Skills Employers Want

What job descriptions actually ask for

Requirements vary by job function. The hiring report provides dated counts from our current analysis. The examples below describe where skills can be useful, without assigning unsupported percentages to them.

For engineers

Skill	Example work
Solidity	Ethereum-compatible contract development
TypeScript / JavaScript	Web applications, services, and scripts
React / Next.js	Application interfaces
Rust	Protocol software and some on-chain programs
Go	Network services and node software
Python	Scripting, data analysis, and model development
SQL	Querying and validating data

For non-engineers

Skill	Example work
Product knowledge	Explaining the application's features and limits
Content writing	Documentation, articles, and product communications
Data analysis	Reports, dashboards, and research
Community management	Support, moderation, and issue escalation
Project management	Planning, dependencies, and coordination

Soft skills every employer wants

1. Self-direction - figure things out without being told exactly what to do
2. Written communication - most work happens async in Slack, Discord, and Notion
3. Curiosity - genuine interest in how blockchains work, not just getting a paycheck
4. Speed - small teams need people who ship fast

The most underrated skill: being able to explain crypto simply

Clear explanations help colleagues and users make decisions. Practice explaining a feature, its assumptions, and its limitations without relying on specialist vocabulary.

Where to learn each skill (free)

Skill	Best free resource	Time to learn
Solidity	CryptoZombies (cryptozombies.io)	2-3 weeks
Solidity + testing	Speedrun Ethereum (speedrunethereum.com)	4-6 weeks
Foundry tooling	Foundry Book (book.getfoundry.sh)	1-2 weeks
React + wallet connection	wagmi docs (wagmi.sh)	1 week
On-chain data / SQL	Dune Analytics tutorials (dune.com/docs)	1-2 weeks
DeFi concepts	Finematics YouTube channel	1 week
General Web3	This course + Ethereum.org	Ongoing

Suggested 90-day learning path

Month 1 - Foundations: Complete this course (Web3 Fundamentals). Set up MetaMask. Send a test transaction. Read the Ethereum whitepaper.

Month 2 - Specialization: Pick your track:

• Engineers: CryptoZombies → Speedrun Ethereum → deploy to a testnet
• Non-engineers: Build a Dune dashboard → write 5 Twitter threads explaining protocols → join a DAO and vote on a proposal

Month 3 - Portfolio: Build one real project. Push it to GitHub (engineers) or publish it publicly (non-engineers). Apply to your first 10 Web3 jobs.

Key takeaways

• Engineers: learn Solidity and TypeScript/React. That covers most roles.
• Non-engineers: understand tokens, DeFi, and governance at a conversational level.
• Self-direction and written communication are the top soft skills.
• Being able to explain complex concepts simply is a competitive advantage.
• Use the 90-day path: foundations → specialization → portfolio → apply.