I previously rambled about the reasons for resigning, but after a couple of days of reflection and thinking, I believe I can now describe the reasons for resigning and my career plans more concisely. In other words, I’ve figured out why I quit and what I really want.
My previous job left me anxious about my technical skills. I constantly had to worry whether my technical abilities were regressing, whether my skill growth could keep up with my age, and whether I could find another job if I left that company.
That job could make money, but it couldn’t provide peace of mind. So, moving forward, I want a job that can provide peace of mind.
I’m less concerned about having a job right now and more worried about whether I can find a job in the future. How much I earn now is temporary; I hope I can go further on the technical path and accumulate more steadily in the field of technology.
The ideal types of jobs I want to find, in order of priority, are:
The difficulty of finding these types of jobs also increases in the same order. Blockchain development positions are the fewest and have the highest requirements, while there are more blockchain-related backend development jobs, especially in various exchanges.
Based on my job search and interview experiences over the past two years, most interviewers come from a traditional backend development background, as can be seen from the questions they ask. It’s rare to find interviewers who can ask blockchain-related technical questions. Why is that?
I blindly speculate that those working in blockchain development haven’t become interviewers yet, or, more likely, the ones sitting in the interviewer’s seat got there due to historical or other reasons. The blockchain industry hasn’t yet developed a full pipeline of talent before the bear market eliminated many people.
(So far, the most challenging question I’ve encountered was “Why does PBFT need a second round of voting?” I was asked this two or three times last year. Interestingly, the interviewers who asked this question gave different answers. I later realized this is a complex and controversial issue that isn’t as superficial as it seems. I even wrote an article titled “PBFT in Blockchain Does Not Need a Second Round of Voting“ to describe my understanding of the issue.)
I am uncertain about my career direction—actually, everyone should feel uncertain. Blockchain has only existed for about ten years, and it’s been just five or six years since the 2017 explosion of altcoins, which is not long enough for an industry to develop a complete career system.
What should I learn technically? In what direction should I go deeper? There are no definite answers, no precedents, and no one can predict the upcoming trends.
Especially in web3 companies, where changes happen quickly, innovations occur fast, and companies shift rapidly. New narratives arise during bull markets, but many companies can’t survive the bear market. Instability is the natural state of web3 companies.
In such a situation, for employees without strong backgrounds, the only thing they can rely on is their technical skills, so continuous improvement of technical abilities is essential. As for which direction to improve, that’s another question. At least it’s clear that one cannot depend on the company.
So, what if I can’t find a job?
If, after several months, I am certain that across Beijing and the entire world, including remote work, there is no job that I am qualified for, I might need to switch to a different mode.
I will need to reassess and reflect on my technical skills, reacquaint myself with and study the current state of the blockchain industry, and adjust my understanding and expectations according to the market. I’ll learn what’s needed and do what I can do.
This will be an interesting journey, although it will be full of pain. If I win, I will become stronger. If I lose, we’ll see how badly I lose.