Getting a Job in Crypto: Earning Beyond the Charts

The cryptocurrency industry is one of the largest emerging industries in the world today, with many likening its rise to that of the internet back in the late 1990s. Like every other emerging market, the expansive growth has created new opportunities for people worldwide.

Due to the remote nature of decentralisation, you do not have to be within a specific geographic location to apply for jobs in this industry. This was made even more apparent during the height of the Covid 19 pandemic back in 2020. Crypto projects and companies are now inclined to hire remote workers with the necessary skills, rather than to hire from a pool limited by demographic and location. Everybody wants the best minds working for them.

While job hunting may be a daunting process for most people, some job seekers simply have the Midas touch in everything they do. Are you a job hunter, are you looking to take advantage of the vast opportunities that keep popping up in this industry? If yes, you must continue to the end then, because I am here to break down the complex environment of career pursuit and advancement in the cryptocurrency space.

You don't need to be a guru of the charts to earn in this industry, you could be a simple meme lord who posts crazily funny content related to a project and make money. The opportunities are boundless and I will present a bunch of them for you to identify what picks your interest.

Before You Apply

You should not apply for any and every job you see, I can bet you would be rebuffed every time, and you may be ignored in the worst-case scenarios. You need to meet certain requirements before you apply, or else you will have no luck. These requirements are not difficult or very tedious to achieve they involve you actively progressing in your self-development.

1. YOUR SKILLSET

Your personal development as a human being and a professional will play a crucial role when hiring managers decide on who to employ. How good are you at anything? Are you an excellent UI/UX designer, are you a creative graphics designer, a backend developer, a sales rep or even a content writer with an attention to detail? Your hard skills are what these companies and projects are looking for. To push the crypto industry mainstream, skilled individuals are needed. Are you one of them?

A plethora of hard skills is available for you to learn and gain an advantage over fellow applicants. This is the best time in history to equip yourself with a skill because information is everywhere. In 6 months, with consistency and dedication, you can set yourself apart from the crowd.

Hard skills I recommend you to learn:

1. Coding / Software Programming.

2. Website Development.

3. Content Writing.

4. Video Production.

5. Data Analysis.

6. UI/UX Design.

7. Marketing.

8. Product Management.

9. Graphics Design.

10. Sales Generation.

11. Copywriting.

12. Community Moderation (Yes, there are courses on this).

13. Social Media Marketing.

14. Customer Service Sales.

15. Technical Writing more I have no space to list.

With hard skills equipped, you must realize that you may be working in a team most likely and if you can't work as a team player and do not communicate effectively with the rest of your teammates, then your hard skills are as good as worthless.

Always remember: “Hard skills will get you through the door, and soft skills will keep you in the building”.

You need to have a blend of both hard and soft skills to succeed in any role you work in. Some crypto-related projects would prefer to hire a person who displays a sense of empathy and intelligence in their work than a person who has an abhorrent attitude despite their ability to get work done.

It's 2022, and nobody wants to work with a horrible teammate.

Effective Communication.

Team Building.

Self Awareness.
Empathy.

Emotional Intelligence.

Enthusiasm.

Accountability.

Determination and

Leadership, etc., are some select soft skills that will make you an indispensable asset.

2. KNOWLEDGE ON CRYPTO, BLOCKCHAIN, DEFI, NFT and WEB3

Working in the cryptocurrency industry requires one to possess knowledge of the industry. You have to know what you're dealing with, otherwise, how are you going to get any work done? The basics of blockchain technology, such as the foundation of blockchain technology, Satoshi Nakomoto, decentralized applications, smart contracts, liquidity pools, token economics, demand and supply of a token, crypto exchanges, crypto wallets and so much more.

Learning never ends in this industry because it keeps on expanding. From simply using bitcoin as a means of exchange and a hedge against inflation, we have moved to crypto gaming, decentralized social media, crypto fitness, crypto investment banks, etc.

Knowledge is power, and it will be your power to use when you need to gain an advantage in the crypto job market. There are so many free materials and courses to help you get started. I recommend CoinGecko’s “How To” series because it's the best ebook series I know on bitcoin, blockchain and decentralised finance. Everything is explained in simple language, with pictorial guides when necessary.

Youtube is also another great place to gain free basic knowledge on the cryptocurrency industry. Whiteboard Crypto is a great channel for beginners to start.

Online courses are another great idea for those looking to add certifications to their arsenal.

3. WHERE TO FIND THE OPPORTUNITIES?

Before you find the opportunities, you must work on your confidence level. If you are too afraid or feel too many people have applied so you may not get the job, you will never advance in your career. Understand that employers are looking for you, your skillset is exactly what they need. Don't be afraid to submit your applications, the worst thing that can happen is rejection. You won't die, you won't be imprisoned, you won't fall ill, nothing will happen to you. That employer can only say YES or NO, simple. It’s not the end of the road, if anything, it'll strengthen your mind and give you experience on how to approach future opportunities.’

Now, the job market is vast, the pandemic opened up the possibility to work for employers that previously focused on on-site workers. There are job boards with adverts that stay there for months without any applications. You don't need to go to on-site company info boards or search through your local newspaper, these are mundane activities that were effective during your parents' prime time.

A selection of places you can find these jobs include:

1. Social Media: Nowadays, job boards are now by social media posts, with companies advertising their open positions on media like Twitter, Facebook, Telegram and Discord. You will even find accounts dedicated to posting job offers, so this will be a great place to start.

2. Freelance sites: If you want to control your time and work on a contract basis, you should consider freelancing. Sites like Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr, etc are freelance sites you could explore. Just ensure you have a portfolio of work (not necessarily for your past employer, maybe your projects) that shows your skill.

3. Linkedin: this should be part of social media but I want to expand on it. It is social media for professionals. Here your social page is set up to showcase your professional ability to your followers, connections and potential employers or employees. A lot of companies on Linkedin post adverts for open positions within their organisations. Your connections also play a great role as personal messages with them could lead to you getting an offer or a referral from them. Go sign up on Linkedin you don't have an account, right now.

4. Search Engines: Yes, if you reach this point, just know you have reached the extreme. Searching for the job or position you wish to take up on search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc could prove fruitful. Remember, keywords play a crucial part in what you will be shown so make sure you carefully input exactly what you are looking for.

What’s next?

Now that you’ve gotten yourself sorted out, you should apply for the jobs you want and present yourself as best as you can. Take action now and advance yourself and your career. Starting now and working through all I've laid out, you should see amazing results when looking back after a year.

Build your portfolio first, it will serve as a testimony to your capabilities and expertise. Your portfolio will open the door for you, so build it to open any door. Starting as a volunteer or intern for a crypto project is a great and somewhat easier way to get started. You need that experience to build yourself up, so don't look for incentives initially, focus on building on the job experience. If you exceed the expectations of your employers, you could soon be looking at a very attractive employment offer from your place of work.

So build experience and add to your portfolio. It WILL take time and patience, so don't rush it, you WILL miss out on a lot of learning opportunities if you do rush.

Your portfolio will guide your cv/resume. You don't need to include all your work in your cv, just include a link to your portfolio with some recent work examples you have from your previous employments or internships. There’s a slew of cv builders online but I suggest you read on how to create a professional cv as most recruiters don't take an awful lot of time going through them, so always keep it short and straight to the point.

If you need help organising yourself and how to apply to a recruiter, visit blog posts, youtube video tutorials and online courses that focus on this.

Well, that’s it from me, I wish you a successful journey, my job-hunting crypto nomads. We must become decentralised just like the blockchains we work on.

About The Author

John Nwankwo is a Cryptocurrency Content Writer passionate about decentralised finance. His work revolves around financial literacy and crypto education. He is also a mechanical engineering undergrad and loves reading various book genres, gaming and football.

You can see him on Linkedin and/or on Medium

Linkedin profile link (no-follow): https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-nwankwo-uchenna/

Medium page link (no-follow): https://medium.com/@yourdefibro