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BLOCKCHAIN CAREER GUIDE (UPDATED 2019)

Know Your Career Prospects, How to Handle A Job Interview, and The Common Mistakes to Avoid

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ContentsIntroduction

Career Prospects in Blockchain

Blockchain Developer

Blockchain Project Manager

Blockchain Designer

Blockchain Quality Engineer

Blockchain Attorney or Legal Consultant

Handling a Blockchain Interview

Nontechnical Questions

Technical Questions

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Conclusion: Blockchain Hiring

References

List of Contributors

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IntroductionGreetings

The growth of blockchain is a paradigm shift similar to the Internet in the twentieth century and is expected to bring a big wave in the information-exchange problems. Though bitcoin is the first blockchain-based application, the impact of blockchain should not be limited to crypto, it should extend beyond bitcoin. In this guide, you will learn some of the most pressing questions that blockchain recruiters ask in job interviews and how to

perfectly approach them. We collected this information for you after listening to what 60 of the top blockchain recruiters around the world had to say on this topic and created this handy guide just to help you get an overview of the career opportunities available in blockchain and, more importantly, how to handle a job interview in this relatively new field.

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overview of the career opportunities available in blockchain and, more importantly, how to handle a job interview in this relatively new field.

This research is based on a survey we recently conducted with actual blockchain recruiters to get inside their head and know exactly what they are looking for in a candidate and bring that value right to you.

But before going into the most common questions that came up repeatedly in our survey, we will first take a look at the career prospects in the blockchain industry.

“Anything that can conceive of as a supply chain, blockchain can vastly improve its efficiency- it doesn’t matter if its people, numbers, data, money.”-Ginni Rometty, CEO IBM

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Career Prospects in Blockchain

It is a known fact that blockchain technologies are on the rise, and with businesses across the globe embracing this new technology, the job potential is high to be able to explore what this new technology would bring to different industries. The ability of blockchain technology in mitigating operational cost increases transparency and speed of transactions, making it very valuable to potential employers. It is also one of the most secured methods that can replace traditional transactional practices. Blockchain development is now the hottest skill in the freelance job market, growing more than

6,000% since last year and putting it on pace to be the new “cloud” of the 21st Century.—Burning Glass Technologies. Blockchain as a skill set is still fledgling but the organizations are exploring not only blockchain-powered crypto world, but they are also experimenting with the application of “distributed ledger” technologies in various fields, such as supply chains, legal contracts, human resource recruitment, and even video gaming. The technology is in demand among both start-ups and big giants such as Samsung and IBM.

Blockchain Project ManagerA blockchain project manager is like any other project manager who acts as a connecting link between the organization’s specific business cases and blockchain developers. They are experts having similar project management experience from other industries along with technical know-how to give logical explanations to the concept and benefits of the platform to nontechnical people in the organization.

Blockchain DesignerThe user interface and the front design of blockchain are gaining prominence due to its implication for a variety of industries. The technology is not limited to computer scientists but is also been exploited by those who want to capitalize on its efficiencies, cost savings, data security, and so forth. Blockchain designing is a challenging task that connotes trust with an impressive and simplified appearance, which reflects attributes such as no middlemen involved and no separate identity verification.

Blockchain DeveloperThe role of a blockchain developer involves a highly technical position, which requires attention to detail. Blockchain developers, who are experts in developing blockchain platform for the industry leaders, are highly in demand now. The job role might offer robust experience as the benefits of blockchain platform cannot be realized unless solutions are developed.

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Blockchain Quality EngineerBlockchain quality engineers are different from other quality engineers in a way that they have to test the frameworks for blockchain. They develop and maintain QA test standards and guide the test strategy for development. Like other quality assurance engineers, a blockchain quality engineer is responsible for testing and ensuring all areas of development as per quality standards.

Blockchain Attorney or Legal ConsultantAs businesses want to grapple the implications of the evolving blockchain technology, legal issues are still unclear to many. Companies are looking for legal experts on blockchain, the implications of tracking transactions, maintaining the platform, finance-related queries, identity verification, and so on.As the blockchain industry continues to evolve, job opportunities are also expected to grow. Those already with the industry have to play a major role in facing the immature job market, but their efforts will reap out in the long run.

“Online identity and reputation will be decentralized. We will own the data that belongs to us.”-William Mougayar, author The Business Blockchain.

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When preparing for a blockchain interview and have no idea what type of questions you have to face, then the survey conducted by us will be of great help. We have surveyed 60 blockchain recruiters and have asked them to share the first two questions that they often ask while hiring a candidate. If the question is technical, the recruiter expects a well-

defined technical answer. You can also borrow a pen and paper or a laptop to explain all the technical aspects step by step.If the question is nontechnical, then your reply should be logical with real-time examples.A few sample answers that blockchain recruiters may expect in the interview are as follows:

Handling a Blockchain Interview

Question 1: How do you keep yourself updated with the latest technology advancements in blockchain and relate with blockchain activities at your office.Expected answer: (1) Reading articles and blockchain framework-specific documentation, (2) getting a hands-on exercise for testing andvalidating the update and enhancements, and (3)conducting knowledge transfer sessions.

Question 2: Why did you get into blockchain? What do you deeply feel about blockchain as a technology?Expected answer: Blockchain is a technology that brought in a complete revolution similar to that of Sir Vint Cerf’s TCP/IP, which gave birth to the Internet we know today. It’s a complete overhaul, and considering that we live in a deceitful world, something that binds trust so deeply was due since time. I got into blockchain because I believed in the technology and the thoughts that I’ve explained earlier. I chose blockchain over any existing technology for the same reason.

Nontechnical Questions

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Question 5: What advantage blockchain will give your company that other existing software could not deliver? Expected answer: A business solution that no other system can offer other than blockchain. (Highlight the value and real need for blockchain.)

Question 3: What would be your primary question when you’re asked to participate in a blockchain project?Expected answer: I would analyze if blockchain is the optimal solution to this problem.

Question 4: What is your experience in previous blockchain project?Expected answer: An in-depth explanation on what was implemented, project details, challenges, and so on.

Question 6: How does blockchain change the way this industry (the industry of the interviewer) operates?Expected answer: Understand the interviewer’s industry and prepare in advance on the blockchain solution. For example, in banking: “Blockchain, by transferring trust to the blockchain network, can eliminate the need for correspondent banks.”

Question 7: How do you influence and convince a decisionmaker to invest in a new idea? Give me a real-life example. Expected answer: Investing in future, nascent transformative technologies requires a bold vision. Investment decisions are often based in ambiguity about the potential of transformative technologies. It requires emotional intelligence and understanding of human decision-making to convince people (any example that showcases skills and experience in storytelling, stamina, patience, and determination).

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Question 8: Once you have identified the biggest segments to go after, what will be your next step?Expected answer: The objective is to get into a POC situation where we may get to demonstrate ROI of moving to a new solution.

Question 10: What is the difference between bitcoin and blockchain?Expected answer: Blockchain is merely an aspect of bitcoin and space is nascent and in need of much development to become what it can be.

Question 9: Are you passionate about currencies or blockchain?Expected answer: A balanced one and not completely revolving around money/cryptocurrencies.

Question 1: How blockchain works?Expected answer: Blockchain, as the name refers, is a formation of blocks joined together to form a chain. These blocks exist where the transaction records and other details are stored. To create a new block, there is a minor need to solve a complex mathematical puzzle. Once the puzzle is solved, a new block is added to the chain. These records have complex encryptions which make the system secure. The entire working is decentralized within the chain as a copy of the record is saved in every node which is the part of that network.

Question 2: What are the benefits of implementing blockchain?Expected answer: Most industries value blockchain operations by a patchwork of silo-based systems. From a business viewpoint, blockchain creates a single version of the truth and generates network benefits. Beyond this, other generic benefits of a blockchain are security, decentralization, digitization of assets, automation with smart contracts, zero trust model, etc.

Technical Questions

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Question 5: What is the difference between blockchain and DLT? Expected answer: Different concepts are eminent and have to be considered in the technology evaluation process. Blockchain is adapting the concept of DLT and not the other way around.

Question 3: How will you decide public versus private blockchain implementation?Expected answer: In a public blockchain, anyone can read or make transactions as it is an open-source model with no centralized database or governance. New transactions are added to the existing string (the proverbial blockchain), providing a comprehensive and transparent history of all purchases and sales that every participant has read, write, or audit access to. Private blockchain operates under the same principles as public, but with a set operator of the string and a clearly defined set of boundaries. It contains all of the self-validating benefits of the public blockchain but retains the privacy and centralized control that people associate with traditional transactional models. The public blockchain is for government services, public domain, and private blockchain is applicable to enterprises.

Question 4: How would you apply this technology in a banking relationship?Expected answer: I would apply blockchain technology to the sharing of information that moves a banking transaction forward, where it requires an absolute knowledge that data are transparent and immutable (or unchangeable).challenges, and so on.

Question 6: What is your technology stack in blockchain?Expected answer: You should talk about your knowledge of Mist, Remix, Solc, Coinbase APIs, Embark, and any blockchain as a service. Knowledge of latest tools, APIs, IDEs, and so on is something the recruiters value the most.

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Question 8: What is mining?Expected answer: Mining is the process of reaching consensus in blockchain networks. Mining serves two purposes. First, it creates new coins in a generated block. Second, it includes transactions in a distributed ledger by providing proof of work to the network, that is, proof that the generated block is valid.

Question 10: How are transactions and blocks encrypted in the bitcoin implementation?Expected answer: Bitcoin blocks are not encrypted in any way: Every block is public. What prevents modifications and guarantees data integrity is a value called the block hash. Block content is processed using a special hash function—in the case of bitcoin, it’s SHA256—and the resulting value is included in the blockchain.

Question 9: What is the difference between permission and no-permission blockchain network?Expected answer: A permission network is one where everyone knows each other. In a no-permission network, members are unknown and can be anonymous.

Question 7: What is your view that is most strategic, more far out than the application of blockchain?Expected answer: Explain something around the complete breakdown of the firm’s concept as we know it is based on the “theory of the firm.” Explain that this is because of transaction costs going down to zero with frictionless smart contracts or another similar use of case which is far out and different.

From the above-expected answers, it is understood that recruiters are looking for elaborated and detailed answers and not short and sweet ones.

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When we asked recruiters what significance these questions have to their companies and how important are they, we received various responses, such as:

• To understand the candidate’s levelof knowledge and creativity in implementing the skills;

• To understand how well the candidate isequipped with industry knowledge;

• To analyze and ensure the candidate’scredentials;

• To know the suitability of the candidatefor the hiring authority candidate;

• To test the candidate’s managerial,analytical, and leadership skills;

• To ascertain the candidate’s real workexperience.

• To determine the candidate’s potentiality in dealing with the real-time complexsituations;

• To analyze the negotiation skills of thecandidate;

• To know the candidate’s commitment tothe project and the company;

• To reconfirm that blockchain is not justa crypto or bitcoin architecture for thecandidate;

• To test the creative and out-of-the-boxthinking of the candidate; and

• To verify the candidate’s fundamentalknowledge of blockchain in day-to-daybusiness applications beyond bitcoin.

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Now that you know exactly how to perfectly answer the most common questions in a blockchain interview, it’s now time to delve into a few pitfalls that you need to avoid at all costs if you want to land in this job. Here are some of the most common mistakes blockchain recruiters have pointed out after interviewing hundreds of blockchain candidates.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

DONT’S

No Jumbled Answers and Imaginary StoriesIf you are not clear about the question, then confess to it. Don’t create a misconception of blockchain without knowing the real subject and industry applications. Do not try to connect blockchain with any industry unless you really have a good understanding of it. Do not attempt to give replies to the questions about which you have not explored, or you don’t have any experience. Don’t create a false story or share any imaginary experience with the recruiter. Recruiters can easily catch you when you act as if you know everything about blockchain because you have a certification or have attended any conference.

Don’t Remain TechnicalWhen you want to make a career in blockchain, only technical knowledge would not be enough. You must also have business and analytical abilities. Answering every question with detail technicalities does not create a good impact on the recruiter. You are also analyzed for your business skills.

Relating to the Obvious Is a Bad IdeaNo doubt that the bitcoin is the best example to explain blockchain, but this is quite a generic explanation that anybody can give. Talking about the bitcoin network, ICO developments, etc. will give an impression of a naive professional.

Do Not Give Generic AnswersWhen defining about blockchain or any of its concepts, do not simply read out a definition from any website or course material. Always be presentable with a reply that is based on your understanding. Using generic phrases, or talking about it in a generic sense, gives a very negative impression on the recruiter.

Do Not Support Answers with Your Opinion“I think so,” “I believe,” “I am sure,” and so on are not logical replies. Do not label your opinion on every question unless the recruiter specifically asks for one. Your opinion should also be backed by a logical explanation and should not be imaginary.

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Conclusion: Blockchain Hiring

Careers in blockchain are undoubtedly vast and untapped as it has taken the leading position at the most demanded programmer skill. Upwork reported, during 2018, blockchain engineering stood second among the most desired skills in the labor market, robotics being in the first place.To be a part of the evolving technology, one must possess both business as well as technical skills. The employers being selective and the crucial hiring process will not make a cake-walk for anyone to breakthrough the interview process. “Be skilled, assertive, and updated”—the only key to be successful in the blockchain hiring process.

Want to be a skilled blockchain professional? Join the Institute of iBusiness (IIB) Council. IIB Council is the division of EC-Council group (recognized for cybersecurity credentials), the world’s first business technology and enterprise for digital transformation training and certification body. We develop professional skill set that uses both conventional and unconventional testing techniques to define a growth strategy that allows business professionals to make the best use of smart technology, digital tools, and online applications based on advanced technologies.

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development-career.html

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available-today/#22f8347d7ca0

8. https://cointelegraph.com/news/job-opportunities-in-blockchain-in-2018

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10. https://howdoestheblockchainwork.io/5/

11. https://www.ibm.com/blogs/blockchain/2018/02/top-five-blockchain-benefits-transforming-your-

industry/

12. https://www.computerworld.com/article/3235972/it-careers/blockchain-moves-into-top-spot-for-

hottest-job-skills.html

13. https://bnanews.bna.com/daily-labor-report/blockchain-job-market-challenges-and-opportunities

14. https://www.businessstudent.com/careers/best-blockchain-careers-jobs-for-the-future/

15. https://hackernoon.com/blockchain-jobs-and-salaries-2018-report-45d3e7741c19

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