It’s no secret that the blockchain industry is perhaps the most interesting and revolutionary field in the greater IT industry today. But lots of people haven’t yet jumped into this new niche and will be left scrambling when computing shifts to incorporate new blockchain technologies.
Want to know how you can start a career in blockchain and be at the forefront of this soon-to-be industry evolution? Let’s break it down.
Get Educated – Understand Blockchain
Firstly, you’ll need to make sure you understand the basics of blockchain technology. In a nutshell, blockchain is a kind of distributed ledger technology or DLT pioneered by systems like Bitcoin. DLT helps people do secure business with one another by tracking who owns what assets or labor.
Blockchain as a system is more efficient than many real-world businesses since you don’t necessarily need a trusted third-party, such as the government or a bank, to oversee a transaction.
Familiarize yourself with major blockchain terms and concepts like:
- The shared ledger, which is the single shared document or record that all participants in a blockchain system see and agree is legitimate
- Cryptography, which is used to both encrypt and decrypt information for the means of identifying individuals securely
- Smart contracts, which are certain computer functions that can automate transaction execution based on certain rules
- Consensus/trust mechanisms, which are blockchain agreed-upon protocols that help any participants decide on the order in which transactions are processed in the shared ledger
Acquire Cryptography Training
As touched on above, you may also wish to acquire specific training in cryptography. That’s partially because the digital world is becoming increasingly concerned with security, and for good reason – digital threats are more common and important than ever before.
Check out some of the best blockchain courses to acquire training in cryptography and other key blockchain concepts.
Network in Blockchain Communities
As in any budding industry, you’ll need to network aggressively and successfully in order to start a career in blockchain in earnest. To that end, figure out what other professionals and high-level executives are interested in blockchain at your current company or organization.
You may be able to make some friends and gather contacts for when you fully decide to transition to blockchain development, whether it’s for banking, digital security, or even blockchain-based gambling!
On a deeper level, blockchain as a concept relies on active communities that can encourage growth and security. Jumping into these communities will not only help you find a job eventually: it will help you understand blockchain on a deeper level as well.
Market Yourself and Identify Areas Where You Can Provide Value
Lastly, be aggressive with how you market yourself. Learn as many blockchain-related courses and obtain as many blockchain certifications as you can in order to make yourself a valuable asset for any new blockchain enterprise.
If you want to become a blockchain developer, you’ll need to become a master in this IT niche. The field isn’t as competitive as other niches yet, but the more attractive you make yourself to a potential employer, the faster you’ll start your career as a blockchain developer.
