Find your dream company
Author: Stefan Waldvogel
Look for your dream company in Cybersecurity and prepare everything to get this job
Getting the first job in Cybersecurity is hard, and it is a fact that most people write dozens or hundreds of applications (entry-level).
Is it worth it to target a handful of companies?
My opinion right now is:
It is worth it, but this might change. If you go this way, tailor everything for one job, and you need a lot of networking, but how can you find your dream company?
Most people look for big companies like Microsoft, EY, Deloitte, Dell, and others. It is easy to find information about these companies, but what if you want to work for a smaller company?
In the US, we have over 500,000 open positions in IT, and even if you see and study 500 job ads, you miss 499,500. Networking is the key, and you get two things:
A starting point is a website, and you get an idea of how the sales/PR department sees the company. You get two impressions, the technical part with facts and the more human part with colors, usability, and how the website feels.
The next step is the job description. Most job descriptions start with a header, and sometimes you get an insight about a department and how people work. Hint: This does not work for copy&paste job ads. You should have at least 70% of the mentioned skills, but you can apply with less if you do networking. The reason is: Hiring someone is a big decision with risks, and smaller companies prefer to hire known people.
Additionally, you can do OSINT and find more about the company. One example: You might get details about the financial situation, the history, and the people. If you have some people, can you find their YouTube videos, blogs, etc.?
For this example, I pick a small company in South Carolina, and at first glance, nothing is special. I got this hint via networking and researched more about this company. To me, it is a perfect fit, and I can give the company a lot.
Is it worth it to target a handful of companies?
My opinion right now is:
It is worth it, but this might change. If you go this way, tailor everything for one job, and you need a lot of networking, but how can you find your dream company?
Most people look for big companies like Microsoft, EY, Deloitte, Dell, and others. It is easy to find information about these companies, but what if you want to work for a smaller company?
In the US, we have over 500,000 open positions in IT, and even if you see and study 500 job ads, you miss 499,500. Networking is the key, and you get two things:
- First, people know you and often suggest particular roles.
- Second, this friend might have insider knowledge. You might get some names and more.
A starting point is a website, and you get an idea of how the sales/PR department sees the company. You get two impressions, the technical part with facts and the more human part with colors, usability, and how the website feels.
The next step is the job description. Most job descriptions start with a header, and sometimes you get an insight about a department and how people work. Hint: This does not work for copy&paste job ads. You should have at least 70% of the mentioned skills, but you can apply with less if you do networking. The reason is: Hiring someone is a big decision with risks, and smaller companies prefer to hire known people.
Additionally, you can do OSINT and find more about the company. One example: You might get details about the financial situation, the history, and the people. If you have some people, can you find their YouTube videos, blogs, etc.?
For this example, I pick a small company in South Carolina, and at first glance, nothing is special. I got this hint via networking and researched more about this company. To me, it is a perfect fit, and I can give the company a lot.
Why I picked Soteria.io
If you have a lot of skills and you worked some years in Cybersecurity you can pick your employer because at least in the US we have more open jobs than applicants.
Cut the numbers down. Use LinkedIn's features and your preferences to reduce the numbers.
Cut the numbers down. Use LinkedIn's features and your preferences to reduce the numbers.
© 2021. This work is licensed under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license