I was going to write a Web3 job roadmap, but it feels like if I just wrote the roadmap, it's already been discussed a lot and the perspective might be the same, so I want to start with my own journey.
Back then, I entered Web3 without a neat plan, no mentor, or roadmap. My entry point was very standard: airdrops.
At first, it was pretty good; I could get millions in a month. But over time, I felt the exhaustion. Sometimes it paid out, sometimes it was a bust. I realized airdrops are good for the beginning, but hard to rely on as your only source of income. Especially since at that time, I needed something more stable.
In the beginning, I managed to get several million a month from airdrops. But that's the thing with airdrops—sometimes they pay, sometimes they don't. Sometimes the effort is huge, but the result is small. Sometimes it just ends up being an experience or you get "2M" aka Makasih Mas (Thanks, Bro).
From there, I realized one thing: airdrops can be a great entry point, but they're hard to make your sole livelihood.
Especially since I started not from zero, but from minus lol. So I needed a more stable way to survive in the crypto world.
Because I'm quite curious, while doing airdrop tasks, I was often told to join project Discords. Initially, it was just to complete tasks, but over time I started noticing other things.
In every server, there were always people actively answering questions, helping users, managing the community, making announcements, and keeping the discussion going. From there, I realized that behind these crypto projects, there are real teams.
There are moderators, community managers, support, marketing, BD, content, researchers, developers, and many other roles.
My mindset started to shift. Initially, I only saw crypto as a place to find airdrops or tokens. But it turns out Web3 is also an industry. There are startups, products, users, communities, and of course, jobs.
Eventually, I started being active in a Korean project's Discord.
I didn't immediately apply for a job there; I just helped out first. If someone asked a question, I tried to answer. If someone was confused, I helped guide them. If the server was quiet, I helped liven it up.
Small activities like that eventually got me noticed.
Long story short, I was eventually offered a moderator position directly in that project. I didn't apply at all. At that time, the salary was around $600 per month, not including bonuses. For me back then, that was huge.
From that point, I truly felt that Web3 jobs are real. Not just stories from people abroad, not just salary screenshots on Twitter.
The longer I was active on Discord, the more I met people from various countries. One of them was a Vietnamese person who was managing four servers at once as a moderator. The average mod salary at that time was at least $300 per project. If you multiply that by four, it's quite substantial.
I thought, if they can do it, why can't I?
Eventually, I started handling several servers at once. Small projects, big projects—I took them all. But in this phase, I also learned a reality people rarely discuss: not all projects last long. Some run out of funding, some communities die, some campaigns end, and some suddenly have layoffs.
After being a moderator for quite a while, I started learning to move up to a more serious role: community lead.
While moderators usually focus on guarding the community, answering questions, and ensuring the server stays healthy, a community lead's responsibility is broader. In this role, you start thinking about how to keep the community active, how to handle campaigns, how to coordinate with other moderators, how to create events, and how to maintain communication between users and the team.
In this phase, I realized that community work isn't just about "making Discord busy."
Communication skills are vital. You have to be able to read the community's mood, answer users calmly, handle angry people, explain technical things in simple language, and stay professional even when the situation is chaotic.
From this role, I managed to get a salary of over $1000 per month.
After that, I moved on to several projects until finally, at a project called Deepwaters, I was trusted to move up to a customer support specialist role. Here, the work felt more like a real job.
I handled customer problems, helped users with issues, and even managed several problematic KYC cases. KYC or Know Your Customer is an identity verification process usually used by finance platforms, exchanges, or projects that need compliance.
Funny enough, in this phase, I felt like it was the first time I was truly working seriously using a laptop lol.
From just being active on Discord, I slowly entered more operational work. I learned how to handle users, record problems, escalate issues, and see how a project works from the inside.
From Deepwaters, I also learned the importance of networking and trust. One of my bosses at the time moved to a project called Artela, and eventually, I was invited to work there directly.
This made me believe even more that in Web3, opportunities sometimes come not just because you apply to hundreds of vacancies. Sometimes it's because someone who has worked with you knows your work ethic and trusts that you are reliable.
Trust can't be built in a day, but its effects can be long-lasting.
After that, I also applied to Form Network as a community manager. This was quite unique for me because, for the first time, I entered through a formal process: applying, interviewing three times, and then being accepted.
Previously, most opportunities came from being offered, referred, or invited directly. Here I learned something else: being active isn't enough if you want to level up. You also have to be able to explain your experience, show your work results, and convince people that you can handle bigger responsibilities.
Besides working directly for projects, I also served as an ambassador for several projects. The ambassador role varies depending on the project. Some focus on creating content, translating announcements, helping educate the community, making threads, hosting events, onboarding new users, or helping with specific campaigns.
For beginners, being an ambassador can be a good entry point because you can learn how a project works without jumping in full-time. But you still have to be selective. Don't take every project just because it says "ambassador." Check if the project is clear, if the scope of work makes sense, and if the rewards are worth it.
Now, I prefer to focus on being a creator on X.
The reason is simple: it's more flexible, the earnings can be better, and I can be closer to my family. Back when I was active in projects, sleeping at 2 or 3 AM was normal. At first, it felt normal, but over time it wasn't healthy.
It doesn't mean working in projects is bad. For many people, it can be a great path. But for my current condition, being a creator fits better.
I'm still in Web3, still researching, still sharing, still collaborating, but in a more flexible way.
And by the way, my story might not be very interesting because I haven't handled huge projects or worked at an exchange (I was offered a few times but it had to be hybrid, so I couldn't).
Roadmap to Learning Web3 Jobs
Now, let's get to the actual roadmap.
If you want to start a Web3 job, in my opinion, don't start with the question:
"What vacancies are open?"
Start with a more basic question:
"What skills do I have right now?"
If you already bring skills from outside, you just need to find the entry point.
Those who are good at writing can play in content, research, or purely as a creator. If you prefer interacting with people, the moderator or community manager role is a perfect fit.
Have a visual taste? Projects always need UI/UX, graphic design, and branding. For those good at networking and talking, there are BD roles, ambassadors, and even Space hosts.
Meanwhile, for those who can code, the path is clear: smart contracts, frontend, or devrel.
But if you feel you don't have specific skills yet... relax, it's fine.
That means starting from the basics first.
Understand fundamental things like wallets, gas fees, chains, bridges, DeFi, NFTs, airdrops, tokenomics, basic security, and how Web3 projects work. Don't rush to apply for a job if you don't understand the most basic things. It doesn't mean you have to be an expert first, but at least you understand the environment you want to enter.
Once the basics are formed, then choose one or two paths that best suit your character. Don't take everything at once, or you'll just get confused.
Simply put, the roadmap looks like this:
- Understand crypto basics Start with wallets, blockchain, gas fees, bridges, DeFi, NFTs, airdrops, tokenomics, and basic security.
- Observe how Web3 projects work See how they build communities, create campaigns, launch products, handle users, and communicate with the public.
- Choose a role path Choose what best connects with your skills and character. It could be community, content, research, design, support, BD, growth, or developer.
- Build skills according to the role If community, learn communication and community management. If content, learn writing and research. If design, learn visuals and layout. If dev, learn technical skills. If BD/growth, learn networking and strategy.
- Create proof of work Don't just say "I can." Show it. Create threads, articles, project breakdowns, posters, mini-projects, dashboards, or real contributions in the community.
- Be active in the right places Join project Discords, attend community calls, read announcements, reply to the team, help answer users, and build a small reputation.
- Start applying and networking Applying is still important, but trust and networks often matter a lot in Web3. Many opportunities arise not because of the best CV, but because people have seen how you work.
In summary, the pattern is roughly:
crypto basics → choose role → build skills → proof of work → active in community → networking → apply / get offered
The Good Things About Working in Web3
The most obvious part: many Web3 jobs are paid in dollars or crypto. For those living in Indonesia, this is clearly attractive. Even a $300–$500 monthly salary as a moderator can feel substantial when converted to Rupiah.
Besides that, most Web3 jobs are remote. No office, no traffic, no dress code. As long as there's internet and you can deliver, people don't really care where you work from.
What I also like is that Web3 is relatively more open than many other industries. Many projects don't really care where your degree is from. What they look at is: what can you do, are you consistent, are you helpful, and can you be trusted.
In Web3, you can also learn very quickly. In a year, you can encounter many things: technology, finance, startups, community, marketing, products, and how global teams work. For people who love to learn, this is an exciting environment.
The networking is also real. The people you know can come from various countries. And because this industry is still relatively small, your reputation can spread quickly. For better or worse.
The Not-So-Good Things About Working in Web3
But don't just look at the good side.
Web3 jobs also have a very exhausting side. Projects can die at any time. Funding can run out, founders can ghost, tokens can collapse, or campaigns can end suddenly.
Salaries are also not always stable. Some projects pay in their native tokens. If the token price drops 80%, your salary value drops too. And this isn't a rare scenario.
Burnout is also real. Discord communities never truly sleep. There's always a member asking questions, there's always drama, there's always an issue that pops up in the middle of the night. If you can't set boundaries from the start, you can burn out within a few months.
The pace is also high. What's relevant today could be obsolete next week. New protocols keep appearing, tools keep changing, narratives keep shifting. If you're the type of person who needs stability to be productive, Web3 can feel stressful.
One more thing, Web3 experience is sometimes not fully understood in the conventional work world. If one day you want to return to a traditional industry, some HR might still be confused about evaluating experiences like moderator, ambassador, community lead, or contributor. This is slowly changing, but it hasn't completely disappeared.
Disclaimer: Read This Before You Start
Web3 jobs are not for everyone. And I'm saying this not to make you back down, but so you know what kind of world you're entering.
Web3 jobs are suitable for you if you can work independently without constant supervision, are comfortable with uncertainty, enjoy learning new things quickly, can manage your own time, and don't panic easily when project situations change.
Web3 jobs are also not the only way. Some are better suited to being degens, some are suited to being permanent employees, some are suited to being creators. Nothing is wrong. The important thing is that you know your own type first.
Web3 Job FAQ
Do I have to be fluent in English?
You don't have to be as fluent as a native speaker, but you must be willing to learn.
In the beginning, the important thing is that you can understand the context and basic communication. Most communication on Discord is written, not spoken. Now there are also many tools that can help: grammar checkers, translation tools, and AI writing assistants.
People abroad who have been in Web3 for a long time also usually understand that many contributors are not native English speakers. They don't really judge your grammar as long as you are helpful, reliable, and trustworthy.
So the answer is: you don't have to be fluent from the start, but don't be lazy to learn.
Do I have to understand blockchain before I can work?
You don't have to understand it deeply from the start. But you must be willing to learn as you go.
If you enter as a moderator or community admin, the initial task is usually more about guarding the server, answering FAQs, and helping users. You don't have to be able to explain zero-knowledge proofs on day one.
But over time, you will be more trusted if you understand the context of the project you are guarding. So while working, keep learning.
How long until I can get my first job?
It depends on how active and consistent you are.
If you are consistently active in 2–3 servers for 1–2 months, the chance of being offered a small role like moderator is there. But if you just enter, stay silent, and then ask "when can I work?", it's hard.
The main capital is not just time, but consistency and reputation.
Should I apply or wait to be offered?
Both are valid.
But from my experience and many people I know, the first position often comes from being offered, not from a formal application. Usually, it's because they are active, helpful, and their contribution is already visible in the community.
But that doesn't mean applying isn't important. If you want to apply formally, check Web3 job boards, X/Twitter, project Discords, and of course Usekraft because I also curate Web3 job updates there.
Can I work on several projects at once?
Generally yes, as long as there's no conflict of interest. For example, don't handle two projects that compete directly or have sensitive internal information.
Many moderators and community contributors handle 2–3 projects at once, especially early in their careers. This can be a way to increase experience and income.
But there are still limits. If you handle too many and the quality of work drops, your reputation is at stake.
Is a Web3 job safe for the long term?
If the definition of safe is like a conventional job that is stable for years, honestly: not always.
But if you continue to build skills, build a reputation, and build a network, the opportunity remains large. In my opinion, what's safest in Web3 is not your position in one project, but your own name in the industry.
Projects can change, narratives can shift, tokens can go up and down. But if people know you are reliable, you will more easily get the next opportunity.
Closing
I'm not the most successful person in Web3. But I've felt the path myself: from airdrops, to becoming a moderator, handling several servers, moving up to community lead, entering support, working with several projects, and finally choosing to focus on being a creator.
From a $300 mod to managing large communities, from working in the middle of the night to finally choosing a more flexible life for my family.
So hopefully this writing isn't a roadmap that you follow blindly, but a mindset that you can interpret yourself according to your conditions.
Because in Web3, everyone's path can be different.
But the big pattern is often similar:
start from curiosity, learn the basics, be active in the community, build skills, show contribution, and then slowly be trusted.
And sometimes, one small contribution in the community can be the first door to a much larger opportunity.
