3 Tips on Getting Your First Job in Cyber Security

The Cyber Security Industry may seem like a bit of a dark art to outsiders. However, if you possess great problem solving skills and are able to learn systems quickly it can provide an incredibly rewarding and stable career.

Acumin’s latest whitepaper gives some practical advice for both candidates and hiring managers based on interviewed CISO’s own experiences when hiring cyber security staff. You can read the full report here.

Here are 3 tips covered in the report designed to help you get your first or next job in the industry

1. Show Similar Experience

This is not something every candidate will be able to bring to the interview; but if you do have relevant experience it is the top requested attribute in a candidate as speculated by the CISO’s interviewed.

For those with experience in the industry; ensure you come prepared with examples of application and outcomes from your role responsibility relevant to the job requirement details.

For those who do not but are interested in starting a career utilising cyber security skills, consider trying to gain work experience or personal projects that demonstrate the technical ability that would be expected of you in the role.

2. Get Involved – Networking and finding the right Mentor

 If you are lacking experience in a corporate environment in a technical security role; your best strategy should be to get involved in relevant networking events as a way of demonstrating interest and communication and networking skills for your potential employer.

Sign up to conferences and awareness events and be active in your attendance on social media.

Whilst you’re there: It’s easy to forget that a lot of people are in a situation similar to you when going to these type events – not everyone knows each other. Whilst you might learn some valuable information from standing on the side-lines quietly, you are going to learn a lot more from talking to those who organised the event, made speeches and of course the other attendees.

Networking at these events can lead to industry placements and finding a mentor from a company or job title you admire who can give you follow up advice on the route they took to making a successful career in cyber security.

You can also find mentors from online groups or industry forums and consortiums like ISC2.

Half of the CISO’s interviewed for this report said that networking events are crucial to the industry’s sharing culture and an easy way to get to grips with key trends that are affecting organisations.

3. Have some examples of being a good people person

People skills might be easily overlooked but in a role where you need to straddle technical know how with an ability to explain situations to those with little to no technical security understanding, and ensure the right decision for the business is made.

You can teach product knowledge or technical security but it is much harder to teach someone how to effectively communicate to team members and to those with a non technical security background.

It’s something that few people are lucky to have naturally, but come prepared to demonstrate how you have been a valuable leader when necessary, but also a team member that can be relied upon by your prospective manager and other team mates.

Good Luck, and if you require any support throughout your own job application process please do not hesitate to contact us via careers@acumin.co.uk and send us your CV!