“How do I get a job in crypto/blockchain?”
Crypto and blockchain companies are set to hire extensively in 2022
The crypto job market is hot at the moment. According to LinkedIn data, job postings with titles containing terms like “bitcoin,” “ethereum,” “blockchain”, and “cryptocurrency” grew 395% in the U.S. from 2020 to 2021, outpacing the broader tech industry — which saw a 98% increase in listings during the same period.
According to LinkedIn data, job postings with titles containing terms like “bitcoin,” “ethereum,” … [+]
Whether looking to start your career in blockchain and crypto or looking to transition, below are my five top tips to help you on your journey, regardless of your experience:
The first thing that employers look at is whether you have prior experience in the crypto, blockchain, or digital asset space. If yes, the chances of being asked for a screening call with a recruiter significantly increase. Direct experience with a digital asset exchange (Coinbase, Gemini), a blockchain company (Algorand, r3) bank (BNY Mellon, BlackRock), tech company (Meta), or fintech (Revolut) is the most desirable but not the only source of relevant experience.
Coinbase plans to add 2,000 employees across Product, Engineering and Design in 2022.
I recently met with someone who has successfully made the transition from Web2 to Web3 and they shared some great insights and advice. “While prior experience in the space gives you a leg up, it’s not the most important thing. The ability to identify the role requirements and share examples of how you have navigated similar scenarios in the past (backed up with clear stories/examples) will really help you to breakthrough the talent pool. I personally had zero work experience in Web3 prior to starting my current role but my account management/partner management skills and experience has helped me set a foundation for crafting the necessary working models and mental models for how I can be successful and useful in this role“.
“How do I get experience when I have no experience?” is what commonly comes up, and it’s a fair question. The trick here is finding ways to gain experience, even part-time or on a voluntary basis.
Things to Consider
– Identify the companies you would like to work with and see if there are any ways to work on projects on a part-time or voluntary basis.
– Are there any national or community blockchain and crypto groups you can join to get first-hand experience and build your network? As a data point, several people have joined Blockchain Ireland working groups (developer, start-up, legal and reg. education, and skills). This has resulted in people gaining skills and building their networks to get their foot in the door with a crypto or blockchain company. DLT Talents, Women in Blockchain Talks, and BlockW are also fantastic initiatives to consider.
– Don’t forget to demonstrate your transferable skills, whether marketing, coding, project management, or community development.
When interviewing people for crypto and blockchain roles, many folks say they are deep into crypto. It’s great to see people passionate about blockchain and crypto, but you need to have evidence to back this up. There are many great courses for people to take from prestigious universities such as Wharton, UCLA, Oxford, Bocconi and Trinity College Dublin. More moderately priced courses are available from Udemy and LinkedIn. There are also excellent free online courses, such as Gary Gensler’s MIT lectures through YouTube and Michael Saylor’s saylor.org Academy ‘Bitcoin for Everybody’. If you want a more tailored, hands-on experience, lots of start-ups and niche education players are popping up in this space like The DeFi Coach, Calyptus, 101blockchains, the Blockchain Academy and CrystlyCrypto.
Things to Consider
– Take the time time to complete a course or multiple courses. It does not have to be an expensive course.
– Add it to your CV/resume and LinkedIn profile
– Chances are you have transferable skills through previous employers and projects. Make sure these are easily visible in your cover letter, LinkedIn note, and CV/resume.
There are many free courses on crypto and blockchain for people to take at a time that works for … [+]
Get writing. Get talking. Make content. It’s never been easier to share your thoughts. I recently spoke to an impressive individual who wants to become the go-to person for music-related NFTs. I asked if he had written any content about the area, and the answer was no. We had a chat about where to start and how to start, and they have now published pieces explaining why and how NFTs will solve challenges in the music industry.
Things to Consider
– If you are passionate about blockchain and crypto, show the world. You can write and publish an article directly through LinkedIn or Medium, start a podcast, or even create videos sharing your thoughts on recent market developments.
Podcasts are a great way to learn and stay up to speed
A typical interview question in the blockchain and crypto space is, “what communities are you part of?”. If the answer is none, this is not a great sign.
Things to Consider
– Identify the parts of the blockchain and crypto ecosystem you are most interested in and join communities in those areas. It can be any community, NFT, DeFi, or layer two technologies. The key here is that you demonstrate you are passionate about “X” by spending time learning and knowing what is going on in that area.
Find out who are the people you should be following on crypto twitter for you areas of interest
When interviewing someone recently for a research role, I asked them their view of the crypto market. I received a vague answer, which meant I could not ask any real follow-up questions and had to move to the next question.
Things to Consider
– Have a point of view on the overall market
– Have a point of view on the areas you have outlined you are excited about (NFTs, supply chain, identity, CBDCs)
– Be able to go to more than one question deep on these areas
– Reference research or prominent blockchain and crypto leaders to support your points
– Back yourself. If you have done your homework, it’s time to show it off. The interviewer may not necessarily agree with some of your points, but it demonstrates that you have done your research and are not afraid to have an opinion.
Bonus Section
In your back pocket, be ready to answer the question, “for all things crypto and blockchain, who are the top 3 people you follow on Twitter and LinkedIn, and also who which are your favourite crypto and blockchain podcasts?”.
WAGMI
