Employers

Alternative reality developers are employed by tech companies (such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Samsung, and Sony) that are developing AR technology, colleges and universities, the military, government agencies, and other companies or organizations that seek to use AR technology in their products or services. Many AR companies are located in Silicon Valley in California, but Udacity, an online learning platform, reports that many jobs are also available in New York City; Austin, Texas; Redmond, Washington; and Orlando, Florida.

Starting Out

Aspiring augmented reality developers should obtain experience working with AR technology, AR game engines such as Unity and Unreal Engine, and 3–D modeling concepts, and coding software (e.g., Java, C, C++). They should create a digital portfolio and prepare a resume that touts these skills, their educational background, and other credentials. They also should create a LinkedIn profile in order to get noticed by recruiters.

Augmented reality developers typically land their first jobs through contacts made during internships, by attending industry conferences and job fairs, or by applying directly to AR development companies.

An AR developer with several years of experience and advanced skills can be promoted to the positions of project manager or creative director. Some developers moves into sales and marketing, while others teach at the high school or college levels. A few launch their own AR development firms.

Visit the following Web sites for job listings:

• https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/augmented-reality-jobs
• https://careers.igda.org
• http://www.gamejobs.com
• https://dribbble.com/jobs
• https://www.metacareers.com/areas-of-work/arvr
• https://www.dice.com/jobs/q-augmented+reality-jobs

Develop your knowledge of augmented reality by using products such as Pokémon GO and Snapchat Lenses.

Visit the Web sites of AR companies to determine the required skills and educational background necessary to enter the field. Take classes to upgrade your skills in any areas that you are deficient.

Check out the VR/AR Directory (https://thedirectory.thevrara.com), which lists more than 4,600 vendors and companies.