Last updated 10/17/2023
With industry experts predicting there will be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs by 2025, it’s no surprise many are looking to break into the field. As opportunities in cyber continue to grow, you may be wondering—how can I actually get a job in cybersecurity? Read on to get answers to some of the most common questions about launching a cyber career.
Do You Need Experience for a Cybersecurity Job?
While experience is always a plus during the job search, you don’t need a prior technical background or work experience to get hired in a cybersecurity role. In fact, many cybersecurity professionals come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, such as marketing, event planning, and prior military service.
A “secret” to getting your first job in cybersecurity is knowing how to leverage the skills you've developed in your previous work to make you stand out to employers. In fact, many cyber professionals navigated their career switch by applying existing non-technical or “soft” skills toward tech roles.
Steps to Getting a Job in Cybersecurity
There are many different ways to break into cybersecurity. Here are three steps you can take to prepare for a career in the field:
1. Learn Cybersecurity Fundamentals
The first step to kickstarting a career in cybersecurity is to learn the fundamentals and basic principles. There are many ways you can learn cybersecurity foundational knowledge, and we’ll explore a few training options below!
2. Practice Your Skills
To become a successful cybersecurity professional, you need to practice your skills in real-world settings. Many cybersecurity bootcamps, like those offered by Fullstack Academy, help students gain real-world experience through projects and assignments. There are also multiple cybersecurity training simulations available.
3. Earn Cybersecurity Certifications
Earning a cybersecurity certification is a great way to help you stand out in the hiring process—especially if you’re new to the industry. These certifications will validate your knowledge of key cyber techniques, skills, and tools. There are many cybersecurity certifications available based on your career interests and experience. Here are some of the best cybersecurity certifications to earn:
CompTIA Security+: This entry-level certification demonstrates you have the foundational knowledge to qualify for entry-level cyber positions—as well as practice identifying and analyzing security incidents.
Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA): Ideal for mid-level professionals, this certification demonstrates your ability to plan, execute, and report on audits using a risk-based approach.
ISACA Cybersecurity Fundamentals: Tailored to students and recent graduates, this certification will help you develop a deeper understanding of cybersecurity fundamentals.
In addition to general industry certifications, there are also vendor-specific certifications. These types of cybersecurity certifications demonstrate you have knowledge of certain cybersecurity vendors, such as Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure. Some popular vendor-specific certifications include:
AWS Certified Security - Specialty Certification: This certification validates your ability to create and implement security solutions in the AWS Cloud.
Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals: This certification shows have a foundational understanding of general cloud concepts and Microsoft Azure.
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification: This certification demonstrates you have a foundational understanding of the AWS Cloud, services, and terminology. It’s ideal for those with no prior IT or cloud experience.
How to Become a Cybersecurity Professional
To get the skills you need for your first cybersecurity job, there are a few major training options, including university programs or tech bootcamps. Your path to becoming a cybersecurity professional will depend on your goals, interests, and prior experience. Here are a few resources to help you get started on your cybersecurity journey:
National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS): As the premier online resource for information on cybersecurity training and education, the NICCS can help you navigate the fast-growing field of cybersecurity. You can use their Career Pathways Tool to explore common cyber career paths, like Cybersecurity Analyst, System Support Specialist, or System Administrator.
Fullstack Academy Cybersecurity Analytics Bootcamp: With no prior experience required, the immersive, live online bootcamp will help you develop the in-demand skills and knowledge employers are looking for. Plus, Fullstack Academy provides blogs and virtual events that can help you through your career transition. Common topics include salary negotiation, interview prep, and overcoming imposter syndrome.
CyberSeek: Gain insight into the state of cybersecurity by exploring CyberSeek’s interactive map. The map shows total job openings at a national level and by state. You can also use their Career Pathways tool to see what your cybersecurity career journey may look like and what skills and certifications you’ll need.
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Cybersecurity Skills Employers Want
Thriving in a cybersecurity career requires interpersonal strengths as well as technical skills. A solid training program should help you master both technical expertise and practical skills—like how to work on a cyber team in any role—so you can launch a successful and fulfilling job in cybersecurity.
1. A Passion to “Live and Breathe” Cybersecurity
Employers are looking for individuals who have a thirst for knowledge to keep current with cybersecurity news and trends. You can showcase your passion through side projects that demonstrate your ability to solve cybersecurity problems in real-world situations. In order to do this, firm technical skills and expanded soft skills must be nurtured.
2. Technical Skills in Cybersecurity
According to former Gilt Groupe CISO and current Security Scorecard CEO and Co-Founder Aleksandr Yampolskiy, “No matter how big the organization, a good cybersecurity professional needs to have a great technical understanding in order to be effective—even if he or she is not doing all of those tasks.”
To develop your technical expertise, the Fullstack Academy Cyber Bootcamp leads you through a seven-part curriculum covering:
Cybersecurity Fundamentals
Asset and Inventory Management
Network Systems
Programming with Python
System Administration
Red Team
Blue Team
You’ll also complete real-world career simulations to put your skills to the test.
3. Practical Skills in Cybersecurity
Non-technical interpersonal skills, also known as soft skills, including the ability to collaborate are important in any job, but may be especially critical when working in the cybersecurity field. Cybersecurity professionals need to know how to collaborate and communicate, as they often work in teams across multiple time zones. Plus, when navigating a cybersecurity incident, it’s important to communicate and document the state of the incident so everyone knows the status and what actions have been taken.
Getting Your First Job in Cybersecurity
The job search will look different for everyone, but regardless of where your journey takes you, it’s important to be prepared. Before you start applying to cybersecurity roles, you should update your LinkedIn and create a technical resume, if you haven’t already.
The interview process with vary depending upon the company, job title, and experience required. However, a typical interview process includes a phone interview, a skills test, and a technical interview.
Finding a job can be stressful, especially if you’re making a career change to an entirely new industry. Luckily, some tech bootcamps, like those offered by Fullstack Academy, pair you with a Career Coach who can support you with technical resume and LinkedIn optimization, networking guidance, best practices, interview preparation, and more.
Plus, the team at Fullstack Academy works behind the scenes to recruit employers for in-house networking events, find openings that are right for you, and stay up-to-date on the latest recruiting trends to make sure they prepare you for a career in the field.
Looking Ahead: Your Cyber Career Growth Potential
There are many opportunities for advancement in a cyber career path. Surprising to most people is that an entry-level cyber professional can earn an annual salary of $78,945 (Glassdoor) on average as an Information Security Analyst.
After four years in the field, they can work their way up to a Cybersecurity Architect role with an average salary of $151,547 (Cyberseek.org). It’s worth noting that this is just one example of what your career path could look like as an ambitious cyber expert. As with other industries, everyone’s path will be different.
Today, there are over 600,000 unfilled cybersecurity positions, according to CyberSeek, and the supply of cyber workers is very low. Since job demand will continue to grow as more and more businesses need to protect themselves from cyber threats, now is the perfect time to launch your cyber career.
Ready to launch a career in one of the most rapidly growing industries? Apply to the Fullstack Academy Cyber Bootcamp today!