Invest In Cybersecurity Degrees OR Cybersecurity Certifications For Your Career ??
A few tips to help you in this career decision.
“Do Cybersecurity Degrees help ? I don’t want to waste 2 to 3 years of my life and not land a job !”
Cybersecurity certifications or degree?
This is a common problem that many professionals face when taking the plunge into the brave new world of Cybersecurity.
Both of them promise lucrative career opportunities and wins so it can get quite confusing for the newbie.
This is also one of the most common questions I get asked about most on LinkedIn or my YouTube channel.
I thought it would be worth giving my own 100% subjective opinion on this long-running debate.
1 — The Good and Bad Of Cybersecurity Certifications
Let us start with Cybersecurity certifications.
Earning these lets the employee know you have the baseline knowledge on a particular Cybersecurity topic
Think of them as merit badges for the tech world
The biggest pro of certifications? They’re quick to do.
In the time it takes to get a Cybersecurity Degree, you could earn multiple certifications and potentially land a job in a lucrative Cybersecurity position.
Time is, after all, money!
Certifications also allow you to focus on a particular niche to specialize.
Want to be a cloud security expert? Go for the Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) examination.
Thinking about being a hacker? Time to do the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification!
What are the cons ?
Tech-focused certs can get out of date quickly and be a hassle to maintain with those pesky annual payments.
They also do not carry the same weight as a degree would from an accredited educational institution.
From my own experience, certs are great for landing entry to mid-level positions, however for more senior positions they might lack the strategic touch that lands you that CISO job.
This is where Cybersecurity Degrees come in !
2 — The Good and Bad Of Cybersecurity Degrees
Cybersecurity degrees are a multi-year commitment that requires your time and effort to complete.
They are broader in scope and give you the full context of Cybersecurity.
Certs might teach you how a cyber attack happens but a degree will teach you the philosophy behind the attack and how it has evolved over time
Degrees will also build you soft skills like presentation and communication which are essential for a successful long-term career.
Degrees also do not go out of date like certs and can continue to give value over a longer period.
The bad part ?
They are LONG and might require a commitment of 3 to 4 years.
Also, did I mention they can get REALLY costly? Much more so than certs.
Cybersecurity Certs OR Degrees ?
My two cents on what you should choose is .. it depends on the situation.
If you are more hands-on and need to jump into the industry quickly then certs are an awesome way to get your foot in the door.
They validate your baseline knowledge and you can hit the ground running on day one.
But if you want to contribute to Cybersecurity and want to get an in-depth understanding then a degree is the way to go.
But one thing I do want to stress is .. you DO NOT need a cybersecurity degree to get a job in this field
The latest certification plus some hands-on experience can be enough to get your foot in the door.
Start with certs and then enroll in a Cybersecurity degree program when they want to get an in-depth understanding of cybersecurity.
I have also seen pros graduate with degrees and then use certs to get more hands-on knowledge that can complement their degrees.
At the end of the day, it depends on your unique situation but I hope I was able to show you the pros and cons of each approach.
Good luck with whichever route you choose!