Is Cyber Security a Good Career?

Cybercrime affects the security of more than 80% of businesses throughout the world today. With an expected growth of over 15% per year, cybercrime is predicted to cost businesses more than $10 Trillion by 2025.

Companies are in dire need of cybersecurity professionals, and it shows in their employment figures. The US Bureau of Labor and Statistics estimates the employment of security analysts to grow more than 30% by 2029.

With the global average salary of a cybersecurity professional standing above $100,000 - it is clear that cybersecurity is a lucrative profession.

So, the short answer is - Yes, cybersecurity is an excellent career option.

Sounds great, but it may not be that simple for everyone.

Cybersecurity Jobs - What You Need to Know

Cybersecurity is an expansive field, there are multiple roles that you can expect to see in the job market and some of these roles may not be a good fit for your experience and personality.

Some jobs are interactive and you might want to avoid these if you lack communication skills. On the other hand, some jobs are a bit mundane and might become tedious down the line for certain people.

In this article, I will go over different kinds of cybersecurity career paths. I will highlight the responsibilities you can expect to take up in each career path so you can decide if it is a good fit for you.

In addition, I will provide some actionable tips you can use to start your cybersecurity career on the right track.

Let’s start with a cybersecurity career roadmap. Here, you will learn how you can enter the

world of cybersecurity as a professional.

Cybersecurity Career Roadmap

While the demand for cybersecurity professionals is at an all-time high, there are a few things you need to clear up before starting your career in cybersecurity.

Given the nature of the profession, employers are not willing to take risks with inexperienced employees. You will need to develop certain skills and gain experience to become a valid candidate.

Here’s a roadmap that you can follow to land your ideal job in cybersecurity.

1. Bachelors in related field

Employers prefer candidates who have earned their bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or other related fields.

Subjects such as Computer Networks, Cryptography, and Programming equip you with the skills required to establish your career in cybersecurity.

2. Certifications

By earning certifications, you can still have a chance to become a valid candidate; even if you don’t have a bachelor’s degree.

Cybersecurity courses offered by Coursera, Udemy, or EdX are a great place to start learning about the technical aspects of cybersecurity and earn relevant certifications.

If you are already pursuing a bachelor's degree, completing these courses makes you an even more attractive candidate for employers.

3. Internships

Once you have gathered enough technical knowledge in the field, you can start applying for cybersecurity internships.

Internships are the perfect place to start as you get on-field experience, and you can earn a recommendation letter to back up your expertise.

Read our "20+ Cybersecurity Internships You Can't Miss Out On" blog post to learn how you can easily land cybersecurity internships.

4. Applying for jobs

With certifications in multiple courses and a recommendation letter to back up your expertise; you can finally start your cybersecurity career.

Now, you will come across multiple career paths with confusing job titles. You might be unsure about the working experience in different jobs.

It helps a lot to know about specific requirements for different career paths so you can land a job that you will love.

Cybersecurity Career Paths

We can divide cybersecurity jobs into five major career paths. Each path is different and requires unique skill sets and certifications. Let’s explore these career paths and learn about their work experiences.

1. Testing and Ethical Hacking

Testing and ethical hacking are vital procedures in cybersecurity.

All security systems are bound to have vulnerabilities. It is your job as a cybersecurity tester to gain access to your target system (ethically, of course!) and identify key vulnerabilities present in the system.

Relevant skills

• Penetration testing
• Database skills
• Cryptography

Relevant certifications

• EC Council - Certified Ethical Hacking
• OSCP Certification
• CompTIA Security+ Certification

2. Incident Response

Cybersecurity incidents are difficult to prevent. Once an incident occurs, small mistakes can cause even further damage to the organization’s system.

As an incident responder, it is your responsibility to minimize the damage incurred by an organization. This field requires good communication skills as you will need to gather information from your employer’s IT staff.

Relevant skills

• Communication
• Investigation
• Analysis
• Monitoring

Relevant certifications

• EC Council - Certified Incident Handler
• GIAC Certified Incident Handler
• Incident Handling & Response Professional

3. Security Engineering

Security engineers design and develop security systems to defend against cyber threats.

As a security engineer, you are responsible for screening security software for potential vulnerabilities and providing safer, more reliable alternatives.

Relevant skills

• Threat modelling and ethical hacking
• Programming
• Secure network architecture
• Network routing methods

Relevant certifications

• GIAC Security Essentials Certification
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional
• CompTIA Security+ Certification

4. Management and Administration

Cybersecurity managers supervise network and computer security systems.

As a cybersecurity manager, it is your responsibility to coordinate security teams and verify security protocol compliance for your organization.

Relevant skills

• Project Management
• Communication
• Security Operations
• Information Security and Systems

Relevant certifications

• Certified Information Security Manager
• Certified Informations Systems Security Professional
• CompTIA Security+ Certification

5. Consulting

Cybersecurity consultants are tasked with researching an organization’s security systems and strategies.

You can expect to carry out vulnerability testing, security checks, and analysis of your employer’s system. In addition, you will deliver technical reports highlighting the overall situation of your organization’s security systems.

Relevant skills

• Network and security applications
• Network and security foundations
• Cloud computing and infrastructure

Relevant certifications

• Certified Informations Systems Security Professional
• Certified Information Systems Auditor
• Offensive Security Certified Professional

How to Start a Cybersecurity Career

With the required internship experience and certifications under your belt, you are finally ready to start your cybersecurity career. Landing jobs is not an easy task, you need to establish yourself as a skilled professional in your field to become the most desired candidate.

Here are some actionable tips you can follow to start your career on the right track.

Have the relevant skill set

Cybersecurity fields are highly specialized. You have to equip yourself with the relevant skill set for a successful career in your ideal cybersecurity field;

A great way to acquire skills in your field is by earning certifications and recommendation letters from internships.

Apply for the right positions

As a beginner in your cybersecurity career, you will need to start with entry level jobs to earn some work experience in your field. You should ensure that you have the required skills and certifications for the job that you are applying for.

We have a list of cybersecurity jobs ranging from entry level to more experienced positions. Every cybersecurity job on our website is listed with its required skill set.

You can visit our Entry-Level Cyber Security Jobs page to start applying for your first cybersecurity job.

Carry out research for the interview

You can easily land your ideal cybersecurity job by carrying out a bit of research before your interviews and screening.

Employers are looking for candidates that are interested in their field and organization. Your goal is to gather relevant information on your employer’s organization and try to establish yourself as a skilled professional.

The best way to establish your credibility is to start a conversation with your employer on a topic that is relevant to them and their organization.

Here are some tips to find interesting talking points for interviews.

• Learn about the organization’s preferred security software
• Follow their posts on social media platforms, identify their pain points
• Research the organization’s security history to discuss relevant security events

Compare Salaries

Before you sign the contract with your organization, you should compare your salary package to similar jobs in the field. This will give you a good idea if you are receiving fair compensation for your expertise.

You can check out Cybersecurity salaries on our website to compare your salary package to similar jobs in the field.

Final Thoughts

Cybersecurity is a major concern for any modern organization, and jobs for experienced cybersecurity professionals are readily available.

If you are thinking about starting your cybersecurity career, there are a few things you need to know beforehand.

1. Cybersecurity is an expansive field, different jobs in cybersecurity require you to have unique skill sets and certifications.

2. Cybersecurity careers can be divided into five major paths. Each cybersecurity career path gives you unique responsibilities that require specific skill sets and certifications. These are:

   • Testing and ethical hacking
   • Incident response
   • Security Engineering
   • Management and Administration
   • Consulting

3. Employers are looking for cybersecurity professionals with exceptional skills and knowledge. Here are some actionable tips you can use to ace your job interviews.

   • Acquire the relevant skill set
   • Apply for the right positions
   • Carry out important research before interviews

In this article, I went through each of these points in detail and provided actionable tips that you can follow to land the ideal cybersecurity job for your skills.