiences. Choose XR Guru for seamless learning through VR/AR. Contact us for a free consultation.

Join Us for Our Next Webinar

Title: Career Exploration in Virtual Reality

Explore Career Options with VR!

Use virtual reality to see what a job really looks like before starting a career path. Learn how virtual reality simulations can help students and job seekers experience “a day in the life” of different professions.

Join our live webinar to learn more about exploring careers with virtual reality.

If you cannot attend, register anyway, and we will send you the recording.

Host: Doug Smith

When and Where:

11:00 a.m. EST, Tuesday, September 20, 2022

25 Minutes

Zoom Link for Registration

Goal: To help educators understand how virtual reality can help students identify their ideal career path.

Who Should Join:

Highlights of the Webinar:

Outcome: Attending this webinar can help you understand how adopting virtual reality in education can be useful in career exploration.