Many of you know that my most cherished moments are when students tell me: “Mike I got the job!”
In my nearly 30 years training millions of techs, I really believe we changed for the better a lot of the IT industry hiring practices, especially the qualification requirements at the technical level. As a self-studied man that didn’t take the traditional college route, I’ve had great satisfaction watching companies finally realize that certifications like A+ and Network+ are clearly better job qualifiers for entry-level techs when compared to generalized liberal arts degrees.
But some say cyber is a different animal all together. Well, here’s my bottom line on if Security+ is required for entry cyber jobs:
- Having a Security+ certificate is the single-most requested certification or knowledge qualifier across ALL entry cybersecurity job postings. You maximize your probability of qualifying for these cyber jobs by getting Security+ certified.
- The Security+ objectives are FOUNDATIONAL for understanding core cybersecurity topics that you’ll be expected to put to use on the job in entry level cyber jobs. You WILL USE the knowledge you gain during the Security+ certification process ON THE JOB, guaranteed.
So what am I saying. If you’re serious about cyber but don’t have any hands-on experience, then getting Security+ certified is my recommended “next best step.”
But Mike what about other certs?
Of course, you can always “Stack Certs” after Security+, with CySA+, Pentest+, or venture into Certified Ethical Hacker. All of these are valuable, but for job seekers, I wouldn’t steer you in that direction. Instead, go get your hands dirty.
Whether that’s in an adjacent IT role as a Helpdesk Support Specialist or Network Administrator, as an intern or apprentice at a cybersecurity company, or through an on-the-job training program, get hands-on.
Cyber evolves so fast, most organizations don’t even have cyber figured out for themselves, much less the hiring process or qualifications. Everybody’s journey to cyber is different—Take Jawad for example. Jawad got Security+ certified, but was struggling to get a work opportunity in a competitive market that often requires prior hands-on experience and/or advanced education.
Jawad’s solution was to enroll in an on-the-job training program at CyberNow Labs. Here’s his story:
Let me know your take on this. Or join me tomorrow on a live webinar hosted by CyberNow Labs to hear more voices in the space, including Xcitium CISO, Dr. Erdal Ozkaya, and Jawad himself.
All the best,
Mike
Let Total Seminars help you start your journey to a new career!
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