Welcome to Part 3 of our Where to Begin series!
Before we jump in, let’s take a quick look at what we’ve already covered.
Let’s Recap!
In Part 1 of this series, we discussed goals. In order to be successful at Part 3, it is vitally important to for you to structure your goals.
During Part 2, we talked about having self-awareness. This basically means that you should think about and get to know what you would like to do and what you’ll want to continue to want to do for a long period of time.
This is important because – let’s face it – even the best job can, at times, be monotonous. Therefore, you should probably do what you like. If you’re into coding, think about roles that require programming. If you want to manage people, acknowledge that and look for paths that lead to those types of positions. If you’re a marketer – or want to become one – this is a great field for that skill set.
Finally, don’t forget to consider your priorities, be that money, travel or time with family, and start planning your future career to fit within your priorities. This will lead to much greater fulfillment as you progress down your chosen path.
Now that you’ve begun thinking about what you want, Step 3 is to start learning!
Take Some Free Courses
Once you decide which area of cybersecurity you want to enter – be it forensics or penetration testing or software development or social engineering – start combing the web for free resources.
There are so, so, so many options! YouTube, free trainings, blogs, newsletters and other content are great places to start building your knowledge-base around your new career. This will also allow you to start figuring out what specific skills will allow you to have success in your field. These might include programming and coding to hacking and network architecture, data recover to workforce education.
Find Volunteer Work
You don’t need a job to start getting real-world experience. Companies are always looking for people who are willing to volunteer for projects, particularly for beta programs. Get your hands dirty in some new software and build your resume at the same time.
You can also get involved in open source community projects (Skyblivion, anyone?). These are great opportunities to build some valuable skills that may even lead to a paying position.
The other advantage of this type of work is it allows you to test out if you like something with little to no consequences.
Stay in Your Wheelhouse
Trying to do anything new is a challenge and a journey. So stay away from things that don’t seem up your alley.
Burn-out is real, so don’t start pursuing a career in an area that you hate.
This is a great lead-in to my next PSA: You don’t have to be technical to be in cybersecurity!
Once again, think about what you enjoy doing. Do you like structure positions? Then you might enjoy compliance. If you think you’re a good teacher, think about getting into security awareness training. If you like management, then study up on ITIL.
The Bottom Line: Learn Even More – Start here!
To be successful in cybersecurity, you need to study up. Even when you get into the job you want, you should never stop learning.
If you’re ready to learn even more about cybersecurity, notiaPoint offers a free, week-long email course called Cybersecurity Essentials.