Web3, the next decentralized era of the internet, encompasses a wide range of business sectors and technological advancements. The ecosystem is multi-layered and complex, so the skills in demand are highly varied. We like to give readers who are thinking about starting a web3 career a glimpse into the top skills in this article.
#1 Smart contract development
Smart contacts are crucial components of the web3 ecosystem. They enable all crypto transactions to occur without any intermediaries. Decentralized web3 applications (dapps) are also created with smart contracts.
The most popular programming language for developing smart contracts is Solidity, an object-oriented, high-level programming language. Solidity smart contracts run on several platforms, with Ethereum being the most well-known. Other blockchains that run with Solidity include Polygon and Avalanche. Solidity is specifically designed to run on Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). This means that you can write smart contracts on any blockchain that is compatible with EVM. You can, for example, consider learning the Vyper language, which is compatible with EVM.
Rust is another very popular smart contract programming language. Rust smart contracts work on Near, Solana, and PolkaDot blockchains.
#2 Front-end web development and design
Front-end refers to anything a user sees or interacts with a website or an app. For web3 to become mainstream, developers and designers must improve decentralized applications’ user interfaces (UI) and user experiences (UX) by continuously working with customers in mind.
There’s not so much difference between web2 and web3 when it comes to front-end development. In order to improve yourself in this domain, you need proficiency in HTML, CSS, Flex, Grid, and JavaScript. Frameworks such as Vue, Svelte, React, Bootstrap, Semantic UI, and Tailwind are also important. The web3 front-end developers must also learn web3.js. These are JavaScript files that connect front-ends with smart contracts.
#3 Core blockchain development
Core blockchain developers create protocols and develop architectures for blockchains, and also design and implement security networks. To become a blockchain developer, you must build a solid understanding of how blockchain works and have excellent programming skills and implement cryptography.
You should be able to work with several data structures, such as Merkle trees. It’s also possible to build a career focused on a specific blockchain architecture, i.e., public, private, consortium, and hybrid.
#4 AR, VR, and XR skills
Particularly for metaverse jobs, you should consider learning skills related to augmented, virtual, and mixed reality. One path is, for example, game development. The VR market is at the moment dominated by Unity, a cross-platform game engine for creating real-time immersive content. Another popular option is Unreal Engine. Someone who is passionate about building 3D immersive experiences should also explore 3D tools like 3D MAX and Autodesk 3D. Frameworks like three.js and babylon.js are also essential. Moreover, learning video and sound production can also help you build a career in the metaverse.
#5 Legal advice
As an emerging area, the legal implications of many web3 applications and initiatives are unclear. For lawyers and legal advisors, it’s a domain full of opportunities, ranging from founding web3 legal entities and DAOs to NFT ownership and intellectual property rights to tax implications.
#6 Community management
Communities are the driving force behind web3 companies. Discord and Telegram channels lead the way here. So, suppose you like to start a career around community building and managing. In that case, you should learn how to create servers and channels to focus on specific themes and host live events, among many other features these platforms provide.
Another community skill to develop is aligning the project’s goals with the community’s goals. You should also follow the trends in DAOs, and how to engage the community with giveaways, airdrops, and surveys.
