How to get a job in cyber security
It can be a tough industry for newcomers to crack.
How to get a job in cyber security | Information Age | ACS : By Leonard Bernardone, Kate Millar on Oct 14 2024 10:10 PM
Despite Australia’s everlasting cyber security skills shortage, graduates and industry newcomers are struggling to get a foot in the door.
AustCyber’s latest Sector Competitiveness Plan showed some 125,791 people were employed in the Australian cyber security workforce in 2022, with 51,309 of those workers in roles with a “dedicated focus” on cyber security.
Meanwhile, it’s estimated 85,000 dedicated roles will need to be filled by 2030 to meet the “evolving demands of the sector”.
Job market tracker AuCyberExplorer further estimates there will be a collective 16,734 job openings in the sector this year – though jobseekers are having a hard time finding them.
In September, Melbourne-based tech freelancer Jane Rathbone told Information Age about her experience as a graduate looking for a job in cyber security.
After retraining with a cyber security associate degree, Rathbone was repeatedly bounced back by employers and eventually told there was “no way” her degree would land her an entry-level job.
Bachelor of ICT graduate Munopa Rukure similarly applied for over 150 tech roles before eventually managing to get a position at Amazon Web Services.
Jed Gladwin, founder of cyber security recruitment agency StraightUp, told Information Age the experience is far too common.
“I personally get at least 10 to 15 people a week reach out to me while trying to break into cyber security – it's the same conversation all the time,” said Gladwin.
“They've done a degree, or an associate, or a second-tier certificate, often sold to them by a provider that doesn’t care.
“They’ve been told they’re going to land a job fairly easily, but when they go into the big bad world, it just doesn’t happen.”
Despite a shortage in cyber talent, it seems businesses don't want to train newcomers. Photo: Shutterstock
Gladwin said despite talk of a talent shortage, a lack of entry-level prospects leaves people struggling to start their career.
“Right now, there are far too many people competing for a limited number of opportunities,” he said.
“Companies generally want experienced security professionals for highly specialised roles.”
Indeed, it’s a tough market out there; one which is far more competitive than the messaging from government and industry figures would lead one to believe.
Still, there are many steps applicants can take to stand out, starting with the right education.
Courses and certifications
Richard Buckland, professor of cyber crime at the University of New South Wales’ (UNSW) School of Computer Science and Engineering, told Information Age when choosing a cyber security course or qualification, it’s important to consider your intended career path.
“Some of the messaging out there – there’s a whole lot of wishful thinking,” said Buckland.
“The idea of having a micro certification called ‘cyber security’ so that there'll be cyber security people – it’s like saying, ‘well, we need more doctors, so we'll have a micro-credential in being a doctor’.”
While 20 years ago, cyber security was considered a predominantly technical field, many workers today specialise in non-technical areas such as scam awareness, behavioural analysis and policy.
“Cyber’s a big field, it touches on everything.” said Buckland.
As such, it’s important to study for a clear, employable skillset with a few specific jobs in mind and look for a curriculum matching that career path.
“The issue is when you don’t know what you actually want to do,” said Linda Cavanagh, co-founder of industry advocacy organisation the Australian Cyber Network.
“More than just ‘getting into cyber’, it’s crucial to establish a clear cyber security pathway which is informed by what’s available in the sector.”
Read the full article here.
