CYBERSECURITY JOB HUNTING GUIDE
Author: Stefan Waldvogel
Editor: Shana Wejuli -reserved-
Editor: Shana Wejuli -reserved-
Please, do yourself a favor and start this journey well prepared. I love hiking, and before I go out, I pack my backpack with a map, and I know the highlights, some detours, shortcuts, and obstacles. If I need a hotel, I compare the prices and book one long before starting. Going into Cybersecurity is a long way, and it is best practice to start well prepared.
The following picture shows some key aspects:
The following picture shows some key aspects:
Before you try to move into Cybersecurity, try to get a realistic view of what it takes to break into this challenging field. Know the good and bad sides of this field. Working in Cybersecurity is one of the best and most extraordinary things you can do. To be successful, you need a deep passion for technology, security, IT, and people.
You have it? Great!
Know the hype problem
Cybersecurity is hype for people with a ton of work experience and new students at the same time. Cybersecurity is not for beginners because few companies offer apprenticeships or real entry-level jobs, at least in the US. In Cybersecurity, a bachelor’s degree is most likely not enough to earn a lot of money. If you study it, you do not have enough hands-on to defend an actual company and compete against other people with 10 or 20 years in IT. These people move in this field, too.
If you only have a bachelor/master’s degree, you might have a catch-22 problem. You need work experience, but nobody is hiring you because you do not have work experience. I will show you different ways to mitigate this problem, but this is super important.
Cybersecurity is highly competitive, and you have to learn a lot.
Other areas in are much better (Cloud, electrical engineering, etc.), your knowledge has a higher value, it is easier to get the first job, and you earn more.
You have it? Great!
Know the hype problem
Cybersecurity is hype for people with a ton of work experience and new students at the same time. Cybersecurity is not for beginners because few companies offer apprenticeships or real entry-level jobs, at least in the US. In Cybersecurity, a bachelor’s degree is most likely not enough to earn a lot of money. If you study it, you do not have enough hands-on to defend an actual company and compete against other people with 10 or 20 years in IT. These people move in this field, too.
If you only have a bachelor/master’s degree, you might have a catch-22 problem. You need work experience, but nobody is hiring you because you do not have work experience. I will show you different ways to mitigate this problem, but this is super important.
Cybersecurity is highly competitive, and you have to learn a lot.
Other areas in are much better (Cloud, electrical engineering, etc.), your knowledge has a higher value, it is easier to get the first job, and you earn more.
Hint:
If you prefer YouTube videos, and you want to know "How to Get Into Cybersecurity with No Experience", this video www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d-qmWLt90E (Gerald Auger) covers a lot of similar topics.
Competition
The picture on the right side shows some data (source: Burning Glass Research and CyberSeek) about how many open jobs we have in the US and how many people are looking for a job.
Overall, 153,170 people apply for 10,221 available jobs.
The next link gives you some data about the situation in the US-->
www.linkedin.com/posts/micmerritt_cybersecurityanalyst-incidentresponse-activity-6798975377575415808-L3Eh
This post is about an entry-level position and of course an extreme situation.
2 available jobs -> 847 applicants
See and analyze the numbers...
Cybersecurity salaries in the US (2021)?
Do you not have relevant work experience? You're looking at $40K-$55K.
A couple of years' experience? Between $50K - $80K.
Between two and five years of experience? $80K - $125K.
Five years and more? $80K - $350K.
-> some will earn more or less, and these are just numbers... If you attend a boot camp or have a degree, you do not have experience! Do not trust universities, cert mills, or other education companies... they want your money and do everything for it. Google for your salaries in your city and check job offers.
If you change your career... think about these numbers. Can you afford a career change?
Things you can do to stand out
Getting the first job is challenging and a journey. If you do not have work experience, you can do different things long before you do job hunting (source: Naomi Buckwalker):
The price
Before you start with a Cybersecurity career think about this:
(a Senior Security Engineer posted it)
If you prefer YouTube videos, and you want to know "How to Get Into Cybersecurity with No Experience", this video www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d-qmWLt90E (Gerald Auger) covers a lot of similar topics.
Competition
The picture on the right side shows some data (source: Burning Glass Research and CyberSeek) about how many open jobs we have in the US and how many people are looking for a job.
Overall, 153,170 people apply for 10,221 available jobs.
The next link gives you some data about the situation in the US-->
www.linkedin.com/posts/micmerritt_cybersecurityanalyst-incidentresponse-activity-6798975377575415808-L3Eh
This post is about an entry-level position and of course an extreme situation.
2 available jobs -> 847 applicants
See and analyze the numbers...
Cybersecurity salaries in the US (2021)?
Do you not have relevant work experience? You're looking at $40K-$55K.
A couple of years' experience? Between $50K - $80K.
Between two and five years of experience? $80K - $125K.
Five years and more? $80K - $350K.
-> some will earn more or less, and these are just numbers... If you attend a boot camp or have a degree, you do not have experience! Do not trust universities, cert mills, or other education companies... they want your money and do everything for it. Google for your salaries in your city and check job offers.
If you change your career... think about these numbers. Can you afford a career change?
Things you can do to stand out
Getting the first job is challenging and a journey. If you do not have work experience, you can do different things long before you do job hunting (source: Naomi Buckwalker):
- Volunteer with a cybersecurity conference
- Teach a cybersecurity class
- Mentor a student or be a mentee
- Join a cybersecurity working/study group
- Contribute to an open-source project
- Build a home lab (blue or red depending on your goal)
- Start a blog or create a website
- Guest on a podcast
- Lead a study group
- Start a cybersecurity meetup or club
The price
Before you start with a Cybersecurity career think about this:
(a Senior Security Engineer posted it)
Yes, you can work a ton of money, but nothing is free. In Cybersecurity, you have to study a lot and it does not stop after 8 hours. If it is your passion, hours do not count... if you do it for money and nothing else, it is not fun.
Do you want to know your chance to get the first entry-level role? On LinkedIn, I saw this:
Do you want to know your chance to get the first entry-level role? On LinkedIn, I saw this:
This high number is highly unlikely, but shows the general problem.
Anyway, I hope you have passion and know more about what it takes to break into Cybersecurity.
On the left side, you see a story into Cybersecurity from a different perspective.
source: bohansec.com/2021/05/31/My-Journey-to-SOC-Analyst/
Bohan talks about achieving his dream.... this is real and not sales.
If you want to break into Cybersecurity, be prepared for a long trip.
Now, he works in a SOC, and he is clearly overqualified, but the competition to get a job in Canada is insane.
The last thing:
Job hunting is not about you, it is about companies. Companies have needs and your goal is to solve problems. Focus your career on business needs.
Learn and add the things companies want.
Let us move on!
Anyway, I hope you have passion and know more about what it takes to break into Cybersecurity.
On the left side, you see a story into Cybersecurity from a different perspective.
source: bohansec.com/2021/05/31/My-Journey-to-SOC-Analyst/
Bohan talks about achieving his dream.... this is real and not sales.
If you want to break into Cybersecurity, be prepared for a long trip.
Now, he works in a SOC, and he is clearly overqualified, but the competition to get a job in Canada is insane.
The last thing:
Job hunting is not about you, it is about companies. Companies have needs and your goal is to solve problems. Focus your career on business needs.
Learn and add the things companies want.
Let us move on!
© 2021. This work is licensed under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license