How to get a job in Crypto?

If your query about getting a job in crypto on Google has brought you here, then certainly you are aware of the big potential that blockchain technology and its applications (e.g. cryptocurrencies) present. With the amount of expansion taking place in this sector, the interest of professionals looking to join the crypto space is skyrocketing as well. But given the lack of awareness regarding the job scenario in the crypto market, the broad assumption that prevails in the mind of the masses is that the employment opportunities in this industry are not only limited to a narrow group of lucky insiders and early movers, but also almost exclusively focused on technical profiles.

However, this could not be further from the truth. Similar to any other industry, companies operating in blockchain/crypto have multi-functional and multi-departmental needs. Blockchain firms employ people and teams involved in all kinds of roles, technical or non-technical. And the sky’s the limit when it comes to the number and variety of opportunities available in this space.

Now coming to the part you are here for –“How to get a job in crypto”? Well to answer that, we’ve tried to explain some strategies below. You may adopt either of the one, depending on your level of expertise/overall work experience.

Internships

Graduates with little to no experience in the job market can join the crypto world through internships in their preferred specialization. This is perhaps the easiest and most productive path for the students to not only gain actual hands-on experience in the crypto world but also simultaneously polish their skills in their favored field. Unlike other industries, internships in the blockchain market tend to be fairly paid, meanwhile providing trainees with an incredible amount of exposure. Successfully hunting for these internships should not be an impossible task as there are ample blockchain companies, looking to scout and train young and curious people with learning potential. 

[Discover the latest internships from top blockchain firms]

For people with no or little experience looking to enter the Blockchain space in a non-specialized role

We recommend that you look for jobs that require more soft/informal skills or skills which can be easily acquired – e.g. by taking free/paid short courses on the internet in a short amount of time. Extensive knowledge of the crypto environment acts as a big plus here. 

Community management and Digital Marketing are some of the best options as Social media is usually the most important marketing tool for crypto brands interested inbuilding a big and loyal community. Community plays an essential role in the success of a project in the crypto world. Therefore, blockchain firms tend to have dedicated digital marketing and community management teams.  We see two possible paths to access the crypto space by utilizing the power of Social media to your advantage: 

a.) Active community engagement 

The amount of exposure and the number of benefits you will receive from community engagement cannot be stressed enough. Actively participate in conversations taking place on Telegram, crypto Twitter or crypto Reddit. Almost all community groups are accessible for everyone! Build your personal brand by providing value to other community members. Think about how you can best contribute to keeping the engagement levels high; perhaps you are a content creator, or a meme-maker (in crypto we love memes :)), or a technical analyst, or a Reddit geek always on the hunt for the next crypto moonshot. All these “hobbies”, when employed as skills in building your personal brands can provide a massive advantage in your hunt of professionally joining the cryptoverse.

 b.) Non-active participation

Even if you do not wish to engage proactively, paying attention to the conversations, articles, memes, latest news and trends will benefit you greatly! Few sources we can recommend are Coindesk (News Portal), PlanB and CryptoMichNL (Twitter), and Ivan on Tech and Boxmining (Youtube). These sources will enhance your knowledge and perception of how blockchain and crypto work in the real world. 

Reading and memorizing theories from courses and articles is one thing, but actively noticing and exploring the technology with its fundamentals, principles, and implications is a whole different experience. For instance, you can read what DeFi (Decentralized Finance) is, but you won’t truly be able to understand how revolutionary the DeFi ecosystem is until you witness the developments taking place in the field firsthand. This also means that it would be beneficial if you start playing around with those technologies (e.g. download MetaMask and make your first trade on Uniswap).

The bonus of following these tips is they aren’t tedious or monotonous like some other traditional routes, but as fun and exciting as they can get. After attaining a sufficient understanding of the crypto community culture and blockchain innovations / use cases, the next step is to identify specific job opportunities that match your interests. You might be surprised to discover the number of openings that exist for those who wish to lead the community as well as for those who tend to be silent observers and analysts. 

[Explore plethora of community management and digital marketing roles]

If you are an experienced professional

Assuming you are already an expert in your domain but lack prior knowledge of crypto and blockchain, we suggest that you pick some good blockchain and crypto courses to learn about the basics of the technology. Educate yourself about the fundamentals, real-world use cases, and the latest developments in the space thoroughly. The key point to be noted here is that the majority of blockchain jobs require someone possessing adequate knowledge about blockchain and being passionate about the future of blockchain, while hands-on experience from the blockchain space is often just “nice-to-have”. Familiarize yourself with the most popular tools and practices adopted by your future peers in the crypto industry. 

For example, as a front-end engineer, you might want to research the technical stack / tools used by blockchain front-end engineers. Compare your tech stack with the prevalent tech stack, analyze it and work on the findings. Polish your strengths further and work on improving your weak points. Your expertise coupled with the newly acquired knowledge will be enough to provide you with an incredible head start in your journey into the crypto world.

For additional exposure, start networking by attending blockchain-focused events, conferences, and meet-ups. Blockchain hackathons in particular are great events where you can showcase your capabilities and get direct exposure to industry experts. We believe that networking will forever remain one of the best job hunting tools!

Once you have mastered the mentioned steps, the next move will be to look for the most appealing jobs that accurately match your skill set. Sounds like too much work? Don’t worry! We got you covered. You can find the latest crypto and blockchain jobs from the most interesting blockchain firms in one place [BJE link]. Once you have shortlisted the jobs that work the best for you, apply by crafting a stellar resume, master the interview process, and finally, you are good to go. 

Remember, while crypto, with all the interest and enthusiasm surrounding it, is an industry like no other, the job search remains fairly similar to any other sector. It’s only due to lack of exposure that people aren’t informed about the crypto employment scenario. Hence, shed the fear, and do your research. 

Conclusion

While putting effort matters the most, having patience is the key. Rome wasn’t built in one day, but Shib did generate fortunes for people overnight :D! What I intend to imply here is that acquiring skills to work in the industry may take time, but once the momentum is set, there is a good chance that the crypto world will reward you in no time. Till then, enjoy the journey and have fun!