How to Get Into Cyber Security With No Experience? [Expert Tips]
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As organizations are shifting their data to cloud backup and getting ready to tackle any cyber threats, demand for cybersecurity professionals is increasing. Becoming a cybersecurity professional is a journey that can be pursued by any individual interested in technical and cyber means.
If you don’t know how to get a cybersecurity job with no experience, you can start your career and build a powerful position in the cybersecurity field. The security field requires certain skills and basic knowledge, which can be gained easily if the candidate is truly interested in cybersecurity.
The demand for cybersecurity candidates is high and will keep increasing due to technological advancement. The cybersecurity market is expected to reach $366.10 billion globally by 2028. So, even if you don’t have prior experience in cybersecurity, you can give your career kickstart with the help of this guide.
Understanding Cybersecurity Jobs
Jobs in Cybersecurity mainly focus on protecting any business’s data and information technology (IT) infrastructure. With the increase in technology and dependency on the internet, cyber-attacks are becoming more prominent. Therefore, it is the cybersecurity or IT cell’s job to address these cyber threats by developing their systems and identifying the existing vulnerabilities within the organization’s network.
They need to define certain factors and train organizations on how to prevent security breaches. It has become important that your fundamentals must be clear. Thus, to have a better understanding of cybersecurity fundamentals, you can take self-paced training courses like Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) eLearning
After the COVID pandemic, all the organizations have switched certain departments to remote working. They started maintaining their database online, and thus, it requires a robust server and resilience to protect their data. Cybersecurity professionals work to avoid potential cyber-attacks and prevent security breaches on systems.
Tips to Get a Cybersecurity Job Without Any Experience?
There is no problem in switching your career or starting your career from scratch. Even if you want to know how to get a cybersecurity job with no experience? You need skills and a good understanding of fundamentals for a cybersecurity job. As per the latest study of ISC2, there is a global shortage of cybersecurity professionals by 3 million.
You can get into this field by earning a cybersecurity certification, for which you can self-prepare or take short courses to prepare for the certification exams.
Follow In-depth Research
The most important thing is to research properly and decide which job you wish to do. There are many entry-level cybersecurity job roles. You must have a deep understanding of them before getting into the industry.
This will help you identify which skills and techniques you need to acquire for successful functioning within the organization. Today, everything is available on the internet, and you can easily get access to all the required information from the internet.
Research various areas for job roles such as:
- Data governance
- Access control or help desks
- Security product development
- Ethical hacking
- Compliance
- Digital forensics
- IT security
- Penetration testing
Take a Cybersecurity Course
The next best move will be to take a course as a beginner and gain all the knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals. Taking foundation courses will increase your cybersecurity job opportunities and boost your career.
If you aim to take the cybersecurity certification exam, fundamental courses will help you gain skills and a particular mindset for the job. Courses like cybersecurity bootcamp will help you equip technical concepts of IT security, data protection, and hands-on experience.
Some of the main areas in which you need to clear your fundamental understanding are:
- Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability (CIA Triad)
- Risk Management
- Data and network security
- Security control
- Threat and vulnerability assessment
- Recovery
Utilize Online Resources
Nowadays, everything is on the internet. You can avail of online resources like books, blogs, YouTube videos, and free materials to acquire knowledge for cybersecurity.
Certain online communities allow you to share your experience and learn from the experts who are already excelling in the cybersecurity field. Many public slack channels are there for cybersecurity enthusiasts with over 14,000+ members.
Seek for Entry-level Jobs
To apply for a job in cybersecurity at entry level, get your resume ready and add all the skills and techniques that you have learned from foundational courses or during self-preparation.
Entry-level jobs are good to start your career with. It will provide you with hands-on experience and allow you to earn and learn in the working environment.
Start researching for the roles and positions that fit your requirements and help you grow by offering training. Register on different hiring platforms and try to get an entry-level cybersecurity job.
Work on Independent Projects
To give your journey a kickstart, you can start with internships or independent projects to practice and develop the required skills. High-profile projects will help you understand and gain experience to add to your resume.
This will help you build your strong portfolio, which ultimately prepares you for the job interviews.
Expand Your Reach and Build a Strong Network
Building a robust network is very important to increase your chances for a job. It connects you with various people at high-level positions, and if there is any vacancy, you can apply and connect with a recruiter personally.
LinkedIn is one of the most crucial tools that you can use for network building. So, get out of your comfort zone and expand your reach by connecting with different people. Communities and conferences will also contribute to your selection for the job, as the experts there can guide you through interviews.
Different Cybersecurity Job Positions
There are many areas in the cybersecurity field where you can seek jobs. These positions will provide you with experience to work with professionals. Candidates can have any Bachelor’s degree, not necessarily a computer science or engineering degree.
Let’s have a look at all these cybersecurity entry-level jobs in brief:
- Cybercrime Analyst
Cybercrime analyst is a cybersecurity entry-level job profile where an individual must work with any private organization and law enforcement agencies to evaluate the system, avoiding any cyberattack cases. A cybercrime analyst is responsible for recovering stolen or lost data in case of cyber theft. They also restore the functionality of damaged systems while evaluating the reason behind the attack. It collects the shreds of evidence and follows research to protect the IT infrastructure.
Average pay – $4806 to $9613
- Cybersecurity Specialist
Companies require professional or skilled cybersecurity experts who test and closely monitor their systems. A little ignorance in terms of security can lead to the loss of massive data and information. Companies offer high salaries to cybersecurity specialists for monitoring systems and responding to potential attacks or data breaches. Professionals help organizations to establish security protocols, potential systems enhancements, firewalls, etc.
Average pay – $14,419 per year
- Incident Responder
They are also referred to as intrusion analysts as they provide immediate assistance in case of any cyberattack or security breaches. Their job is to identify the cause and extent of system failure to reduce further loss. Incident responder mainly performs audit and penetration testing to find any error in the network and generate recommendations to avoid them.
Average pay – $7208 per year
- Cryptographer
These professionals develop algorithms that encrypt sensitive data and eliminate the risk of cybercrime. This job allows one to work with government and private companies like finance and banking. Cryptographers rely on mathematical modeling to protect the system and run tests. They help organizations protect their sensitive data and instruct them to manage it safely.
Average pay – $87,000 per year
- IT Auditor
IT auditors are typical consultants who help clients assess their quality and compliance with systems and security policies. They develop audit strategies to account for each client’s network properties and IT infrastructures. IT auditor also helps organizations correct their deviation from government regulations and implement cybersecurity best practices.
Average pay – $15032 per year
Skills Required for the Cybersecurity Job
Today, skilled people are the most valuable asset for companies. Even if you don’t have any experience in the cybersecurity field, you can demonstrate your related skills to excel in the industry. Pursuing a course or certification degree like CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) will increase the chances of your success and level of jobs.
Top Soft Skills Required for Cybersecurity Job
You must develop certain soft skills on your journey to a new career. These soft skills include:
- A desire to acquire knowledge: If you are curious and willing to understand the technical reasons and aspects of the cybersecurity world, you can naturally find interest in the job. Learning at every step of the cybersecurity journey is the key mindset you need to develop as cybercrimes are increasing with the increase in technology. Thus, it is necessary to be updated on the technology and prevention techniques.
- Functional knowledge: An expert must understand the organization’s systems and their in-built features. They should be able to resonate with the operating system and its working. This will help them manage the system securely.
- Attention to detail: You must be active and follow a detail-oriented approach to excel in this field. A keen eye on details in cybersecurity is a must as it protects the organization’s sensitive information against any cyber-attacks.
- Technical knowledge: The cybersecurity industry is a technical field that requires a basic understanding of technical terms and languages. Therefore, you must develop your technical taste to grow and build your career.
- Stress management: In a cybersecurity job, the stress level can increase in many situations, like an attack or security breach. And whenever there is stress, performance levels reduce. Therefore, it is important to manage stress and work efficiently.
Top Hard Skills for Cybersecurity Jobs
Some hard skills required for the job roles include:
- Penetration testing: You must know the stimulation process to identify weaknesses and control the attack on a system. This will help you protect or recover organization data. These are usually performed at the entry level of storing data to eliminate the chances of security breaches.
- Cloud computing: Knowledge of cloud computing is an essential skill every organization looks for in cybersecurity professionals. Every candidate must acquire knowledge of cloud computing and network operations.
- Coding: Coding is the future of technology. With the advancement, coding is becoming highly essential for cybersecurity experts. Proficiency in Java and Python is what companies want.
- Risk Management: It is important to identify threats and vulnerabilities in the system. Determining vulnerabilities and threats is the key role that a cybersecurity expert needs to follow.
- Incident response and handling: A cybersecurity professional should handle the incidents flawlessly and work to eliminate the negative impacts of huge data loss on the organization.
- Security Architecture: As a cybersecurity candidate, having a decent understanding of the company’s security protocols and industry standards is a must. One must have knowledge of technical aspects included in security architecture.
- Reverse Engineering: When there is any security breach, the cybersecurity expert’s role is to reverse engineer that malware and understand the reason behind it to defend against security breaches and data loss.
Top Cybersecurity Certifications That You Can Get
Certifications boost the knowledge and skills that you require for working in cybersecurity. With these certifications, you will be recognized as a cybersecurity professional.
Many certifications are accepted globally, which makes it best for juniors and intermediate ones to pursue. Let’s discuss some of the certifications that help you to get a cybersecurity job.
CompTIA Security+
CompTIA Security+ certification builds your foundation skills in cybersecurity and confirms your capacity to handle professional roles. It includes sectional tests and hands-on practical experience. This certification is recognized globally.
CC – Certified in Cybersecurity
CC – Certified in Cybersecurity certificate by ISC2 is for beginners who want to learn all the basics and gain skills related to cybersecurity. This certification is tailored to provide foundational knowledge and skills essential for understanding and addressing the complex challenges of today’s cybersecurity landscape.
CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+)
CompTIA CySA+ certification is a globally recognized credential that serves as a key stepping stone for IT professionals aiming to advance in the field of cybersecurity. Designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of behavioral analytics applied to networks and devices, the CySA+ certification equips candidates with the necessary skills to proactively defend and continuously improve the security of an organization.
Make Your Decision Based on Your Requirement
Now that you can access various guides and resources, you must choose materials that align with your requirements and better suit your learning styles. These resources will help you gain certain skills and knowledge required to get a cybersecurity job, even if you don’t have prior experience in the industry.
So, follow the guide, know about the different aspects defined in this article, and select material according to your preferences.
Conclusion
Since the demand is increasing for cybersecurity experts, you will not have a shortage of jobs; instead, you will grow day by day. With the host of resources and communities available today, you can acquire skills and knowledge easily and get a job without any experience.
If you want to earn a decent salary and know how to get a cybersecurity job with no experience, you can easily get an entry-level job and get promoted to higher rankings. And if you want to start with a high salary, you must get a CISSP certification or complete a cybersecurity course to get global exposure. For more professional certifications, check out the courses here.
FAQs
Q1: Is it possible to start a career in cyber security with no prior experience?
Answer: Yes, it’s possible to start a career in cyber security without prior experience. Many professionals enter the field from different backgrounds, leveraging transferable skills and acquiring specific cybersecurity knowledge through various means such as education, certifications, and self-study.
Q2: What are the first steps to take when pursuing a career in cyber security with no experience?
Answer: The first steps include gaining a foundational understanding of IT and cyber security concepts, which can be achieved through online courses, bootcamps, or self-study. Networking with professionals in the field and understanding the different career paths in cyber security is also beneficial.
Q3: Are there any specific certifications that can help beginners enter the cyber security field?
Answer: Certifications like CompTIA Security+, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), and Cisco’s CCNA Cyber Ops can be valuable for beginners. These certifications cover basic security principles and practices and are well-recognized in the industry.
Q4: How important is networking for someone starting in cyber security?
Answer: Networking is very important. Connecting with professionals in the field can provide valuable insights, mentorship, and information about job opportunities. Attending industry conferences, joining cyber security forums, and participating in local meetups can be effective ways to network.
Q5: Can personal projects or self-study be beneficial in getting a cyber security job?
Answer: Yes, personal projects and self-study demonstrate initiative and passion for the field. Engaging in projects like setting up a home lab, participating in Capture The Flag (CTF) challenges, or contributing to open-source security tools can be very beneficial.
Q6: What entry-level positions should someone with no experience consider in cyber security?
Answer: Entry-level positions such as Security Analyst, Junior Penetration Tester, IT Support with a focus on security, or Compliance and Risk Analyst can be good starting points. These roles can provide practical experience and a pathway to more advanced positions.
Q7: How can someone with no experience showcase their skills to potential employers in cyber security?
Answer: Building a portfolio that includes personal projects, certifications, volunteer work, or contributions to open-source projects can be effective. Additionally, maintaining an active LinkedIn profile highlighting your skills and interests in cyber security can attract potential employers.
Q8: What soft skills are important in the cyber security field?
Answer: Critical thinking, problem-solving, attention to detail, and strong communication skills are crucial in cyber security. The ability to explain technical issues to non-technical stakeholders is also highly valued.
Q9: Is it beneficial to start in a different IT role before transitioning to cyber security?
Answer: Starting in a different IT role, such as network administration or IT support, can be beneficial. These roles provide foundational IT knowledge and experience that can be invaluable in a cyber security career.
Q10: How can one stay updated with the latest trends and developments in cyber security?
Answer: Staying updated can be achieved by following cyber security news sources, blogs, podcasts, and joining professional groups. Attending webinars, workshops, and industry conferences can also keep you informed about the latest trends and best practices.
Q11: Are there any specific industries that are ideal for starting a cybersecurity career?
Answer: Industries such as finance, healthcare, government, and technology are often ideal for starting a cybersecurity career due to their high demand for cybersecurity professionals. However, virtually every industry requires cyber security expertise, so opportunities are widespread.
