Catapulting Your Cyber Career In 2020
New Year, New Career
There’s something about kicking off a new year that motivates you to finally start working on those goals you’ve been neglecting. For many infosec practitioners, those goals include finding and landing a new and better cybersecurity job. Career-wise, this may not be the first time you’ve set this goal, and yet you have 364 days ahead of you to make your next big leap.
Are you a tad intimidated about how much energy and effort this goal will require? Or maybe you aren’t intimidated, but rather unsure about the most effective approach to finding your next gig. Either way, if you’re feeling stuck, know that 2020 can be your year of professional growth, and the direction and path you’re looking for are closer than you think.
You’re Not Alone
Many folks feel like they’re in a dead-end job. While you might be sitting in a perfectly suitable swivel chair with reasonable compensation, that might not be a clear upward career path. With more than 3.5 million unfilled jobs by 2021, anyone qualified to work in cybersecurity shouldn’t have a great deal of difficulty finding a job. Maybe you are asking yourself some of the following questions: Will I qualify for positions? What certifications do I need? Will I be able to pass my certification exams?
Cyber Roles and Requirements
Many folks outside of information security fail to realize that cybersecurity is a blanket term that covers numerous organizational roles. A cybersecurity job can focus on everything from malware analysis to incident response. To help lighten your research load (but for goodness sake, do some research!), take a couple of minutes to complete the Cyber Role Quiz. The result can help you to determine which positions you should look into and which certifications or qualifications you should consider for those roles. Let’s say the quiz suggests that you look into the role of Penetration Tester. In that case, you’ll definitely want to take a closer look at the CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) certification.
Earning your certification won’t magically make you a seasoned practitioner, but it will help you establish a strong foundation of knowledge. A candidate who has earned their certification always has better odds of landing a cybersecurity job compared to a candidate without certifications. The same is true for any pentester who has earned the CEH certification.
Certification Preparation
Contrary to what you might be thinking, studying for your CEH certification exam doesn’t mean that you have to give up all of your free time, stuff your head in that book you bought on Amazon, or attend that boring week-long boot camp. Take a look at CyberVista’s Live Online training. You can study from the comfort of your own home and on your schedule. Instead of cramming for a certification exam, you have the option to gradually glean concepts and learn the material through engaging live sessions, a full-featured LMS (learning management system), and skills-focused lab exercises.
If you commit to training for your CEH today, you could be looking at the Pearson Vue print-out of your passing confirmation in fewer than three months. From there, you can quickly begin to apply for some of the 13,000 job openings related to pentesting. Shortly after that, it’s likely you’ll have scored a few interviews – many positions don’t receive more than a handful of applicants! Before summer hits, you could have landed a new and exciting position with upward mobility, increased relevance, and drastically increased compensation. Wow, 2020 sounds great already.
New Year. New Cert.
Do you want to be in the same position a year from now? A lot can be accomplished in a year (or less), and we’re here to help you get to where you want to be. There has never been a better time to get certified. Check out our certification training programs and current offers.