How Cryptocurrency Has Introduced New Careers In Tech

Cryptocurrency has exploded over the past year or two. And while you may have heard friends, relatives, and coworkers talking about Bitcoin, you might not know that it’s creating more than a buzz: it’s creating jobs. From crypto startups to established companies, the job market has never looked so good for blockchain enthusiasts.

Let’s look at the state of the cryptocurrency job market, what kind of work is available, and how to potentially land one of these roles yourself.

Job Trends In Cryptocurrency

According to research from job search site  Indeed , job postings mentioning “blockchain”, “bitcoin” or “cryptocurrency” have increased by 621% since November 2015. And supply is growing along with demand: they also report a 1,065% growth in searches for jobs mentioning those three terms.

Some of the companies searching for these skills may surprise you. Uber, eBay, Capital One, Match.com, and GEICO number among the ranks of companies that have searched for and/or contacted candidates who have listed “bitcoin” or “blockchain” in their skillset. Whether this indicates that more widespread adoption of cryptocurrency is on its way or not remains to be seen–but the interest is certainly there.

As with most tech fields, cryptocurrency is a male-dominated field…but women can always  seize the opportunity to change that trend  while the technology is still in its early days.

What Kinds Of Crypto-Related Jobs Are Out There?

From developers to project managers to miners to data scientists, there’s a broad spectrum of jobs available in the cryptocurrency business. There are even specific job search sites featuring these postings now, such as  CryptocurrencyJobs.com. Some roles merely incorporate blockchain technology; others focus on it.

Cryptocurrency analysts design investment strategies. Blockchain developers use blockchain technology to implement solutions for their companies. Mining technicians assemble, run, and maintain the “rigs” that mine cryptocurrencies. There are crypto-focused jobs for traders, sales associates, reporters, DevOps engineers, consultants, technical product managers, and more. Even a few internships are available.

These jobs may entail working with a currency that’s already been built, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum–or they may be an ICO (Initial Coin Offering) project where team members build an entirely new currency using blockchain.

How Do You Get A Cryptocurrency Job?

Obviously, in such a new industry, the specific duties of each role will vary widely between companies–and may even change while you’re actually on the job as the space evolves. Your day will look very different if you’re at an early-stage startup versus a large, publicly-traded company.

The first step is simply being familiar with (and ideally enthusiastic about) cryptocurrency and the technology that powers it. Whether you’ve been investing personally, running your own mining rig, or soaking up information about how blockchain tech works, if you’re going to land a job and dive into doing this 9-5, it’s something you should be passionate about.

Many companies won’t require in-depth knowledge of crypto technology right off the bat; they know it’s a new industry, so they may be willing to train talent on the job. That said, going in with as much knowledge as you can will only increase your chances. Taking a course like Princeton’s  Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies  on Coursera is a good place to start.

The second piece of the puzzle is simply having a background in the kind of work you want to do. If you want to be a blockchain developer, holding a “normal” developer role first will make you an attractive candidate. If you want to be a cryptocurrency project manager, have project management experience to show.

Debating what kind of company you’d like to work at? According to AngelList,  cryptocurrency startups are hiring in record numbers  due to the massive amounts of funding they are acquiring. Another cool perk: if you end up working on an ICO, you’ll probably receive some coins as a form of “equity” in the project in addition to your salary.

Bitcoin was invented in 2008, which means it’s coming up on its 10th anniversary next year. Since it doesn’t seem to be going away, now might just be the perfect time to embrace the new career opportunities the crypto world has to offer.