“Why Is It SO HARD To Find A Cybersecurity Job Right Now ?!”
My Thoughts on the Cybersecurity Job Market in 2024
This is the number one question I am being asked on LinkedIn
It seems a lot of people are struggling to find entry-level Cybersecurity jobs right now
It is truly depressing to hear from people who have applied to hundreds of job applications yet have heard back from only a handful.
These people are eager to prove their skills and expertise but are not getting their foot into the cybersecurity door
I don't blame their frustration, given how much Cybersecurity job shortages are advertised in the media
Yet the reality is something far more different:
A single Cybersecurity job position may get hundreds to thousands of applicants in a single day
Barely a handful will make it to the interview stage
You might have to do multiple rounds of interviews only to be rejected at the final stage.
The timelines for getting an offer are also getting longer and longer
There are reasons for this, but first things first...
IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT
It is not as if you do not have the skills to land a job.
The Job Market is brutal right now, so stop beating yourself up about it
A few reasons for this:
1 — The Impact of Layoffs
Enough has been written about this already
The thousands of layoffs that have happened these last couple of years have led to spillover into Cybersecurity as well
There are a lot of talented people on the market who are applying for every job under the reason making cybersecurity jobs hotly contested for
More than ever, it is important to stand out with something more than a resume
2 — The Balance Of Power Has Shifted (AGAIN)
Remember the Great Resignation ??
Yeah, those days are gone, unfortunately.
Cybersecurity employers can afford to be very choosy right now, given the number of talented people they can access.
Not to mention, most companies have let go of a LOT of people in their HR departments.
This means more people outside HR are involved, including higher-ups whose calendars are already booked.
This has led to a slowdown of hiring processes across the board.
3 — The AI Effect
I am not talking about AI taking away cybersecurity jobs here
Unlike content writing or customer service… I have not seen AI displacing entry-level Cybersecurity jobs at a large scale yet ( although it will in a few years )
But AI has leveled the playing field when it comes to improving CVs and LinkedIn Profiles
Previously, the best-written resumes and LinkedIn profiles had a chance to stand out
But now, with ChatGPT .. most job seekers can clean up and streamline their profiles easily
This makes standing out with just a good resume more difficult now
How To Succeed In This Crazy Job Market
The first step is to be realistic
Even with shortages .. the Cybersecurity job market is not the same as it was in 2019 or even 2020
The market will bounce back, but it will take some time
In the meantime, here is what you can do.
1 — Customize Your Resume
You cannot do anything about the thousands of CVs flooding the market
What you can do is use AI to your advantage and make it customize your CV for each job
This is a great prompt from Ruben Hassed that you can use:
Act like a seasoned career consultant and resume expert specializing in crafting tailor-made resumes for job seekers.
You have a deep understanding of what hiring managers in various industries look for in candidates, particularly for roles advertised on LinkedIn. Your expertise includes transforming LinkedIn job descriptions into compelling CV content.
Here’s my simplified CV between <CV> brackets.
<CV>
Name:
Age:
Nationality:
Education:
Past experiences:
Language:
Contact:</CV>
Feel free to be creative & expand it later on.
Your task is to create a CV that stands out for a specific job advertised on LinkedIn.
Here’s the job description between <job description> brackets.
<job description>
[PUT YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION HERE]
</job description>
Here’s the company’s description between <company description> brackets:
<company description>
[PUT YOUR COMPANY DESCRIPTION HERE]
</company description>
Use your extensive experience to analyze the job description, identifying key skills and qualifications required. Follow these steps:
1. Analyze the Job Description: Break down the job posting into core competencies, required experiences, and desirable traits. It will help you shape my CV to get the job. Remember, we don’t have the job yet but we are sending them our CV we build together.
2. Craft the Profile Summary: Based on the analysis, write a compelling profile summary for the CV that aligns with this job role & my simplified CV (that you will creatively upgrade).
3. Highlight Relevant Experience: Construct the experience section by emphasizing past roles and achievements that directly relate to the job’s requirements.
4. Skills and Education: Detail relevant skills and educational qualifications that make the candidate a good fit for this role.
5. Personalize and Optimize: Add elements to the CV that would appeal to this specific employer, using keywords from the job description for optimization.
6. Final Review and Tips: Provide a brief review of the CV and suggest any additional tips for improvement or customization. Make sure to use impactful & straightforward English instead of jargon or fancy words.
AVOID FANCY WORDS. USE SIMPLE BUT MEANINGFUL WORDS.Do not explain what you are doing. Just write a whole CV with the right formatting. Make it as lengthy as possible to make sure I land this job. It’s very important for my career to land this job.
Take a deep breath and work on this problem step-by-step.
2 — Network like crazy
Networking does not mean sending hundreds of LinkedIn connections every day.
Strategically search for senior Cybersecurity level executives in your industry and region and reach out to them.
Instead of just clicking Connect .. write a personal message
Tell them 1) who you are, 2) why you want to connect
The more personalized the message, the more likely the person will accept it.
3 — Draw Traffic To Your Profile
Job searching on LinkedIn is not just about putting the “OPEN TO WORK” icon on your profile and posting about it.
There are numerous ways to draw traffic to your profile
Create LinkedIn posts about your Cybersecurity expertise
Host a LinkedIn Live Event
Create a LinkedIn Newsletter
Contributing to LinkedIn collaborative articles and becoming a Top Voice.
Make as much noise about this as possible on your network, and you will see people getting interested
Engage with people who comment and see your network increase!
4 — Look At Freelancing
There are always options apart from full-time work
Look at platforms like Fiverr and Upwork to find part-time freelancing work
You can also reach out to businesses on LinkedIn and offer your services to them.
Be strategic about this and target small- to medium-sized businesses that cannot afford full-time cybersecurity teams.
These companies will be more receptive, and you have a higher chance of getting a response.
Check out this article that I wrote earlier
Don’t Give Up
It is no secret that the job market is frustrating right now
Focus on what you can control and ignore what you cannot ( like the number of interview rounds, rejections, etc.)
Be consistent and apply the tips in this article
I guarantee this tough time will pass, too!
Good luck on your journey