Careers in Blockchain
Wondering what careers are in blockchain? Have you noticed technology is transforming and even automating a lot of jobs? Future-proofing your skills is a way for you to create future opportunities for your career, so maybe it’s time to add the word “blockchain” to your resume. After all, blockchain is more than just bitcoin. You can open so many opportunities to new careers in blockchain, through obtaining either a diploma or advanced diploma of applied blockchain. Blockchain is a technology that will underpin many emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, Machine learning and robotics. Most people won’t even be able to tell that blockchain is being used, but all of the data that needs to be recorded in a transparent and immutable way for these world changing applications will be stored on blockchains.
BLOCKCHAIN IS NOT CRYPTOCURRENCY
When people hear “blockchain”, they usually associate it with bitcoin. This is not far from the truth, but actually, bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies are just applications that use blockchain. Blockchain is a process for verifying that accurate data gets passed to different computers as a peer-to-peer network. The network of computers forms a chain or “ledger” with each entry containing the entire history of previous entries to ensure the data cannot be altered. Since the whole chain is decentralised, the encrypted ledger is virtually anonymous. Not only can each new block of data verify all the others, but the decentralised blockchain is also impossible to hack or change without permission, given the thousands upon thousands of redundancies.
Distributed ledger technology is a way for companies to innovate the current way we are storing and transferring the value of data, many cryptocurrencies that are listed on the coinmarket cap, are not even trying to be a currency like bitcoin. Blockchain projects around the world are working on innovative solutions in a variety of industries, such as insurance, real estate, healthcare, voting, construction, accounting, education, supply chains and many more.
Yes, you can invest in these projects labelled a ‘cryptocurrency’, but the concept is very similar to the stock market. Essentially you are investing in shares in the company and if they survive as a company and achieve all the things in their road map then most likely the price of the share will go up. However, what most people don’t realize that the base layer technology these projects are working to create value through is blockchain, enterprises are in the development phases of introducing blockchain solutions to their organizations. Careers in blockchain with enterprises will be in very high demand over the next generation of digital transformation.
CAREERS OF THE FUTURE
Have you been paying attention over the last couple of years and noticing how technology is creating automation? Experts are saying we are transitioning from a job-based to a skills-based economy. Although automation will disintermediate many mundane jobs, the innovation behind these technologies on the rise will create many more jobs, even as it automates certain roles, removing the need for a human intermediary.
The demand for professionals who have achieved an accredited qualification with a blockchain education course is already on the rise. There is no industry or business that blockchain cannot influence in some way shape or form. Businesses will soon realise that they can no longer ignore blockchain, just as they couldn’t ignore not having a website. If you search for job openings in the IT industry alone, you will find many blockchain job openings already advertised. LinkedIn is the perfect place to determine what skills are on-demand in the workforce. LinkedIn collects huge amounts of data to analyse the labour market, identifying careers on the rise and skillsets that will be in demand in the future.
PREPARE FOR CAREERS IN BLOCKCHAIN
LinkedIn released a report identifying the most in demand skills for jobs of the future. Organisations will be looking more at what skills you have recently developed, than at the past jobs you have worked. Work experience is definitely a valued asset to have, but now is the time to complement your years of experience with these newly in demand skills.
For Blockchain Collective’s applied blockchain courses, you don’t need an extensive background in information technology (IT) or programming at all. The process of learning about blockchain is for everybody and not limited to a chosen few. Applied blockchain is how companies will implement new technologies to create greater value in their business models for all stakeholders. Many careers in blockchain are not on the technical coding side, the demand for blockchain project managers, consultants, educators and strategists is growing rapidly.
Building a career in blockchain will not be an easy learning process for everyone. You need to start with the basics of blockchain technology. If you’re a newbie, this first step is the most vital, we wouldn’t recommend diving into the technical aspects without knowing the fundamentals. This first key is to learn how the technology works, its history, and how it can be used with different business and industry sectors. There is a world of information at your fingertips, and we highly suggest you start doing your own research. However, obtaining an applied blockchain qualification from a government accredited course through Blockchain Collective, will not only verify your skills, but give you a huge advantage when starting your new career and applying for current roles in the industry.
OPPORTUNITIES IN BLOCKCHAIN
Before we jump into the different kind of roles that will be in demand lets look at the potential employers that will be looking for these skillsets.
Industries: Large enterprises in accounting, banking insurance, healthcare, retail and many more, need assistance implementing new technologies into their organisations.
Startups: New business products or concepts starting from scratch using blockchain as the base layer and foundation.
Tech Giants: Large tech firms like Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook and IBM need to stay on top of cutting edge technology and need all the expertise they can get.
Governments: Globally governments are looking at the advantages of blockchain technology and how distributed technology can and will impact the global ecosystem.
Education providers: With the demand for more qualified blockchain professional so is the demand for people qualified to educate these people on the rise.
What roles will these companies be looking to fill? The rise in emerging technology has also created a demand for a variety of skills ranging from technical roles such as blockchain developers, engineers & cybersecurity professionals, through to business roles within the companies. Enterprises will be hiring qualified personnel to develop innovative solutions using blockchain technology. Let’s cover five of the jobs on the rise on the applied blockchain side of the industry.
Blockchain Architect
The Solutions Architect will work with the R&D teams, developers, network administrators, IT operations and UX designers to infuse complete blockchain solutions. The architect will work on creating new standards while innovating new solutions and develop the infrastructure of the platform. Blockchain solutions architects will generally, be in charge of leading blockchain projects.
Blockchain Project Manager
Project managers are not a new concept, they are responsible for planning, organizing and ensuring teams works together to complete projects on time, within the budget and with the scope of the project. Traditional project managers need to upskill themselves in understanding blockchain technology in order to fulfil the demand for blockchain project manager roles.
Blockchain UX designer
User experience is very important these days to obtain and retain customers, so the design of the user interface is critical. UX designers need to understand the audience, what their needs are and how they can deliver value to both the customers and the business. Some start-ups want to build their blockchain solutions at the same time as creating their website and branding, creating a demand for UX designers to work alongside other blockchain professionals.
Blockchain Educator
Education is the foundation for developing skills in demand and everyone needs to learn from somewhere. Educators are the ones we rely on to help others learn and understand subjects to become a professional in the industry. In order for individuals to fill job roles in blockchain, they need to be taught, creating the high demand for educators in the space.
Blockchain Strategist
Blockchain strategists will advise clients on how blockchain can improve their business, educating the market about blockchain. A strategist will need to understand the different kinds of blockchain solutions and be able to advise companies on the best solution for their needs. The blockchain strategist will work alongside the clients, project managers and developers to design the business model for implementing blockchain solutions.
HOW DO BLOCKCHAIN PLATFORMS WORK?
Learning how different blockchain platforms work is critical to understand which blockchain network best applies to specific sectors such as supply chains, marketing, law enforcement, etc. Also, you need to know if a particular blockchain platform will not contradict a certain country’s laws. The blockchain that works with cryptocurrencies may not work with, say, finance, accounting or pharmaceuticals.
Remember that a blockchain is a form of decentralised, digitalised, distributed ledger. Understandably, a qualification in an applied blockchain course will have an advantage in creating and dissecting decentralised platforms, rather than someone who just learned everything through YouTube videos. Blockchain developers will know the technical aspects of a blockchain ledger far better than blockchain strategists or project managers, however, they must still understand the differences between the blockchain networks and the pros and cons of each solution.
You need to know how different platforms work if you are faced with technical or non-technical job positions in the future. Not all blockchain platforms work the same way, so figuring which blockchain works best for certain applications is crucial. You can start to research this now, there is a lot of freely available information on the different kinds of blockchains, but we would like to warn you it can be overwhelming to learn if you do not have the foundational knowledge of what blockchain is, how it works and the benefits it can provide.
Research is important to understand this fast-growing emerging technology, but when it comes to the intricacies and creation of blockchain projects, nothing beats someone with an accredited qualification in applied blockchain.
BLOCKCHAIN COLLECTIVE
Blockchain Collective is an Australian educational body working hand-in-hand with Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) and Universities to provide a benchmark standard of education that empowers professionals and students with the necessary skills for a future in blockchain technology.
Completing a blockchain course will highly benefit you when you eventually start searching for jobs in the blockchain industry. And when you search for careers in blockchain, you aren’t just limited to Australia. You can search the whole globe and even choose which country you want that may offer the best salary and/or lifestyle.
The lessons, modules, and lectures will teach you different tools, and you’ll learn about different case studies and scenarios that will also show you specific solutions. Professional blockchain courses offer valuable content and lessons on precise and proper blockchain implementations. No matter what type of career in blockchain you desire, with an applied blockchain accreditation, you will have clear and evident theoretical knowledge allowing you to thrive on your chosen path.
The Advanced Diploma of Applied Blockchain 10747NAT is the first-ever applied blockchain diploma developed in Australia. This course, and the Diploma of Applied Blockchain 10849NAT, also created by Blockchain Collective, are designed to equip people willing to gain knowledge and experience in applying blockchain frameworks through an applied blockchain course.