Over the past few years, the world has undergone many changes, especially related to how people do business and interact with friends and family. One undeniable transformation that’s taken place is that many transactions we used to do in-person are now conducted online.
As expected, this digital transformation has had a huge effect on the economy. 2020 and 2021 saw an explosion in e-commerce, the continued rise in the value of cryptocurrencies, and not surprisingly to folks paying attention — a boom in the sales of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
In fact, a recent report by DappRadar shows that NFTs did $25 billion in sales last year, and despite the naysayers, the nascent technology seems poised for another historic year.
With so much promise for Web 3.0 and the “Metaverse” on the horizon, digital assets have become a big deal. For job seekers who aren’t afraid to learn about new technologies, there are a lot of opportunities available — and we only expect NFT job opportunities to increase in the future.
Why NFTs? A Quick Recap of 2021
If you’ve been sleeping on NFT technology and feel like you’ve woken up in a strange dream, there’s no need to panic. You have plenty of time for you to catch up on what’s been happening and why it’s important.
To get started, 2021 saw OG NFT projects like CryptoPunks and Bored Ape Yacht Club hit milestones in sales volumes, and their communities continue to grow and thrive. Many big-name celebrities like Eminem, Meek Mill, Travis Barker, and Steph Curry bought NFTs this year and posted their NFT avatars as profile pictures — bringing more publicity and status to the collections.
New NFT projects were also born and rose to success in 2021, such as World of Women and Cool Cats, among others. Even the Olympic gold medalist Yuto Horigome launched his own NFT project, and it’s likely many athletes will follow in his footsteps.
Lastly, major brands such as Gap, Disney, Hennessy, the NBA, and the NFL are just a few of the well-known names that entered or doubled down on NFTs this year.
In other words, much like the internet 20 years ago, NFT technology is disrupting all sorts of industries, including art, memorabilia, travel, music, sports, education, and real estate — to name a few.
The good news? There are plenty of opportunities to become part of a team and start working in the NFT space in 2022.
The advantages of working with NFTs
NFTs, verifiable non-fungible tokens that live on a blockchain and can represent a physical or digital object, first started making noise around 2017 with the launch of generative art collections like CryptoKitties and CryptoPunks. Since then, an explosion in NFT projects has been released from studios, artists, and big brands alike.
Today, non-fungible tokens comprise a billion-dollar industry and play an important role in the future of the Metaverse. For those looking to find employment related to NFTs and cryptocurrency, there can be many benefits to working in the space.
Some of those benefits include:
- Remote work. With most NFT and cryptocurrency jobs, you can work from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. This level of freedom is appealing to many people.
- Be part of something new. 2021 was the best year on record for NFTs and there’s likely more to come. It’s not every day that you have the chance to get in on a revolutionary technology while it’s still in its infancy, and early participants in the NFT space could reap rewards and quickly move up the ladder in their positions.
- Education. If you’ve been stuck in a repetitive job not learning anything new, NFTs and cryptocurrency are quite different. So much innovation is happening all the time that you can expect engaging and challenging work for years to come.
While all this might sound like great news, there are some things to be aware of when looking for an NFT job. For example, many of the companies in the NFT space are startups that expect their employees to fully commit to their projects and be willing to put in the extra hours it takes to get the job done.
If you want a full-time NFT job, be prepared for a fast-paced environment and a lot of work. Luckily, there is also a myriad of freelance opportunities and contract work in the NFT space as well.
What qualifications do I need for an NFT job?
Since NFTs are so new, many companies are willing to hire people who are not experts in the space. In fact, some startups and companies will hire people with no work experience at all, just as long as they have the skills the company is looking for.
Listed below are some of the qualifications that can help you land an NFT job:
- Knowledge. Although you won’t be expected to be an expert on day one, the more you know about NFTs, cryptocurrencies, and blockchain technology, the better. If the sentence—Cryptocurrencies can be used to buy NFTs that live on the blockchain—is confusing to you, then it’s time to start reading and researching about NFTs and blockchain technology. Fortunately, there are heaps of information out there for you to get started.
- English. While being bilingual can be a huge help for landing an NFT job, English is a must. Almost all business conducted in the NFT and cryptocurrency space is done in English.
- Communication skills. The most successful NFT projects ever created, such as CryptoPunks, Bored Ape Yacht Club, and Cool Cats, thrive because of the strength of their communities. That’s one of the reasons that understanding how to work well with colleagues and other people in the NFT space is critical.
- Writing skills. If you have writing skills and the ability to explain NFT concepts in a manner that can be easily understood, then there’s a good chance you can find work.
Of course, it always helps to have some previous work experience. But when it comes to NFTs, if you have or can acquire the skillsets that people are looking for, you should have little difficulty finding a job.
What is an NFT job?
Recently, Facebook announced that they have opened over 10,000 positions to start building their vision of the Metaverse — and that’s just scratching the surface. There is a myriad of jobs in the NFT space and as the Metaverse continues to grow and evolve we should expect the range of jobs to be even greater. In fact, some people think that one day every job that exists in the “real world” will also be available in the Metaverse.
Until then, we’ll focus on some of the jobs that exist now. Listed below are some of the top jobs in the NFT space:
- The builders. People creating NFT projects need all sorts of digital builders, including game designers, blockchain developers, blockchain engineers, coders (Solidity, Java), software developers, and web designers. If you know how to code, are a 2D or 3D developer, or can help build any elements of an NFT project or Metaverse, then there’s likely work for you.
- Creators. Artists, digital artists, fashion designers, product designers, musicians, graphic designers, and 2D and 3D artists who can create avatars, wearables, in-game items, and other types of digital art are currently in high demand. To give you an idea of the range of jobs for creators that are becoming available, Nike recently advertised a job for a digital material designer to presumably help them create digital NFT sneakers. And Louis Vuitton had an entire fashion show last year in League of Legions.
- Writers. New companies need writers to produce content for their websites, write stories and scripts for NFT collections, and produce a range of other writings from newsletters and emails to social media posts.
- Bridgers. Because community is key to all NFT projects, people who can help connect the physical and digital realities are needed. This can include marketers, customer support personnel, shillers and promoters, community managers, moderators, social media managers, consultants, and even virtual tour guides.
- Performers. The metaverse needs people who can create content in real time and entertain the participants in it. The superstar rapper Travis Scott recently used Roadblocks to host a digital concert, and many other musicians are doing the same. However, any real-world performer could hypothetically perform in the Metaverse, so you shouldn’t think of this category as limited to musicians.
- Lawyers. When it comes to any business, legal experts are critical for making sure everything is done by the book. In the NFT space, lawyers with knowledge of smart contracts are in high demand.
Even if you don’t see your expertise in our list of jobs, that doesn’t mean you’re not wanted or needed in the NFT space. As with any unfolding technology, what’s to come remains relatively unknown. Don’t be afraid to use whatever skills you already have and try to create your own position for an NFT company or project.
Other ways to make money in the Metaverse
Although not everyone would consider the following to be “jobs,” at least not in the traditional sense, there are many people making money with NFTs without working for a company or project.
Listed below are some of the ways people are earning from NFTs and the Metaverse:
- Investors or speculators. People who buy into NFT projects and try to sell their assets at a higher price than they paid.
- Gamers. Axie Infinity has revolutionized gaming by creating a play-to-earn game where players can earn cryptocurrency through their activity in the game. If you’re a gamer, there are tons of opportunities to make money, from beating games to breeding new characters and selling them on secondary markets.
- Flippers. Much like in real life, flippers buy land cheap and sell it for a higher price. In this case, however, we’re talking about virtual land.
- Land brokers. Digital real estate groups or savvy individuals who have bought up many plots of land in a metaverse and seek to profit from it.
- Land managers or land designers. People who can manage or design the spaces of digital properties for their owners.
- Renters. Someone who owns land and rents it out to creators and builders.
- Business creators. People who are creating businesses in the metaverse. Think concert halls, art galleries, and other entertainment spaces where participants can spend time and money.
As you can see, there are tons of opportunities available in the NFT space, which is one of the reasons so many companies are investing big money into NFT and metaverse projects.
It’s also why we think there will be jobs for eager employees for years to come.
How to apply for an NFT job?
Since the NFT space is so new, don’t fret if you don’t already have the experience you think you should. Most employers who are looking for new talent will understand, and they’ll likely be more focused on whether you can do the job than if you graduated from MIT with a degree in computer engineering. Of course, graduating from MIT won’t hurt your chances either.
Listed below are some of the steps you can take to apply for an NFT job:
- Prepare. Before you start applying for NFT jobs, take some time to prepare your resume and portfolio. If you discover that you lack the skills or training you need for the job you want, take the time to learn them.
- Join the community. Make sure to get involved in the NFT community as soon as you can. The more you can network and meet people in the space, the better understanding you’ll have about what’s going on and how you can fit in. Twitter is one of the best places to start learning about NFTs and meeting important people in the space.
- Buy an NFT. This is by no means a requirement for getting a job in the NFT space. However, the process of buying an NFT can teach you a lot and may prove helpful if you find yourself on an interview with someone asking questions like: What is your favorite NFT project? Or—What do you think the next “blue chip” NFT will be?
- Searching. Lastly, you can start searching sites for jobs to get an idea of what’s available, where the jobs are located, how much they pay, how tough is the competition, and other information that will be useful for you when you start applying.
Once you feel that you’re ready to start applying, there are many websites to find NFT job opportunities. Furthermore, because cryptocurrency and NFTs have become more mainstream, you can start your search for NFT jobs on well-known job boards such as LinkedIn and Indeed.com.
Listed below are a few other places you can go to look for an NFT job:
Because many of these job posts receive hundreds if not thousands of applications, it’s a good idea to try to separate yourself from all the noise. One strategy we recommend is that if you find a job you want on a popular job board, try going to the source or website of the company and applying directly through them. This can help you stand out from the crowd.
Twitter, which is fundamental to the NFT community, can also be a great resource for finding new jobs. Here are some accounts you can start to follow to find NFT and blockchain-related jobs:
When you start looking for NFT jobs, remember that since the technology is new, so are many of the companies looking to hire employees. Keep your eye out for scams and anyone asking for a finder’s fee. You should be able to find a job in the NFT space without shelling out any of your hard-earned money.
Also, if you’re not sure about a full-time job in NFTs, consider starting out as a freelancer. Working as a freelancer or contractor can reduce a company’s tax bill, which means they are often able to pay you more per project. You can note in the application that you want to be hired as a contractor.
Lastly, once you’ve landed a job and get the sense that you’ve mastered your craft, don’t be afraid to ask for more money.
In conclusion
There’s no doubt that NFTs and cryptocurrencies are booming right now, and as a result, there are many opportunities in the field for job seekers. Although these markets are volatile, and people who enter them must be ready to take on a certain amount of risk, we’re pretty sure NFT technology is here for the long term.
In fact, the implications of NFTs and blockchain technology, much like the internet two decades ago, have the potential to infiltrate nearly every aspect of our lives. At Rarity Sniper, we think that’s something to be excited about, especially for people who want to work in the space.
As you continue your search for an NFT job, make sure to stay curious and follow what’s trending in the space. With a bit of patience and curiosity, finding your dream NFT job should be no problem.