This is the first question most people ask when they decide to build a career in the cybersecurity industry. How do I build a career in the cyber security industry? Well, you have primarily three ways to build your cyber security career:
- you can enroll in a full-time college cyber security program
- you can enroll in an online cyber security training course
- you can enroll in a paid course by an IT company.
The cyber security industry has a plethora of job opportunities. There will be 3.5 million job openings by 2025. As compared to other fields, the cyber security industry is still less competitive. And the good thing about the cybersecurity industry is that despite being technical in nature, anyone with a non-technical or without professional education background can build a career in the cybersecurity industry.
To start with cybersecurity, you need to have knowledge of computers and networks. In this post, we will explain in detail the three ways to build a career in the cyber security industry.
1. Full-time college cyber security program
A full-time cyber security college program is a great way to become a master in cyber security. Enrolling in a college cyber security program comes with a range of advantages. The first and major advantage is that a college cybersecurity program is created in partnership with experts in the field. A college has a reputation to maintain. A good college tries to create a cyber security program that helps students get a job in the field. Therefore, the college connects with experts in the field to validate their programs and content.
The other advantages of choosing a cyber security program include classroom environment and placement opportunities. You can build a student-mentor relationship and master your concepts of cyber security. The college gives you the platform to build strong connections and may offer a platform for placements. You can build powerful connections with students, teachers, and mentors that you can leverage down the line to secure a job.
2. Online cyber security training course
If you are not ready for a full-time college cyber security program or if you feel it is a costly option, you can enroll in an online cyber security training course. There are various websites, such as Udemy, Coursera, and InfoSec4TC, that provide a vast range of online cybersecurity training courses that can help you build a career in the cybersecurity industry.
The great thing about the online cyber security training course is it provides flexibility to learn at your convenience. There are primarily three types of cyber security training courses: live classes, self-paced recorded learning videos, and study material. You can choose the type of course as per your needs. Online cyber security courses are available for students of all levels ranging from beginner to intermediate and advanced.
There are a few things you need to keep in mind while choosing an online paid cyber security training course:
It should be accredited by a top cyber security organization
It should provide you with valid cyber security certificates on the successful completion of the course
It should have a decent success rate in securing a job.
3. Enroll in a paid training program by an IT company
This is another way to build a career in the cybersecurity industry. Several companies out there offer paid cyber security training. Anyone interested in cyber security enrolls in a training program and may even get a placement offer in the same company. Choosing this option gives you the chance to work in a real-time environment working on real projects. You get to learn cyber security from experts, but finding a good option is a little hard as professional companies have limited seats. This option comes with the challenges of learning on your own. You need to invest time learning the basics of cyber security on your own because mentors at IT organizations have to conduct their responsibilities also.
4. Join a cyber security club
You can join a cyber security club, scholarship, or grant programs to learn and sharpen your cyber security skills. Even students who are enrolled in some other course in the university can join student clubs and student chapters of professional associations to learn cyber security. Also, many colleges have additional agreements with outside IT organizations to provide an external learning experience. You can explore that option as well. At the same time, aspirants who are not in college can look for independent cyber security clubs to master their cyber security skills.
5. Self-learning
You have the option of self-learning available too. There is a range of high-quality videos available on YouTube and various free online resources that can teach you cyber security in-depth. The only problem with this option is you do not have any official certificates to show that you have skills in cyber security. However, you can appear for the cyber security certification exam to prove your skills in the cyber security industry. The entry-level cyber security certifications include CompTIA Security+, ISACA CSX Cybersecurity Fundamentals Certificate, Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) Security Fundamentals, and more. Check out the syllabus for the certification exam, use free online resources to prepare for it, and appear for the exam and pass it to get certified, which will help you grab your first job. You can explore the InfoSec4TC free cyber security training courses to find the right cyber security course for you.
If you are a beginner, you can check out InfoSec4TC Cyber Security Career Builder Course. This course answers all the questions about how to build a career in information security from scratch or switch from the current career to Information Security in a very short period of time. Check out here common questions this course answers.
5 Ways to Build Your Cyber Security Career
The cyber security industry is a less competitive industry than other industries. There will be 3.5 million job openings by 2025.
1. College cyber security program
A college cybersecurity program is created in partnership with experts in the field. It is designed to get students a job in the field.
2. Online cyber security training course
Online cyber security training courses are the best option for flexible learning. It helps you prepare for cyber security examinations and build a career in the cybersecurity industry.
3. Enroll in a paid training program by an IT company
IT companies offer paid cyber security training. It gives you the chance to work in a real-time environment working on real projects.
4. Join a cyber security club
You can join a cyber security club, scholarship, or grant programs to learn and sharpen your cyber security skills.
5. Self-learning
You can watch videos on YouTube and use various free online resources to learn cyber security in-depth.
Enroll in InfoSec4TC Cyber Security Career Builder Course for free guidance.