Last week I asked, "who wants to work in web3?" on twitter. The engagement on the tweet was mind-blowing; it got so many responses.

It seems like so many are considering a switch and have some questions. So, I decided to gather some questions and answer them here, as well as share some tips on how I got my job.

Now, worth noting that these are based on my and some of my friend's experiences only. They are by no means the norm, and I am not an expert in this field. However, with this disclaimer, I hope that they will help you understand the web3 space, and the tips can help you move in, if you are interested.

So let's get to it!

My Experience

I started my job in web3 almost three months ago. You can head over to my article on moving to web3 for more insights on my career change. In this post, I want to lay out some tips based on my experience.

The platform

Interestingly I got all my job offers on Twitter.

Coming from the traditional tech world, I was used to the path of applying through Linkedin, then getting a few online tests and finally moving to the interview stages. In web3, the process was not like the traditional route. I think that's why it seems like a scary process, but the reality is that it's not hard it's just different. You'll need to take a few steps yourself and be more creative, since there isn't a clear path just yet.

I also hear that many other people that got their job from Twitter or Discord. These places are great for meeting people with similar interest, and you may be speaking to a founder of a protocol.

Alongside Twitter dm's, there are many job boards on Pallet that people are launching and sharing on Twitter. You can learn about these job boards on Twitter and head over to apply to jobs over there.

I've also started my Job Board. I pick the companies and jobs that I find interesting. Additionally, you can join my talent collective, where I try to match people with the companies; it's completely free so if you're looking to transition we could work together to find you a match! 🙌

Interest in web3/crypto

Okay, so we've covered the platform. Now, let me cover some tips on standing out. First, whichever job role and level you are applying to, you should be interested in the web3/crypto space. It's a very fast-paced space, and you'll be spending a lot of time learning together with your team, so having a passion for the area is a must.

You don't need to be an expert (is there such a thing as a crypto expert anyway), but you would need to demonstrate some sort of understanding of crypto. So make sure to have a crypto wallet, have an understanding on DAO's (preferably be part of some), have a look at NFT's etc.

In my case, I had already started to share my web3 journey through my blog and Twitter. So I was able to show my passion and learning journey through these places.

Building your Portfolio

Firstly, if you're a developer looking for a job in web3, there are many ways you can build your portfolio:

• Hacaktons (virtual and irl)
• Bounties
• Grants

With these, you can feel the technology, build stuff yourself, and meet the teams without moving full time. It's a great way to get an understanding of the space.
Make sure to check out Speed Run Ethereum by Austin Griffith when building your portfolio. It's one of the best resources I've found that gives you an understanding of what and how to build decentralized applications, while add some creative elements yourself.

Depending on the level you are applying to the strength of the portfolio will likewise vary. If it's a senior roles the projects expected will be different than a entry level job.

Secondly, just like technical roles for non-technical roles you'll need to have a portfolio. If you're into video creation then having a collection of related videos, if you're a community builder a way to demonstrate your activities in communities, if you're a writer some articles on the space etc.

It's similar to demonstrating your understanding with a certificate or online tests for the traditional tech world. The difference is that you'll need to be more creative since there isn't a straightforward method.

Wrapping Up

Overall, it's not hard to get a job in web3; it's just a new and different way than the traditional one. You'll need to be creative and show some related work. Having done some work before will make you stand out in the interview and also allow you to understand the space before moving full time.

Q & A

1. "I want to, but I don't know where and how to start."

This was one of the main questions I got on the topic. Here's my previous post on how to get started in web3. Let me also add a small recap over here.

If you've heard about web3 and are interested in learning more, I'd suggest you start using the products and see what it's all about. You can start by setting up a crypto wallet on Metamask. Next, you can checkout NFTs on Opensea. Finally, look at ENS (these are the .eth you may have seen on Twitter). These are some basic starter steps to understanding the technology. It's a new area, and a lot is going on, be sure to try it out for yourself.

Once you've got a grasp of the tools, start learning more about what's happening. Read articles and newsletters, check out podcasts, head over to the white papers and get a better understanding.

Then last but not least, if all these were interesting, get involved with the communities. The communities are in the heart of web3. Join the Discord servers and look for projects that you can join, check out the grants and the hackathons. There are many different ways to get involved and start doing.

2. "I've been trying to get into the space, and I've done some tutorials on YouTube and all, but getting to the next level and working on projects is where I want to get to now, but I've not got much of an idea of how to do so"

One thing that worked out for me was building the projects. It's vital to get hands-on 🙌 many learning paths are based on building projects which I'd suggest you check out.

Make sure to look at:

• Speed Run Ethereum by Austin Griffith: It's a curriculum for developers to follow a path of projects to learn about development on Ethereum. I've written an article about scaffold-eth, the toolset to build Ethereum applications by Austin. On speedrunethereym you start out with Scaffold-eth and then add different elements to it to complete the projects. I've completed the DEX projects and onto the multi-sig. Worth noting that one of the most powerful parts of the curriculum is that you'll be learning what you can do with Ethereum and how it works.
• Buildspace: they have many projects where you have to get to the building. I was super surprised after my first buildspace project on what I could build over the weekend. Here's my article on building an NFT collection after completing the project on Buildspace. Today they have lots more different projects, from building a web3 app on Solana to making your own DAO.

These will give you some developer experiences and show you what you can build in web3. You can make your portfolio with these projects and try to see how you can add extra elements to go beyond the tutorial.

Once you've got the experience from these projects, check out different grants and hackathons if you want to continue to add more projects to you portfolio.

3. "Without having any experience in it, can I get a job by doing some sample projects?"

Yes!! That's the best way to get a job in web3. Start building and sharing your projects. Just like you'll need a portfolio or demonstrate your understanding in any job, sample projects will help you do this and can lead you to jobs (without in needing to apply).

Don't take my word for it; checkout Rodrigo, who's been sharing his progress and getting multiple offers!

Start learning and sharing your journey. Then, once you build projects, write articles, threads on Twitter, make videos etc., You can use these to apply for jobs or even better jobs can come to you!

Additionally you make sure to have a lot at the Grants! There are so many people getting jobs after completing a grant project with the team. It allows you to meet the team and learn more about the project without moving full-time. You may get the opportunity to move full-time afterwards!

4. "Will a beginner get a job in web3?"

Yes! And I think that web3 needs more beginners. There have been many new people entering in the past few months, myself included. It's pretty overwhelming once you first discover and start learning web3. I think beginners know this the best and can work towards making it simpler for anyone getting in. With new perspectives, we could start making it more straightforward.

It is important to mention that the jobs you'll get as a beginner will most probably not be senior protocol engineers. Those are the jobs that generally require more experience in the field. You'll need to demonstrate a high understanding for senior roles and show you related job or project experience. But starting in a role as a technical writer for example could be an option. Then while learning more about the technology, you could move into a software engineering role.

5. "What are the best resource to learn web3?"

I will answer this for developers getting in. Firstly, Francesco has a list of free web3 resources, which you can find over here. I've found it to be very comprehensive and helpful.

I want to specially mention some people and resources I've used and have helped me massively:

• Nader Dabit: Youtube and articles: Nader has many walk-through tutorials, including Full Stack development with Ethereum,
• Patrick Collins: Patrick has a complete guide on becoming a developer in web3.

• Austin Griffith: Austin has created many tools including, Speed Run Ethereum which is a roadmap for developers getting into web3 to follow a path of projects. It's a great way to understand what you can do in web3 alongside the syntax.

• Developer DAO: Developer DAO has been one of the most impactful communities for me. It's been the main driving force for me to learn and share my journey online. I had entered the community early on when the DAO was starting out. Today, you join in and can access many different projects spanning from creating educational content, developer conversations, and real-life meetups.

• Buildspace: it is a platform for developers to learn about web3 by creating projects. They have a huge community of web3 developers and work with companies with job opportunities for web3 builders.

• UseWeb3 by Wesley: It's a curated list of resources from books, tutorials, articles - everything web3. I'd highly recommend checking it out and following on Twitter for the week's most-read posts to understand the most recent trend.

• Cryptozombies: you can learn how to make smart contracts solidity interactively.

• LearnWeb3DAO: they have different tracks for developers learning about web3. It's a
  great educational resource to learn and connect with others knowing. Learning is better when done together :)

• Web3 University: it has curated articles to learn about blockchain development. You can find articles from the people I've mentioned and many more.

I hope this was helpful and that I was able to answer some of the burning questions. Please let me know if you have any comments or questions!

See you in the next post 👋