Contents
Introduction
If you want to learn one of the most relevant technologies of the 21st century that has always piqued your interest, then there is no moment like now. Go ahead and upskill with a Blockchain Certification from one of the most prestigious institutes. Discover the technology that powers Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, and explore how it is used across industry verticals for the benefits of data security and immutability.
Blockchain is disrupting many tasks with “smart contracts”, automating what was always done manually. And learning how Blockchain technology works is a great way to complement your existing IT skills and open new career opportunities in a niche area.
If you are still wondering what the hype is all about and how you could gain from a Blockchain certification, then check out the demand for Blockchain job roles. Whether it is Blockchain developer or programmer, the demand for this ground-breaking technology is rising every day, and the early bird is likely to kick start a steep career graph in Blockchain.
Even an IT fresher with programming skills can start a career in Blockchain with formal learning and hands-on projects.
What is Blockchain Technology?
As the term suggests, Blockchain is the portmanteau of “block” and “chain” where data is stored in blocks that are chained together as a digital ledger of transactions. As data is decentralized and stored by duplicating and distributing across the entire network of computer systems, it cannot be changed, hacked, or manipulated easily. Transactions are recorded with a cryptographic signature, hash.
Blockchain finds use in applications where transparency, data integrity, accuracy, and immutability are important, as decentralization makes it hard to tamper with the stored data.
Why it is a popular career choice
Blockchain has emerged as one of the most dynamic technologies today to have disrupted a wide range of application scenarios. It is the answer to many real-world problems like the irreversible digitization of land parcels where land titles are digitized and auto-transferred to cut out middlemen and corruption.
Is it any wonder that Blockchain-related jobs are the second-fastest growing in today’s labor market? There is a constant demand for blockchain expertise in industries such as fintech, real estate, healthcare, insurance, and supply chain. Besides, the career scope is huge in large enterprises like IBM and JP Morgan Chase which have their blockchain platforms: Hyperledger Fabric, Ethereum, and Quorum. In the social and government sector too, Blockchain has found popular use in securing digital IDs, data backup, citizen record-keeping, or even arms and ammunition tracking.
What steps to take for a career in Blockchain
Blockchain technology is new and undergoing continuous development, presenting challenges for every learner and beginner. Although there are no hard and fast rules on how you can learn Blockchain technology and many crypto users are learning it on their own, formal learning gives you a solid understanding of how the technology can work in use cases beyond virtual currencies.
Here is an overview of recommended best practices on how ‘how do I start a career in Blockchain.
Learn the fundamentals
At the very outset, it is important to differentiate Blockchain from cryptocurrency or Bitcoin and cancel out any misconceptions. Blockchain is the distributed technology underpinning based on which the cryptocurrency Bitcoin was conceptualized in the year 2008—09 to record transactions. Today, however, Blockchain has dozens of applications across many industries and use cases, moving beyond cryptocurrencies.
Bitcoin is merely the name of one of the many cryptocurrencies in the world that uses Blockchain as a means to transparently record a ledger of payments. On the other hand, Blockchain can be used to record any number of data points, whether as payment transactions, product inventories, and so on.
Now that we have Blockchain vs. Bitcoin out of the way, the next step is to explore the Blockchain fundamentals and master some of the basic terminologies that surround its structure and functionalities. The terms such as decentralization, Dapps, smart contract, consensus mechanisms, refer to the critical components in the Blockchain ecosystem, to be understood by every Blockchain professional. This lays the foundation for understanding the unique value proposition of blockchain and how its benefits are a critical building block of Blockchain applications.
Brush up your Programming skills
Programming expertise is compulsory for blockchain professionals, with knowledge of at least one high-level programming language. Expertise in Java, JavaScript, Go, or Solidity is necessary for the development and creation of smart contracts.
Consider Cryptography
A key skill is Cryptography. As Blockchain is based on the assurance of data security, cryptography skills can be a tremendous advantage for a Blockchain professional.
Enterprises and government departments that deploy Blockchain handle sensitive information and a huge number of transactions every day. Security of these data assets is the mainstay, and cryptography makes it possible, So, Blockchain hirers look for cryptography as a skill requirement for different Blockchain-based roles.
Understand distributed computing
Technical skills lie at the core of Blockchain development. Skills like software development must go hand in hand with knowledge of distributed systems to build, deploy, manage, and scale Blockchain on any platform in any environment.
As Blockchain is a distributed system, you must learn distributed computing to leverage the functionalities efficiency of Blockchain. Knowledge of how the shared ledger works is also a basic requirement to strengthen the foundations of your blockchain career. Learning mining, the process of adding or validating transactions to the distributed ledger, and creating a hash of a block are also important.
Learn the key concepts of Blockchain
Mastering the key concepts and the underlying networks is a very important part of the Blockchain learning curve.
Must-know concepts: consensus or trust mechanism, smart contracts, hashes, transactions, and workflows.
Get hands-on with platforms and tools
Be familiar with the different platforms and tools that support Blockchain development:
Ethereum, Hyperledger Sawtooth, Hyperledger Fabric, EOS, Hedera Hashgraph
Discover Blockchain Applications
Blockchain is a force to reckon with, and new industries and applications are emerging continuously. Get to know how and where Blockchain technology is implemented. Apply your domain interest to forge a career in an ever-new Blockchain application.
Engage with the Blockchain Community
Community engagement is a way to network with Blockchain practitioners and gain insights into best practices and emerging applications.
Enroll for Blockchain Certifications
Add to your learning path with a formal certification to make you industry-ready for a promising career in Blockchain.
