Blockchain technologies and cryptocurrencies are on the upswing. Businesses across industries from finance to manufacturing to healthcare know that blockchain technologies are growing and could lead to many business advantages, including reduced operational costs, faster transaction speed, and eliminating the cost and need of using intermediaries to facilitate financial transactions.

Blockchain technologies also offer a variety of uses in industries where blockchain can offer businesses a more secure way to keep essential records.

As this market continues to grow, it can be expected there will be many exciting and lucrative career options for those skilled with blockchain.

Here are seven of the best careers we see on the horizon but hey, we certainly know there are a whole host of jobs within this industry but these are in high demand. Don’t forget to check the real world examples we cite at the bottom of the article.

1. Blockchain intern

For programmers and developers who want to get their foot in the door in a blockchain technical career, getting a blockchain internship with a startup or established company can easily be the ticket. You know, one of those life changing tickets is all.

Many companies offer entry level and internship level positions in the $15 to $30 per hour range, especially on the West Coast. Duties of interns can vary but might include:

Designing and developing blockchain solutions, with a strong focus on private blockchains
Developing and implementing software solutions for both blockchain and Linux platforms
Developing pilot solutions for distributed ledger technologies
Conceptualizing and developing use cases and proof of concepts

Some of the technical skills you should bring to the table are NodeJS, Go RESTful, APIs, React, Java, C++, Solidity, Truffle, CSS and HTML.

2. Blockchain project manager

Companies are interested in developing blockchain solutions to optimize business processes. That said, companies need to communicate what they want to a blockchain development firm that can meet their complex business needs. To do so, there will be ample need for project managers to manage and facilitate blockchain technology projects that arise as the company takes on more work and clients. You may want to consider a project management MBA degree or Master’s.

A blockchain project manager will need to convert the company’s needs in common English into technical language, and then from the blockchain developers’ language back into regular English.

The project manager is usually the first person in an organization who is contacted when a company wants to bring blockchain in house and adapt it to their technology platforms. The blockchain project manager is tasked with planning and supervising the execution of the blockchain project.

For example, in the manufacturing and industrial space, projects are underway at a company called Provenance that is designing a blockchain-based provenance record that provides transparency in supply chains. Also, a company named SKUChain is a new blockchain project that will allow for tracing and tracking of products as they go through the supply chain.

3. Blockchain developer

Blockchain developers probably have the most robust career opportunities in the industry right now. Financial companies, banks, government organizations, insurance and technology companies want to develop their blockchain platforms to provide better service for clients and to optimize how their businesses are run. But before companies are able to use blockchain technology to increase efficiency and speed, platforms and programs must be created by developers.

There is a very strong and growing need for blockchain developers to write and develop code that will run the programs companies want to run in the blockchain space.

Some of the required technology skills you will need to succeed as a developer include Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio, .NET, MVC, AJAX, SQL, C, C++, C#, Javascript, Node.js, JQuery, SOAP, REST, FTP, HTML, XML, XSLT, XCOD, Neural-networks, Regression, Agile Scrum, MYSQL.

4. Blockchain quality engineer

This professional is responsible for all areas of quality in the blockchain development environment, such as automation frameworks and tests, manual testing and dashboards, all of which works to support mobile, web and platform engineering. Also work on test frameworks and test development. You may want to consider an Engineering management MBA degree or very least a Master’s level.

Typically is responsible for planning and delivery of complex blockchain projects. Other duties could include:

Research and advise on new blockchain related tools, technologies and test automation methods.
Develop, apply and maintain QA automated test standards
Define, write and implement new test automation strategies for load performance tests
Offer technical leadership and mentoring for junior testing engineers

5. Blockchain legal consultant or attorney

The number of companies that are interested in blockchain technology is growing. So is the number of firms that want legal services geared towards blockchain and the digital asset space. Many attorneys in technology have reported this year they are getting more phone calls from potential clients who want advice about how to structure and govern ICOs. They also want legal advice on issues they may confront as they are launching their blockchain and financial technology projects. As more businesses develop with blockchain technologies, most of them will need legal guidance as they grow and evolve.

For example, a recent blockchain attorney job posting was searching for an attorney who could design legal partnerships that would connect the crypto ecosystem with the existing financial structure, and would support various merger and acquisition activities, such as negotiating and drafting legal agreements and performing due diligence.

6. Blockchain designer

With all of the new blockchain startups and businesses that want to use cryptocurrency, there will be more need for websites and pages to inform customers, clients and platforms of what the company offers in the blockchain space.

These companies will require Web designers who can come up with the new pages that new companies in the blockchain space will need.

A recent job posting for a UI designer wanted a professional who could create a UI design with Sketch, PS and Figma that would work in both mobile and Web applications. You also should have excellent communications skills and be able to interface effectively with content, operations, and marketing teams.

7. Blockchain engineer

If you want strong demand for your services, blockchain engineer could be for you. TechCrunch stated this year there were 14 jobs for every one blockchain developer or engineer. A blockchain engineer is responsible for creating and implementing digital solutions for companies that are using blockchain technologies.

Engineers are required to study the technology needs of the companies he works for and create the applications that meet blockchain business needs. You may work on implementing assets and accelerators; set up company infrastructure to use ethereum and bitcoin, and may analyze code and organizer blockchain programming training for new employees.

Blockchain engineers should have a high level of skill in Java, Hyperledger Fabric, Ripple, Solidity, Python, bitcoin, Oracle Identity, as well as access management solutions.

As blockchain continues to evolve, grow and change, there is little doubt even more career opportunities will present themselves in the coming years.

Real world blockchain job examples

If you are wondering about some real world examples of the sort of projects you could work on as a blockchain developer, Forbes recently compiled a good list of recent projects in blockchain that you could find yourself working on if you have the programming skills:

Financial services

ABRA: This is a new cryptocurrency wallet that uses bitcoin blockchain to hold/track balances that are stored in various currencies.

Bank Hapoalim: A collaboration between Microsoft and this Israeli bank to create a blockchain system to manage bank guarantees.

Barclays: This financial services giant has launched servel blockchain projects that track financial transactions, combat fraud and enforce compliance.

Healthcare

Gem: This is a startup working with the Center for Disease Control to place disease outbreak data in a blockchain; the idea is to increase the effectiveness of disaster response and relief.

SimplyVital Health: Two healthcare-related blockchain projects track the progress of patients after they leave the medical facility; the other provides a decentralized database in blockchain of patient records.

MedRec: MIT project featuring electronic medical records that are made to manage confidentiality, data sharing and authentication.

Government

Dubai: Dubai wants to be the first state that is powered by blockchain. Representatives from 30 government departments met in 2016 and discussed how to use blockchain for health records, shipping, business registration and more.

Estonia: This government is partnering with Ericsson that would create a data center to move its public records onto blockchain.

South Korea: Samsung is designing various blockchain solutions for this government that would be used in transportation and public safety.

References

Henry Steele is Editor-in-Chief of Business Student.com. He is a seasoned business professional who regularly consults with local business’s throughout Southern California. Henry pursued his undergrad in Business and Economics at the University of San Diego and gained valuable life changing experience through a unique internship upon graduation.

This post was originally published on BusinessStudent.com.

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