Becoming a Blockchain Developer at age 33
Starting My Journey to Become a Blockchain Developer
This is crazy.
I’m writing a blog… and I’m not a writer lol. So this will be just a collection of my thoughts throughout my blockchain journey. I hope it helps you with yours.
Starting on a new career path and putting myself out there has been scary. I never imagined I’d be doing this at 33. Not that my age matters but for some reason in the back of my mind I ask myself “Am I too old to start over?” and “Will I be accepted?” I’ve decided to not make excuses or let imposter syndrome hold me back. In these next few months, I plan to land a job in web3.
Wish me luck!
Understanding the Fundamentals
Before diving into the technical aspects of blockchain development, I decided to focus on understanding the fundamentals of blockchain technology. I spent a considerable amount of time reading and researching to understand the basic principles.
Books I’ve read to get a basic understanding:
Mastering Ethereum by Andreas M. Antonopoulos
Principles for Programmers by Andrei Neagoie
The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains by Anthony Lewis
Blockchain Revolution by Don Tapscott & Alex Tapscott
I was told early on that understanding certain concepts will help lay the foundation for building more complex blockchain applications. So I recommend reading at least one of the books listed.
Learning a Programming Language
The next step and the most important in my opinion is to figure out what programming language you want to learn and why. Several programming languages are used to develop blockchain dApps(decentralized applications), such as Solidity, JavaScript, and Python. I chose to start with Solidity, which is the programming language used to develop smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain.
Eventually, you’ll have to learn javascript and other languages to completely build out your dApp but I chose to focus mainly on smart contracts since there seems to be more of a need for good smart contract developers. But you can do your own research and decide what’s best for you.
Courses
There are so many free courses out there on YouTube with channels like Dapp University and sites like FreeCodeCamp.org. I would suggest taking some beginner-level courses and if you decide it’s something that you like there are paid courses on sites like Udemy or Coursera.
I decided on the Dapp University Bootcamp (a $500 paid course). In this course, I will build out an advanced crypto exchange. My goal is to build out the exchange and then expand on the features of the exchange (unguided). I’m planning on using it as the featured project in my portfolio. I’ll be adding 3 projects to my portfolio.
Since I’m giving myself 4 months to get a job I’ve decided to focus on projects that will appeal to web3 employers. Since I’m self-taught I need to be able to display my skills in a way that shows I do in fact know what I’m doing.
Collaborating with the Community
The blockchain community is incredibly supportive and collaborative. I joined several blockchain communities on Discord, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I’ve also attended local blockchain meetups to connect with other developers and enthusiasts. I also was invited to contribute to a DAO (decentralized autonomous organization). Collaborating with the community helped me to learn new skills, and share my experiences with others. I believe connections are a cheat code honestly. And the quickest way to get a foot in the door.
At the end of the day, someone has to decide to take a chance on me. The first job is going to be the hardest because of that. Not having on-the-job experience is going to be my biggest hurdle. So building a community of like-minded developers is at the top of my list of things to do. You can join my Discord here.
I will be hosting a podcast show for those of you that don’t like to read blogs. I’m inviting guests that will help break down the zero-to-blockchain developer roadmap that I’m creating.
Conclusion
If you made it this far… Thanks! This is my first-ever blog post. Over the next few months, I will be focusing on landing my first job in web3. Becoming a blockchain developer requires dedication and hard work. Understanding the fundamentals of blockchain technology, learning a programming language, taking courses, building a dApp, and collaborating within the community are all essential steps in the journey to becoming a successful blockchain developer. I am excited about the future of blockchain and look forward to growing and bringing you all with me.
