If you want to explore a career in cybersecurity: hoorah, that’s amazing! Cybersecurity is an incredibly broad subject, and it will continue to expand. It’s full of exciting opportunities and will provide plenty of work for decades to come. The industry is glad to have you!
Cybersecurity is still a relatively new industry. Organizations are starting to see the importance of the work we do and value we provide. My prediction is that there is going to be a shortage in security talent based on the demand we see from organizations. And that puts you in a unique position: an industry that is longing for your talent, eagerness, curiosity, and expertise AND plenty of opportunities to kickstart a career in cybersecurity.
You asked for some tips, so here goes:
Get an internship or entry-level job
Because of the demand, organizations are trying everything to scout new talent and have them join their team after an internship or hire you straight into an entry-level job. To prepare for an interview or an internship, I’d encourage you to surround yourself with like minded people. A great platform to find these people is the Hacker101 Discord.
Interact with peers in cybersecurity
Many top hackers have a strong presence on social media and have a successful career in cybersecurity. They use social media to share their experiences and knowledge and engage with newcomers to help them get going. Some great examples are Rachel Tobac, Nemesis, STÖK, d0nut, Aliia, NahamSec, and Jhaddix. Follow them on their journey to continuously learn new things about security and realize that the successful hackers are real and approachable people.
Build a resume on HackerOne
Nothing beats being able to show security vulnerabilities you’ve reported to a real organization. Your HackerOne profile is a perfect addition to (a substitution of perhaps) your resume. It enables you to showcase security vulnerabilities you’ve found, how you interacted with the organization, and how you’re stacked against other hackers in the community. Perhaps a good example is my own HackerOne profile, where I disclose a lot of security vulnerabilities I’ve found. Another great example is Frans Rosén’s resume on HackerOne.
Always be learning
There is no human being who knows everything about cybersecurity. Successful people in this industry will know that, so don’t ever worry about acknowledging you don’t know something. Instead, figure out how you learn best. Knowing how you learn is an indispensable skill that allows you to quickly take in new information and put it in context. Make yourself smarter every day.
If you’re interested: I also answered a question on Quora about how to get started with hacking, which has a few more hands-on tips.
This question originally appeared on Quora – the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.
[“source=forbes”]
