From Passion to Profession: Bri's Experience with Bitvocation and Bitcoin Amsterdam 2024
Through our BTX program we get to create win-win collaborations with Bitcoin Professionals. Content writer Bri represented us at the conference in Amsterdam and shares her experience in this article.
This year, I took part in several exciting Bitcoin events, including meetups, workshops, and conferences. In October, I was lucky enough to experience Bitcoin Amsterdam — and, by chance, I even got in for free!
Ahead through networking
As a passionate Bitcoiner, I am in lively dialogue with like-minded people, including on LinkedIn and in several Telegram groups of Les Femmes Orange. I want as much Bitcoin vibes in my life as possible. This year I also focused on in-person networking and attended a number of exciting Bitcoin events – meetups, workshops and conferences.
In October, I had the opportunity to attend Bitcoin Amsterdam. And thanks to Bitvocation’s BTX programme, I even got in for free. I knew Anja - the founder of Bitvocation - through our Les Femmes Orange network. Since I was already familiar with Bitvocation’s job feed on Telegram and liked their mission, we got talking and decided to create a win-win: I would represent Bitvocation at the conference in Amsterdam (which helps Anja) and contribute some content for the Bitvocation blog (which helps my visibility as a Bitcoin writer), in return for a free conference ticket and the chance to build my own Bitcoin network. Deal! 🤝
Also on board was Tanja Bächle, Bitcoiner, Nostr advocate, bundle of energy and excellent networker. She was also selected as a Bitvocation ambassador by Anja and came to Amsterdam with a free conference ticket. We shared a lovely Airbnb and threw ourselves into two days (and nights) of Bitcoin Amsterdam.
One of the best things about the event is: Amsterdam. The city is absolutely worth a visit even without any relation to Bitcoin. The charming old town with its Grachtengordel, the museums, the cafés, the relaxed lifestyle and, in my case, the reunion with a university friend, with whom I spontaneously added another day after the conference. Amsterdam is a gem and it's just perfect to be able to combine Bitcoin and a beautiful travel destination. Thanks to Bitvocation for that alone!
Bitcoin Amsterdam 2024
Bitcoin Amsterdam is an annual conference for Bitcoin fans and enthusiasts with international speakers on several stages. It is organised by BTC Inc, the parent company of Bitcoin Magazine. In addition to Bitcoin Amsterdam, the portfolio includes Bitcoin Asia and Bitcoin MENA as well as the main event, which will take place in Las Vegas next year.
Get 10% off of all the above mentioned conferences by using the discount code BITVOCATION. See more Bitcoin conferences around the world with exclusive discounts for you in our global overview here.
My mission at Bitcoin Amsterdam was to make people aware of what Bitvocation has to offer. Specifically: to mingle with the crowd in a Bitvocation T-shirt, talk to as many people as possible, show interested people the QR code to the job feed on Telegram so that they can join immediately.
I also spoke to exhibitors to find out how companies find their employees. For example:
How and where do companies look for candidates?
What do they look for most when applying?
Do you think conferences are effective for connecting with potential job seekers?
How important is it if someone is already a Bitcoiner?
What advice would you give to someone looking to enter the Bitcoin industry and secure their dream job?
Last but not least, we were told to have fun! And yes, we did!
At the conference, we chose the most interesting talks and panels to get exciting insights into a wide range of topics: Isabella moderated a panel on Bitcoin Education with Mir Liponi, Knut Svanholm and Efrat Fenigson. Elizabeth Stark and Rockstar Dev spoke about the Future of Bitcoin & Lightning. Presidential Candidate Suriname Maya Parbhoe gave moving insights into her political work and her journey to introduce Bitcoin as a legal tender in her country.
The programme was jam-packed and with several stages running in parallel, it was hardly possible to catch everything that would have interested me. Especially as there was of course also an exhibitor area to discover, but unfortunately only a few of them were pure Bitcoin companies.
My personal highlight at such events is meeting other Bitcoiners in real life anyway. Making new contacts, turning contacts that I only knew via social networks into real contacts, maintaining old contacts. I always particularly enjoy meeting women! The pleasure of meeting some Femmes Orange in Amsterdam was so great that we organised a ladies' dinner at short notice and thus made more new contacts and friendships.
Last but not least – the side events. It's important to pay attention to what happens around the conferences, because the networking continues and you have much more time to get to know people and deepen conversations than between the presentations during the day. So if you're planning to attend a conference, check out the pre- and after-parties and other side events early on and plan your trip accordingly!
Bitvocation's conference overview is very helpful for your planning. This way you can also make long-term plans and book cheap flights if needed. You can also see where there are discounts on conference tickets, just look for the orange Heart. 🧡
But what is Bitvocation actually?
Bitvocation is a platform founded in 2023 by Anja (Anya), known as @connecteconomy. Bitvocation's mission is to help people break away from traditional fiat jobs and build a career in the Bitcoin ecosystem. To this end, Bitvocation provides various free resources:
A job feed on Nostr and Telegram with current Bitcoin job offers
The guide ‘How to Find Your First Job in Bitcoin’
A YouTube channel
A list of all Bitcoin conferences – with ticket discounts
However, this is not a recruiting agency or a job exchange. Rather, Anja's goal is to build a bridge between motivated talent and the Bitcoin industry. Because for job seekers, it is usually not easy to land their first Bitcoin job, while companies often have to look for candidates outside the Bitcoin space to fill their vacancies.
Bitvocation’s inner circle community
A cornerstone of Bitvocation is the ‘Proof of Work’ concept: interested Bitcoiners can gain their first practical experience through voluntary contributions and use this as a reference for their Bitcoin career. In addition, you can expand your own network by working with Bitvocation.
The POW Lab is designed to achieve these two goals – Proof of Work and a strong Bitcoin network – even faster. The 6-month membership includes various helpful things, including direct contact with Anja and other like-minded people in a private Telegram group. This community is a place for intensive dialogue and support. You learn from and with each other and get valuable tips on how to increase your own visibility, write better applications and expand your network.
As I write these lines, Anja has connected me with someone who is looking for authors for a Bitcoin blog. It's on! 👍🏼
Value for Value
Another great way to gain practical experience in the industry and boost your CV is BTX - Bitvocation Talent Exchange: You support Bitvocation according to your skills, e.g. with video editing, graphics or social media, and in return you get personal support in the form of mentoring and recommendations from Anja. This is what I did in Amsterdam. I represented Bitvocation in return for a free ticket and the chance to expand my own Bitcoin network.
For me, POW-Lab and BTX are wonderful win-wins and real accelerators on the way to becoming a Bitcoin professional. Thanks to Anja for her tireless commitment! And a big hello and heartfelt thanks to my fellow POW Lab members for the many insights and tips!
Read more about my findings regarding job search in the Bitcoin Space in Part 2.
Bri has been a passionate Bitcoiner since 2017. She’s a content writer, committed advocate for Bitcoin education, Munich BitcoinWalk guide, Vexl supporter, and member of Les Femmes Orange. Find and connect with her on LinkedIn.