firstPRO, Inc’s Post

Hey there, tech folks! Let's talk about something important: getting jobs in cybersecurity and IT. 🛡️ Ever scrolled through LinkedIn and seen job ads for 'Entry Level' or 'Associate Level' roles, only to find out they want years and years of experience? 😱 It's like asking a kid to drive a race car! But wait a minute! Are companies just confused about what they're looking for? Or are they afraid to hire newcomers? 🤔 Even if they prefer seasoned pros, there are plenty of us out there with skills as sharp as a superhero's cape! But we're stuck because we don't have enough years on the job. 😤 I've been on the hunt for a cybersecurity job, especially in VAPT, for six long months. But it feels like trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces – I can't even apply to many positions because of their crazy experience requirements, even though I know I'm up for the challenge! And guess what? I'm not alone in this tech maze! Lots of us are feeling the same frustration, like we're trying to crack a code that just won't budge. 🔍 This thing should not be overlooked by the companies we want to apply to showcase our skills over experience so it’s a huge request to remove the experience criteria on the title of entry and associate level jobs. A big shoutout to Rana Khalil for bringing this up in her interview with Alex. Let's keep the conversation going and make some noise! 🚀 #hiring #hiringalert #hiringnow #JobSearch #CareerOpportunity #CareerOpportunity #NowHiring #JobOpening #JobAlert #JobPosting #WorkOpportunity #JobHunt #VAPT #cybersecurity #pentesting #owasp #bugbounty

I've started to develop a reputation for "telling it like it is" so I figured I'd lean into that and provide my network with 8 tough truths this Friday. 1) There is no shortage of talent for cybersecurity at the entry-level. I believe there are at least 10k entry-level job seekers at any given time (in the US) and maybe 100 true entry-level roles. You really need stand out or know someone to get that big break. Networking is everything. 2) The job market for cyber skills is not what it once was. VC investment is way lower than 2022 levels (but up slightly from 2023), money is more expensive, and hiring is not happening at the frenetic pace it once was. Security is also seen as a cost center so when companies are trying to run lean, security teams tend to run lean. We'll see what the economy does over the next year... 3) The demand for cyber talent is not evenly distributed and demand shifts month-by-month. Right now, skillsets in demand are DFIR, Appsec, DevSecOps, Cloud Sec, Product Sec, and OT Sec. GRC hiring is soft, as is hiring at the junior and executive levels. 4) I'd guess that roughly half of the #cybersecurity industry believes that security is not an entry-level field and that truly entry-level security jobs can't exist if we want to protect our crown jewels as an industry. "You can't secure what you don't understand." 5) Hiring biases in our industry (and others) are as common as the jobs themselves. Humans are flawed creatures with in-built preferences - we make a LOT of assumptions based on incomplete data. You need to know what the biases are to contend with them. Ageism is the most common in my experience (in both directions). 6) Often it's not about WHAT you know, but WHO you know. This is a turn-of-phrase as old as time but it's never been more true. If you can get a warm referral into a company, you may not need to be the most qualified candidate. 7) Job seeking in 2024 sucks. We have a giant signal to noise ratio problem. There are thousands of candidates on the market and thousands of jobs. Recruiting teams are often lean and overworked which compounds the issue, but it's a people and process problem, NOT a technology problem. ATS auto-rejecting people based on keywords is a MYTH. 8) Recruiters find people for jobs, not jobs for people. Approaching recruiters asking for them to find you a job will not get you anywhere. If you think you're a fit for a specific role a recruiter has access to, that might get you somewhere. What did I miss? If I'm completely off base on something, please let me know that as well. 😁

This is great advice to set up an alert for the companies that have hired actual entry level positions.

Wake up, companies - your tech talent is at the door! You claim you just can't find the talent you need. Well, those junior unicorns are out there ! You’re just not looking in the right places! 🙄😉 At BeCode, we transform unemployed and unqualified individuals into skilled developers, cybersecurity experts, SOC analysts, pentesters, network security specialists, security consultants, forensics analysts, data analysts and much more! How do we do it? By focusing on their potential, not their pedigree. These people have grit. They've overcome adversity. They are loyal, committed, and hard-working. In short: everything you want in an employee! 💪 So, let go of your obsession with shiny CVs. Open your mind to non-traditional talent! ✨ →  You say you want innovation ? ↳ Then innovate the way you hire ! Reach out, and let’s get started! 😃

Reflecting on my job hunt that just ended, it was hard. Getting a job in Cybersecurity and tech right now is very hard with too many people chasing too few jobs with approximately 50,000 layoffs in tech this year and an estimated 269,000 layoffs from last year. What I would love to see to help accelerate the process and make it fairer: 1.      Better screening of candidates and transparency from employers. List job requirements and salary range then have the candidate acknowledge: that they are a citizen or have a work visa to work in the country, are ok with the job being remote/hybrid/on-site, are ok with the salary range, are ok with the travel requirements if any, and have the required skills and certifications. 2.      Gamification. Simulations are a great way to test candidates. For example, for a pen testing job, create a lab environment and then ask the candidate to hack a group of servers in that lab. For managerial jobs, ask the candidate to go through a management simulation and evaluate how they manage people, handle a crisis, manage a budget, etc. For SOC jobs, ask the candidates to go through a CTF or incident response simulation to test their skills. 3.      From there, pick the top candidates based on their performance, then have the interview with the hiring manager. To help others looking for a job in Cybersecurity, I have been tagging job posts I see with #cyberjobs to make it easier for job seekers to find. Encouraging folks to help out and tag their job posts as well. Please help the legions of people out of work. To the job seekers, good luck and good hunting. #cyber #cybersecurity #infosec #informationsecurity #infosecurity #jobs #HR

Hi everyone. 👋🏼 This week's tip on finding #entrylevel jobs in tech and #cybersecurity is a good one. Look at profiles of companies who have previously posted entry-level tech & cybersecurity roles. Create a Google alert (https://lnkd.in/ess4t8T5) for entry-level tech roles at these companies. These companies have a proven track record of investing in the next generation, and will likely post entry-level job openings in the future. Be sure to use specific keywords like "analyst" and "junior" and "no previous experience required" in your job alerts. Whenever a new role gets posted, you'll be the first to know. === My name is Naomi. Every Sunday in 2024, I'll be posting a new job tip on finding entry-level tech and cybersecurity jobs, as well as an example job using that tip, if possible. My primary goal is to help more people break into cybersecurity and technology roles. My secondary goal is to help hiring managers and companies see that it's both normal and possible to hire juniors for their teams. If you have a tip or an entry-level job listing that you'd like to share, please send me a DM. 💙 Rooting for you. 🔥

Hi everyone. This week's #cybersecurity job tip is one of my favorites. Did you know that it's possible to move laterally into tech from your current non-tech role? That's right - you can break into cybersecurity & IT at the company you currently work for! Many companies are open to hiring internally, especially for entry-level positions. As a hiring manager, I've done this myself. 🔥 Here's how to make it happen: 1. Research. Find out who manages the team you want to work on. 2. Reach out. Ask to do a short 1x1 chat to learn more about what they do day-to-day. Learn about their team's mission & purpose. 3. Show off your skills. During the chat, tell them what you've done on your own. Show your love of learning. If you have hands-on experience (such as a home lab), be sure to mention it. 4. Be proactive. Offer to be a champion for tech initiatives. Volunteer for small projects. Be a liaison between your team and theirs. If you follow these steps, you'll dramatically increase your chances of being considered when an entry-level position becomes available on that team. It's a proven strategy for getting your foot in the door and breaking into tech. Who knows? That dream job might be right under your nose. Rooting for you. 🔥 === My name is Naomi. Every Sunday in 2024, I'll be posting a new job tip on finding entry-level tech and cybersecurity jobs, as well as an example job using that tip, if possible. My primary goal is to help more people break into cybersecurity and technology roles. My secondary goal is to help hiring managers and companies see that it's both normal and possible to hire juniors for their teams. If you have a tip or an entry-level job listing that you'd like to share, please send me a DM. 💙 Rooting for you. 🔥

Most times your mind would always play tricks on you majorly when you have NAYSAYERS around you. * Always be your own motivation. * People don't know your full potentials except they see it. * Do not give up when the going get tough. * Know your strengths and weakness. * Stand again when you fall. Follow Toluwalope Comfort Owoeye,CC (in view) for more educative contents. #tech #motivation #betruetoyourself

I know that I have a lot of people in my connections that are looking to make that transition into tech. Read Naomi's post about great ways of trying to make that move. There can be great opportunities with your current employer if you build your network internally. Your current employer will already know if you are a great employee, someone who is willing to branch out and take on new tasks and learn new things. Use this to your benefit. Do this while you are still looking at different companies but don't forget to look internally.

Getting a job in Cybersecurity and tech right now is very hard as we are going through one of the most challenging job markets in a generation with too many people chasing too few jobs with approximately 50,000 layoffs in tech this year and an estimated 269,000 layoffs from last year. To help others looking for a job in Cybersecurity, I have been tagging job posts I see with #cyberjobs to make it easier for job seekers to find. Encouraging folks to help out and tag their job posts as well. Please help the legions of people out of work. Another tip to search for job posts on LinkedIn. For example: 1. Enter "security engineer" in the top search bar with quotation marks. 2. Select "Posts". 3. Select "Content type" then select "Job posts" then select "Show results". 4. This will display some posts from people hiring for security engineers. To the job seekers, good luck and good hunting! The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company. #cyber #cybersecurity #infosec #informationsecurity #infosecurity #jobs #HR