CYBERSECURITY JOB HUNTING GUIDE
Certifications & Courses
Author: Stefan Waldvogel
In the US certifications and degrees are important
If you are taking your first steps into Cybersecurity, most likely, it overwhelms you with all the things that you can accomplish. You find dozens of cool courses and certifications.
One important thing before we dive into: Most likely, you use Google for your investigation, but education providers, schools, companies, etc., use this to lure you into costly courses. Companies pay a lot of money to be on the first page, and they do everything to look nice. If you see salary numbers, double-check them against actual job offers or use PayScale, LinkedIn, roberthalf’s salary report, and other independent resources. Most numbers are crazy phantasm... If you see statements like our certification is “wanted by employers,” take the certificate and ask LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster, etc., about how many open jobs are in your area with this certification. If you see a one or two-digit number and sit in a tech hub with 60K available jobs, you know what is going on. Always perform a cross-check for your city or target area!
The positive news is, you can find a lot for free, including labs, videos, and much more. This chapter includes free resources and links to hundreds of free Cybersecurity courses, certifications, and training. Many free resources are a lot of times better than paid courses.
What about degrees?
If you have a degree and apply for a job without this requirement, do not expect you to get a job just because you have a degree. With a master's, you are maybe always in the top 5%, and you might go instantly to the second (HR internal) round.
Now, the recruiter will cross-check your resume against the wanted skills. If you send a generic and non-targeted resume -> your Masters alone is "useless," you will not go to the third round with the interview phase.
If you write a targeted resume/cover letter your degree is a plus.
Getting a degree is not that expensive, if you are smart and you are looking for the cheaper options. You can get a bachelors degree in Cybersecurity for under $10.000.
One important thing before we dive into: Most likely, you use Google for your investigation, but education providers, schools, companies, etc., use this to lure you into costly courses. Companies pay a lot of money to be on the first page, and they do everything to look nice. If you see salary numbers, double-check them against actual job offers or use PayScale, LinkedIn, roberthalf’s salary report, and other independent resources. Most numbers are crazy phantasm... If you see statements like our certification is “wanted by employers,” take the certificate and ask LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster, etc., about how many open jobs are in your area with this certification. If you see a one or two-digit number and sit in a tech hub with 60K available jobs, you know what is going on. Always perform a cross-check for your city or target area!
The positive news is, you can find a lot for free, including labs, videos, and much more. This chapter includes free resources and links to hundreds of free Cybersecurity courses, certifications, and training. Many free resources are a lot of times better than paid courses.
What about degrees?
If you have a degree and apply for a job without this requirement, do not expect you to get a job just because you have a degree. With a master's, you are maybe always in the top 5%, and you might go instantly to the second (HR internal) round.
Now, the recruiter will cross-check your resume against the wanted skills. If you send a generic and non-targeted resume -> your Masters alone is "useless," you will not go to the third round with the interview phase.
- A company looks for your skills
- A company wants to know if you know what they need
- A company wants to know related job results and achievements
- A company wants to see if you want this role
If you write a targeted resume/cover letter your degree is a plus.
Getting a degree is not that expensive, if you are smart and you are looking for the cheaper options. You can get a bachelors degree in Cybersecurity for under $10.000.
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