How to Build a Career in Blockchain

Blockchain technology is HOT right now and the demand for developers and talented professionals is huge.

There has been a significant surge in blockchain related job openings recently. According to Techcrunch “there are 14 job openings for every one blockchain developer.” Presently the demand far outweighs the available talent in the industry and the demand looks likely to continue. Upwork reports that Blockchain is the second fastest growing freelance skill in 2017-2018. Which means there is a lot of opportunity for budding blockchain developers.

Now is an excellent time to get involved and help advance the innovative technology.

So how do you build a career in Blockchain?

There is no tried and tested way to develop a career in Blockchain as the job market is relatively new. What is clear, is that there are a vast number of opportunities and the path to building a successful career can be as innovative and dynamic as the industry.

Here are some ideas to consider to get started on the right career path for you.

Education and Basic Skills

The more traditional career route usually involves university or college education, before climbing the career ladder. However, there are many people that have built highly successful careers without completing a college degree.

Today there is also an increasing amount of importance placed on skills rather than just formal education. So you do not have to have a Bachelor's degree or expensive qualifications to build a career in the blockchain. You, however, do need to have a good understanding of the technology and master the skills required to be confident in your work.

If you want to be a Blockchain developer you need to be familiar with the technology and learn some core skills. It is important to understand the terms used in the industry and features such as decentralization, smart contracts, dApps and cryptographic hash. Learning programming languages and web development is essential. Commonly used programming languages for blockchain are C++, Python, Javascript, and Solidarity for smart contracts.

Becoming familiar with the technology and practicing coding is a start. There are several training videos and courses that you can study online to learn the basics and improve your skills. Companies are looking to employ people who are talented and who keep up to date with advancements in the technology. Honing your skills and continuing to learn and develop your knowledge will help you stand out and build your career.

What Kind of Technology Do You Want to Work With?

Part of learning about the industry is to help you decide where you want to focus your career. If you are looking to become a developer there are different kinds of Blockchain technology to work with. Private, Public or Consortium

Public Blockchain

Public blockchains are the most widely recognized including Bitcoin and Ethereum. These are open to the public and all the information is accessible. Anyone can participate and add information. There is no single authority in charge. The information is managed and verified by all users in the network.

This is the open source blockchain technology behind Bitcoin, cryptocurrency and the new ICOs that are being launched on Ethereum.

Private Blockchain

A private blockchain is owned by an individual or organization. There is a governing authority and they can control who has access to and can use the information. Large corporate companies are looking into the use of blockchains to help streamline processes and keep data secure. A private blockchain could be useful to develop in-house solutions for large companies.

Consortium Blockchain

In this type of blockchain, there is not one single authority but a group of companies or individuals in charge. The group oversees the blockchain and makes decisions together to benefit the network.

An example of this is Hyper Ledger hosted by the Linux Foundation. It is a global collaboration “created to advance cross-industry blockchain technologies.”

The different kinds of blockchain can be used in different industries. The question to consider is do you want to work for a large corporate company to develop projects for private blockchains or use open source methods to bring innovative technology, apps, and solutions to the public arena?

Technical or Non-Technical Career

Blockchain provides new job opportunities and as the technology rapidly develops so does the industry. There is an obvious need for talented engineers and developers to help with the technical aspects of the technology. However, you do not have to be an expert programmer to build a career in Blockchain.

There are also job openings for blockchain consultants, project managers, marketing professionals, writers, and lawyers. All new ICO’s need to provide a whitepaper which explains the project in detail. The better the quality of the white paper and the more effectively a company can market their ICO, the more likely they will attract investors. Project managers and consultants help make sure a project runs efficiently and is successful.  

Reach Out to the Community

Keeping up with advancements in the technology and developments in the industry is essential. A great way to do this is to become part of the community. There is a tight-knit, active blockchain community. Getting involved in this community will open up opportunities to learn from other developers, keep on top of news and find possible jobs.

As in any industry, networking is very important to help build your career. There are many online resources and community forums such as Reddit, Slack, and Github. Following these forums is a useful way to connect with other developers, interact with the community and keep track of industry updates.

You can also reach out to startups or well-recognized companies in the industry to offer your services. Even on a volunteer basis, this can be beneficial. As it will build up your experience, help you connect with key players in the industry and may lead to future work opportunities.