Jan 21, 2026 
16 mins to read Let Me Recall 2008...
Reviewing the past three market cycles, I've noticed that every time the bear market transitions to the bull market, the talent mobility pattern is remarkably similar. Digital Marketing Manager recruitment demand warms up first, followed by a surge in Frontend Developer recruitment, and finally, a boom in high-barrier positions like Senior System Engineer recruitment. Essentially, the current market reminds me of the calm period before Ethereum's rise in 2015.
Twelve years ago, when I transitioned from JPMorgan to the crypto field, the entire industry had fewer than 50 decent job positions. Now, on MyJob.one, the Web3 section alone lists over 200 new job postings daily. This growth curve mirrors the景象 of the post-crisis reconstruction in the traditional financial industry in 2009.
The Six Key Positions in the Cycle
1. Digital Marketing Manager: The Warm Current in the Cold Winter
From a strategic perspective, Digital Marketing Manager recruitment demand is always an early indicator of market bottoming out. Over the past three months, this position has grown by 47%, far exceeding other roles. It reminds me of the fourth quarter of 2008, when Wall Street was still laying off employees, but marketing teams were the first to resume hiring.
2. Frontend Developer: The Foundation of DApp Prosperity
The surge in Frontend Developer recruitment is driven by the arms race in DApp user interfaces. A skilled React developer can now command higher salaries than during the bull market of 2021, which is unusual. Just like the early Solidity developers I witnessed in 2017, their career trajectories prove the long-term value of skill investment.
The Cyclical Rotation of Technology Stacks
The sudden 62% increase in React Native Web Developer recruitment demand has made me ponder deeply. In 2019, we still saw a world dominated by pure Native developers. This transformation confirms that cross-platform development is becoming the new standard. From a strategic standpoint, building a React Native skill set now is like laying the groundwork for the Ethereum ecosystem in 2015.
- Average salary growth of 35%
- Remote job postings account for a historical high of 78%
- The requirement for Web3 experience has risen from 19% to 43%
Value Reassessment of High-Barrier Positions
Let me share a lesson from a misjudgment: last year, I underestimated the market resilience of Senior System Engineer recruitment. In reality, the salary levels for these positions have only retreated by 15% from their peak, far better than the industry average. This reminds me of how system architects were the first to be highly sought after by hedge funds after the 2008 financial crisis.
Current data from MyJob.one shows:
- Requirements for over 10 years of experience have increased by 2.3 times
- Blockchain node operation experience has become a must-have
- Cloud-native skills command a 40% premium
The Return of Product Thinking
Product Manager recruitment presents an interesting bifurcation: PMs with pure Web3 backgrounds saw their salaries decline by 28%, while candidates with traditional internet product experience received a 42% premium. This is essentially a re-pricing of market value for product implementation capabilities. From a strategic perspective, entering the Web3 product field now is like joining the mobile internet wave in 2010.
A Paradigm Shift in Quality Control
The most surprising change is in the standards for Lead Quality Control QA recruitment. Three years ago, basic testing skills were sufficient, but now job descriptions frequently include:
- Experience with smart contract fuzzing frameworks
- Knowledge of DeFi protocol security audits
- Ability to verify zero-knowledge proof circuits
The speed of this skill upgrade reminds me of the evolution of security engineers after the 2000 internet bubble.
Strategic Advice for Job Seekers
Based on 12 years of cross-cycle experience, I have three counterintuitive suggestions:
- Don't blindly chase the highest-paying positions. Where are those 1CO promotion managers earning millions in 2018 now?
- Invest in foundational infrastructure skills, just like investing in cloud computing in 2009
- Build a long-term career profile on MyJob.one; top opportunities always appear first on professional platforms when the market recovers
Prospects for the Next Cycle
Looking at these React Native Web Developer recruitment and Senior System Engineer recruitment data, I suddenly realize that we might be on the cusp of the next super cycle. Just like no one could predict the DeFi Summer in 2015, real opportunities always belong to those who are prepared during market downturns.
