Why I Left My Job for Bitcoin – Bitcoin Magazine
This is an opinion editorial by Eric Podwojski, an account manager at Bitcoin Magazine.
Intro
December 2019 — I was sitting in my boss’s office getting ready to have a discussion about a possible promotion, year-end bonus and salary increase. At the time, I was almost two years out of college in my first high-paying job out of school. I worked as a civil engineer designing gas pipelines outside of Washington, DC
My manager at the time was a well-respected professional engineer with more than 15 years of experience. He handed me a torn piece of yellow paper at the beginning of the meeting that said “8.2% + $500 + Sr. Design Engineer.” It was my reward for almost two years of hard work and dedication in this engineering company. I wanted to scream in his face but decided to calmly explain how a typical promotion salary increase is 10-20%, inflation runs at least 2% per year and the bonus is appreciated but not significant. His response was “meh” and I left the meeting realizing that this system I’d been playing into my whole life was designed to keep me down. I was ready to change that.
My background
Before I get into Bitcoin and the path to changing the situation I found myself in by following the traditional American system, I will paint you a picture of how I was raised in the system.
I grew up in a suburb, predominantly white, middle to upper class. I have 2 loving parents who were always there for me to drive me to sporting events and gave me everything I ever asked for. I attended one of the best public school systems in the state and graduated in the top 10% of my class. The system I grew up in treated me very well, so I never thought about the downsides. I was accepted into Penn State University where I chose to study engineering from 2014.
From 2014-2018, I put in the hard work necessary to get a bachelor’s degree in energy engineering. I also joined a fraternity and partied non-stop. I even joined a few clubs, including the Blockchain Club (the motivation that persuaded me to buy bitcoin for the first time). Again, I followed the path the system laid out for me because it treated me so well.
Fresh out of school in 2018, I got a job in an engineering company as a design engineer. The pay was nothing like I have ever experienced before. I was pumped! As the years went by, I began to think about the path this job would take me. The company made career development very clear. About every two years you will be promoted with a salary increase with the hope of climbing the corporate ladder to a VP role over 20 years. This sounds great in theory, but I also knew from a former engineering mentor that when an engineer starts earning too high a salary, the company usually lays them off and replaces them with a cheaper and younger engineer. As I sat in my first promotion meeting, this thought occurred to me. I knew that the system I was participating in did not have my best interest in mind.
Break loose
In 2020 I started to educate myself more in personal finance. I learned that the reported CPI inflation is not necessarily correct and true inflation was likely higher, especially as the US government began flooding the monetary system with trillions of dollars to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. I learned that no matter how well I performed in my engineering job, I would not get ahead of inflation. I would live a life of collecting new titles without actually getting paid the amount to live a significantly better life.
Fast forward to the beginning of 2021, Bitcoin price starts to climb out of a bear market. I had been investing in Bitcoin since 2017, so at this point I had a decent stack. As my net worth increased in dollars, I took a snowboarding trip out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. That week in nature helped me clarify my thoughts about my professional career. When I got back from that trip, I immediately put my two weeks into my engineering job.
In a state of immediate action and focus, I fully immersed myself in Bitcoin with the intention of switching career paths into this exciting new industry. I already knew the basics of Bitcoin and finance at this point, but I dove further down the rabbit hole. I educated others about Bitcoin to clarify my own understanding while networking with everyone possible in the Bitcoin space. I eventually applied to a few Bitcoin companies and landed a role on the business team with Bitcoin Magazine.
How you can break free
Breaking away from the system I participated in my entire life was the best decision I ever made. Here’s how I did it with a guide on how you can too.
Step 1. I had a lot of savings.
The very first thing you should do is to know exactly how much your monthly expenses are. Then you save enough money or bitcoin to live on for at least the next 6 months if you were to have no income. I personally had more than 12 months of savings that gave me peace of mind.
Step 2. I took the plunge and quit my job.
Once you have enough savings, the next step is to strategically decide when to quit your Fiat job. You can work on Bitcoin projects while working on your fiat job. You can even apply for jobs from Bitcoin companies while working your fiat job. I personally found it easier to go all in and immerse myself in Bitcoin by quitting my fiat job first.
Step 3. I built Bitcoin educational content.
A pillar of the Bitcoin protocol is proof-of-work. If you want to work for a Bitcoin company with other amazing Bitcoiners, you need to prove that you are worth hiring. If you don’t know how to code, proof-of-work can take the form of starting a Bitcoin-related podcast, newsletter, Youtube show, etc. Do something for Bitcoin.
Step 4. In network.
When you prove your work to the Bitcoin network, do something for your personal network. Hop on Bitcoin Twitter, Telegram group chats, attend in-person meetings and conferences like the Bitcoin Conference. Send other bitcoiners thoughtful DMs. Use your free time to help people. I found that Bitcoiners are very willing to give back if you are genuine.
Step 5. I searched Bitcoin Magazine.
Today, there are job boards dedicated to hiring Bitcoin talent. Keep an eye on job boards and apply for any position that interests you the most. It doesn’t have to be a perfect fit as you can usually move around a company or use it as a stepping stone for a future Bitcoin job. I recommend using BitcoinerJobs.com to find open positions at great Bitcoin companies.
Step 6. I relentlessly followed up with hiring managers.
When applying for a position, find company hiring managers on social media and reach out. When you start a conversation with hiring managers, you immediately get your resume to the front of the pack. Here is a screenshot from my conversation with CK – CEO of Bitcoin Magazine as an example. Note that I built up previous relationships with CK so he knew I was worth recommending.
Conclusion
I hope this article helped open your eyes to the system you live in and provided evidence that there is a way to break free. I plan to continue to build on Bitcoin through Bitcoin Magazine and my own personal Bitcoin educational content for others. Now is your chance to break free from the system to work in a fun and fulfilling emerging industry. Your life can be drastically different if you start taking action right now!
This is a guest post by Eric Podwojski. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.
