If you are a veteran who is transitioning who has a passion for all things technology, still want to use your military skills who wants to go into a rewarding career with unlimited growting potential. Than by all means consider a career in cybersecurity.
As it stands the industry of information security is a $122 billion industry today and many analyst are forcasting it to grow to $202 billion by year 2021. Employers are desperate to find talented professionals who have hands-on skills. At this stage there truly is more of a surplus of jobs than seats filled. Employers also heavily favor former military veterans for cybersecurity positions because of their demonstrated discipline, teamwork & integrity.
So how does one get started in this hot career field??
Things to consider for getting started for a rich career in cyber security
1. Find where you belong, your niche. Do your homework and research by familarizing yourself with the many positions within the cybersecurity field. Pay a visit to the National Institute for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies to learn more about the many different career paths.
2. Make and set realistic goals and plans. Think about the big picture. Most seasoned cybersecurity professionals make upwards in the six figure bracket. Intially you may have to take an entry-level position and lower pay. Create a plan for training, gaining certifications and methods on how to advance in the career field. Hone in on the prize as the target.
3. Expand your repotoire of skills. Don’t wait until after you’ve retired from active duty. Take on some open source tools to expand your skill set including learning how to code. We at Def-Lgogix do suggest some open source tools for to practice on: Wireshark, Kali Linux and Python. You may go to sectools.org to view a comprehensive list of tools and helpful information.
4. Locate a mentor and learn. Learn. Learn. Mentors can be very helpful in your job search adventure. You can also tap into your network of friends and associates to help you meet key personnel working in cybersecurity. Consult with a professional who has a current job and see if they can offer tips and advice, or even some mentorship.
5. Get certified. Like Information Technology period. You got to keep up to industry standard and one of the best ways is to be certified in as many areas as possible. Sometimes, this stands out more than the actual content on your resume and can be the deal breaker to get your phone-in-the-door. Seek and you shall find. A few programs worth exploring include: Cisco Global Cybersecurity Scholarship and CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service (SFS).
Cybersecurity as a whole is undergoing a severe talent shortage like I mentioned earlier, putting our communities, economies and nation at risk. Cyber criminals will stop at nothing to attack innocent by standers and take their personal-sensitive information.
In my opinion, cybersecurity is a great way to continue serving our country, just on a different type of battlefield.
As always please do check us out on social media (We are on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn) to keep up-to-date with company news and offers! And of course we are hiring a few good cybersecurity professional too! Visit our careers page.
In my opinion, cybersecurity is a great way to continue serving our country, just on a different type of battlefield.
