My mission is to be an advocate for a better world, built on the foundation that we keep a fair and true system. Through conversation, my hope is to help bridge the Bitcoin divide, Zoomers To Boomers!
BTC price at the time of this writing: $61,339
I GOT A F**KING JOB!!
But it wasn’t easy…
It took me 9 months of applying to “normie jobs” to realize that I wasn’t actually interested in doing any of those jobs in the first place. As I have written, my Bitcoin journey began in 2017 but I never dreamed that I would one day work in the industry.
So, a few months ago, I asked myself what it is that I was looking for. What job/industry/career would make me happy? What do I absolutely love?
Then it hit me, we are at the point in Crypto where things are getting interesting. Large amounts of capital are being pumped into the market by institutions and corporations to buffer their balance sheets with Bitcoin. We have ETF’s, lending protocols, DeFi, staking, yield farming, etc…We are past the “Crypto is a fad” stage and society now sees the future more clearly, Crypto is here to stay. I mean Facebook just changed its name to Meta…. A complete rebranding.
So how did I get involved? This isn’t a typical get your degree, apply to a couple entry level roles, and work yourself to the top of the ladder…is it? I didn’t know a single person in real life that worked in Crypto, how would I get in? I mean seriously, there isn’t a road map here.
So I started researching. I needed to prove that I knew my stuff. I mean I have been involved and studying this industry for years but I had nothing to prove that (sadly).
After poking around the Google machine, I stumbled upon a plethora of opportunities. Everything from real college courses to specifically tailored certifications, there was a ton to choose from. I finally narrowed my focus to C4- Crypto Currency Certification Consortium. I chose the Certified Bitcoin Professional course and I was off to the races.
Ok, making progress…
The second cert that I went after was from Blockchain Council and the course was titled Certified Bitcoin and Finance Professional. A nice title I might add but it didn’t “wow” me or connect me with anybody in the industry. There had to be something else that would get me the connections I was looking for.
Strangely enough, that same week, one of my favorite youtubers Pomp tweeted about his crypto course…
This was the course that really kicked me into gear and put me on the map.
Pomps Crypto Course!
Every single day for 5 weeks we would gather as a virtual group from all around the world and talk all things Crypto with a focus on Bitcoin and the Lightning Network. We had zooms with Pomp, his coaches, and even a career day where reps from different crypto companies would come on and talk to us about their different processes and how we could have a better chance at getting hired. Strike, Real Vision, and Pina Pay amongst others spoke to us and gave us some really great insight. They even inspired me to start this Substack! (Proof of Work is important)
Claire (@CMJencks on Twitter), one of Pomps coaches helped tailor our resumes which was a game changer and the mission statement at the top of my post came out of one of her sessions as well. I cant thank her and the other coaches enough.
This is what I needed. This is what everyone who wants to break into the industry needs!
What was most valuable from this experience for me, was the connections. Even when the course is over, you have forever access to their Slack channel which includes anything from careers, investing, meetups, memes, and projects. Big thankyou to Pomp for putting this together, you are helping so many people find their way!
So, Celsius….
I applied for Celsius during my time at Pomps course and low and behold 4 weeks later, I got an interview! This is the part that most people don’t realize when applying for jobs. Just because you apply doesn’t mean you get looked at right away or even at all for that matter, especially at large companies like Coinbase, they get thousands of applications a week.
I think the main difference for me was that I applied and kept tailoring my resume and cover letter to each application as I went about it. When I got my interview, I sent over my updated resume and studied the Celsius website for a full day to understand it as much as possible. That was a key piece of information that Claire helped us with, study the company before your interview.
The interview process was quick, simple, and to the point. No lollygagging, no hocus pocus, no “ok we will be in touch”….They took me just as seriously as I took them and I really appreciated that. My second interview was my last, and that’s where I tied everything together.
The first thing that my now manager, LaTonia, asked me when we sat in our little interview room (seriously, it was a very small room, ill never forget it) was…
“So Cody, you have a lot of crypto specific certifications and I noticed this one for Pomps Crypto Course. What was that all about?”
I cant describe the feeling of being recognized for something I have put so much time and dedication into. That moment felt incredible and regardless of if I got hired, I knew I was on the right track.
I cant understate how important this course specifically was to my success in getting hired in the industry. Secondly, I’m not special and I’m not technical. I just wanted in! My role isn’t fancy, I don’t have a high rise corner office, in fact, I’m entry level and I couldn’t be happier. Additionally, most of my peers at the office are first time Crypto users, Celsius isn’t just hiring people like me interested in Crypto, they are including anyone and everyone who wants to learn. That says a lot.
Celsius has been nothing but generous and even more importantly FUN, and there’s no shortage of growth opportunities. I am part of their first major training class for their Las Vegas Call Center operation that’s going live on November 19th. Our CEO Alex Mashinsky is coming out to our office on the 19th to take our first phone call from a customer, I cant wait to meet him!
Look, if you are interested in this space, all I can say is put in the work. If you aren’t a developer (which every company seemingly needs right now) you have to find your edge. Mine was Pomps course but there’s lots of ways to skin a cat. I hope my journey brings you some sort of value. Keep going, keep applying, take it one day at a time, and something will happen. This industry grows every single day and new opportunities are all over the place.
If you want to know more, please hit me up. I want to be a voice for the community and help anyway I can!
Oh and remember, STACK SATS!
Thank you so much for reading and ill see you guys next week!
For information on Pomps course: https://www.pompscryptocourse.com/