Author: Stefan Waldvogel
Editor: Shana Wejuli -reserved-
Editor: Shana Wejuli -reserved-
The SWOT Analysis
If you are a student, you know what a SWOT analysis is, but most likely, you never used it to your advantage. It can help you calculate the risks and see the bigger picture for your cybersecurity career. The following picture illustrates my SWOT analysis. I created this slide over a year ago, and today I see the situation differently, but it was a good starting point.
If you are a student, you know what a SWOT analysis is, but most likely, you never used it to your advantage. It can help you calculate the risks and see the bigger picture for your cybersecurity career. The following picture illustrates my SWOT analysis. I created this slide over a year ago, and today I see the situation differently, but it was a good starting point.
- Strengths: Here, you write the positive things down. Maybe it is the salary or whatever you like related to a cybersecurity job.
- Weaknesses: This is a big topic, but you can handle it if you see the opposing sides because you are prepared.
- Opportunities: Here you can add all things you wish to do in 5 years. Maybe you want to start a business.
- Threats: To me, this is the essential part. Think about the risks associate with your choice. Everything has a risk.
- Solution: Here, you can write what you can do to mitigate the threats and risks.
If you dig deeper into it, you get an idea about how hard it is for you to get the first job in Cybersecurity.
The job situation (in the US)
Are you a student? You are a network admin with ten years in IT?–> Sometimes, both apply for the same job. If you are a CS student, know and understand this. As a student, you can get a good job, but just having a degree is not enough!
At least in the US, Cybersecurity is hype, but companies do not offer entry-level jobs. If you finish your degree or did the first cert (e.g., Security+), you need an entry-level job because your knowledge is too little for a better position. Many people with IT jobs transition into Cybersecurity, too. These people have work experience. If you are a student without work experience, you have a problem because Cybersecurity companies want people with experience, and the market is full of such people.
You want a job in Cybersecurity!
One hint: Find the hidden jobs and do not follow the "hype" jobs. Find your way into Cybersecurity. We have too many penetration testers, but dozens of other fields and careers are possible, like Cloud security. The good news is, you can combine Cloud and Cybersecurity. In the US, we have right now (March 2021) 275,100 open cloud jobs and if you do not know where to start or you cannot find a job in Cybersecurity, think about Cloud.
This journey is a long way to go. Keep a positive mindset, be diligent and stay curious.
The job situation (in the US)
Are you a student? You are a network admin with ten years in IT?–> Sometimes, both apply for the same job. If you are a CS student, know and understand this. As a student, you can get a good job, but just having a degree is not enough!
At least in the US, Cybersecurity is hype, but companies do not offer entry-level jobs. If you finish your degree or did the first cert (e.g., Security+), you need an entry-level job because your knowledge is too little for a better position. Many people with IT jobs transition into Cybersecurity, too. These people have work experience. If you are a student without work experience, you have a problem because Cybersecurity companies want people with experience, and the market is full of such people.
You want a job in Cybersecurity!
One hint: Find the hidden jobs and do not follow the "hype" jobs. Find your way into Cybersecurity. We have too many penetration testers, but dozens of other fields and careers are possible, like Cloud security. The good news is, you can combine Cloud and Cybersecurity. In the US, we have right now (March 2021) 275,100 open cloud jobs and if you do not know where to start or you cannot find a job in Cybersecurity, think about Cloud.
This journey is a long way to go. Keep a positive mindset, be diligent and stay curious.
© 2021. This work is licensed under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license