I've been part of the crypto space for almost six years. Compared to the real OGs, I don't even have halfway the experience some of them have - and we are all early adopters, go figure - but I do have a lot of experience compared to the overall space, especially since I've been a full time crypto enthusiast for those of those years.
In that very same span I've been dedicating my time and effort on learning about blockchain, crypto, coding and finance - most of that happened in the past two years, with the first four just doing research, trying to find the next 100x gem, or overall just getting involved with many, many projects from different blockchains, with Hive being the prominent but not the only one.
I've stacked some experience, one could say. I've learned a few things, and since 1 year ago I've been working on the business development of Leo Finance. Before that I had several gigs and part time stuff in many other projects, but this is formally the first crypto job I've had.
So far it's been a blast and I can safely say I have like 10x more experience when it comes to crypto projects, asset management, project evaluation and overall blockchain experience. Working on the business development side of Leo Finance has allowed me to be in close contact with many other projects in the crypto space and get so many different takes on several aspects of the cryptoverse.
So, I am making this post out of experience, some podcasts I've heard and some other articles I've read in the past 6 years, I hope you like it.
Getting a job in the cryptospace
1- In the traditional workspace, the more CVs you send the more chances you have of getting hired and actually a lot of boomers think that the more you try, the more likely you'll get a job. That's an incorrect mindset nowadays, especially for crypto related jobs. Hyper specialization is a thing now, and job profiles are specific regarding the required skillset and experience. The approach to getting a job in the cryptospace should be narrowing your search.
Think of your dream company, focus your energy on companies that are similar to this one that share your values, your mindset, your worldview and that align with how you want to change the world. It is way better to focus 2 hours to 5 companies each and polishing your CV specifically to appeal to those companies, instead of sending a default CV to 30 companies. Write a custom cover letter that will increase your chances of catching the eyes of the companies' recruiters. Understand the mission of the company and that's will tell you what you can offer to them.
It's not smart to apply to a bunch of positions in the same company, as I mentioned they are looking for specific sets of skills and specialization, so if you apply to many positions they will see this and think of you as an adept in many fronts but not an expert on any of them.
2- Be active, sitting there and waiting for a call or email back is not a good strategy. Be patient but remain bold and ambitious. The right opportunity takes time but you have to actively look for it. If you are convinced about working on a specific company, have a little initiative and reach out to them on social media, send them a message and tell them your opinion on their brand, products, values etc. Reach out to the head of recruitment and offer something valuable, interesting or entertaining by DM, mail or LinkedIn, catch their attention, position yourself in their radar.
Don't ask what do they can do for you, offer them something, offer value. If it works then you might get the job, if it doesn't work then you are accumulating valuable experience and learning how to connect with other people in the crypto space. Referrals do matter especially in the crypto space, they are one of the main forms that companies hire for new positions since the space is young and experience is valuable.
3 - Every Crypto company has several social media accounts, forums and many channels to reach out to them and engage with the community. Put yourself out there by sharing your ideas and improvements in public, let the community get to know you and notice you. This might sound easy but it isn't, it is tough and it might not give you the best outcome, but you will learn from this and you will be able to develop new skills that are definitely important in the crypto space - the community is key in crypto.
4 - Community in crypto is essential. Find a community of people that share your interests, and bond with them, learn from them, polish your vision and improve your skillset regarding the space. Share your mission, listen to theirs and get better at being a cryptonaut. Any medium size city has Bitcoin reunions, conferences and gatherings: Get better, be better, be the person any company will want to have in their ranks. Engage with social media, discord and telegram groups, share your ideas and add something to your community ideas, as I mentioned, polish your vision and your concepts.
5 - We all have strengths and weaknesses. Focus on your strengths. There is a misconception in the cryptospace that only developers and engineers are required and are the holy grail. While this might be true, any company needs people focused in the business side - I should know, even though I know coding I am focused on the business and social side of Leo Finance. At the end of the day, crypto companies are business oriented and they need all kinds of skills or positions.
Here's an interesting piece of data: 85% of the trainee positions are not technical jobs. Crypto companies still companies they need accounting, legal, marketing etc
What are your thoughts?
Are you looking for a job in crypto?