Many DeFi users wish to translate their passion into a career. They wonder where to begin in this nascent industry. We here at Learn hope to shed some light on the path to meaningful employment. We want to teach you how to leverage your talents to secure a crypto job.
Self Evaluation
Your first step should be identifying your interests and skills. Do you want to be a blockchain developer and code smart contracts? A front-end developer building web pages? Are you keen to compile and analyze data for your team? Do you find enjoyment in engaging and managing a community?
Generally, you could split the different skill types into
- Programming
- Design
- Analysis
- Marketing/Sales
- Communication
Figure out where you think your skills can best be applied and don\’t be stifled if you\’re unsure which is the best fit for you. Figuring out what doesn\’t work for you is just as important at this stage and can help you refine your search.
The industry is constantly expanding and with that comes a need for talented individuals with a wide array of skills. Job postings with titles containing terms like “bitcoin,” “ethereum,” “blockchain” and “cryptocurrency” grew by 395% in the U.S. from 2020 to 2021!
If you do wish to go down the software engineer route, Justin Bebis authored an article \’ Deconstructing a Fantom Engineering Team\’ where he describes the different roles that successful engineers can play in a development team.
While many of the most obvious opportunities in the field revolve around Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematical (STEM) skill sets, the need for support staff is only increasing in the industry.
![\"Support](\"https://52.63.144.2/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2021-08-02-at-9.39.39-AM-1024x524.png\")
Previous experience will help but passion is powerful. If you\’re committed to learning, that will open up many avenues going forward. A good attitude is more important than possessing all the skills for a job. You can teach skills but you can\’t teach attitude. What will put you aside from other applicants will be a hunger to learn and an eagerness to understand the ecosystem around you.
Honing your search
The next step I\’d recommend is finding your dream job title. Treat this as your goal.
Job boards are a great way of finding out what a company is looking for and providing you with a glimpse of what that role will entail. It will also act as a personal checklist of experience and skills that you can begin to work on.
![\"Example](\"https://52.63.144.2/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Jobpost.jpg\")
Multiple crypto-specific job boards exist to help refine your searches. LinkedIn, Indeed, and other mainstream job boards are also great tools to begin your search.
Check out
- Cryptocurrencyjob.co – One of the leading job boards for blockchain and cryptocurrency jobs with over 4 years of experience linking talented people with companies
- Cryptojobslist.com – Post your own profile in their Cryptocurrency talent pool and employers can find you if your skills match their needs
- Some other options DeFi jobs, Crypto.jobs, Bankless Pallet, Web3.Career
Networking on the network
Engage with the project/protocol/chain you\’d like to become a part of. By doing so, you start to become a member of that community and that will always work to your advantage while job hunting. Enter the Discord, chat with people and start asking questions. Become a friendly and informed name within the network and see what opportunities will arise. Some projects will even have job listings posted on their Discord.
![\"Excalibur](\"https://52.63.144.2/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/hiring.jpg\")
Join an informative Telegram group and share ideas. Check out network-specific content on Youtube or find a relevant podcast. Start following developers on Twitter and engage!
You only get out what you put in. Involve yourself in the conversations and you will increase your industry exposure and knowledge.
Who knows, maybe one of your favorite developers will post about an upcoming opportunity.
Create your own value
The best advice I could give you is don\’t be static! Take advantage of your skills and start producing the work you want to create. If you want to be a programmer, start messing around with some personal projects. If you want to write educational content, pick a topic and get to it. Make the alpha/draft, put it out into the community, and absorb what comes in. Seek and consume relevant feedback and build your own personal style.
A craftsman will only get better through focused, consistent and targeted practice. Set yourself achievable goals and start dedicating time and efforts to achieving that goal. Repetition is the path to mastery!
