Wonder what cybersecurity roles you need to fill once you get out of college? Or what are the possible career path you can take?
Cybersecurity is a secure field to get into. Why? Because it is growing to be more important over time.
Especially with the rise of the pandemic. New trends are rising. So, there is a need for more cybersecurity experts.
What, then, can you look forward to with this career? Keep on reading to know more.
Cybersecurity Job Growth
Cybersecurity experts work in almost every sector. May it be in the public or private. For-profit or non-profit. Or businesses small or large. Like:
- Healthcare
- Government
- Law Enforcement
- Technology
- Finance and Banking
- Insurance
- Telecommunications
- Maritime
But threats are not the same with each sector. So, you will need to be well aware of the threats present in the sector you landed a job in.
On job demand, cybersecurity roles are expected to rise over time. From 2018 to 2028, experts believe it will go up to 32%. Which is higher than in other jobs with only 11%.
But even though this is the case, there is still a shortage of cybersecurity experts. Meaning, there are more openings for aspiring experts like you.
Cybersecurity Roles
The specific role you will need to fill will depend on the size of the company you will work for. Also, it will depend on their resources.
For small to mid-sized ones, you may need to play the ‘jack of all trades.’ But in larger ones, you may become a specialist.
To become better at the position, it can be better for you to start as a generalist. Then, as you grow further, specialize in the area you like the most or you have the greatest strength.
Some of these areas include:
- Application security
- Security architecture
- Forensics
- Threat intelligence
- Incident response
- Network security
- Vulnerability management
- Data loss prevention
Cybersecurity Career Path
There are a lot of names for cybersecurity experts. But most of the time, it will have “cybersecurity” or “information security” in it. Like:
Then, you may have heard about the words “entry”, “associate”, or “senior” before these titles. This means your level is growing.
Then, on executive levels, the titles will add other words. Like “manager”, “director”, or “officer.” For government roles, you will be assigned as “level I”, “level II”, or “level III.” All are based on expertise and experience.
But in your whole career, you will need to always upgrade. As the cybersecurity landscape is always changing, you will need to keep up to date.
So, what you can do is:
- take a master’s degree
- upskill in virtual labs
- complete internships
- join a professional organization or association
- find a mentor to help you outline and reach your mid-term and long-term plans
Then, you can also choose to focus on different cybersecurity areas. Like:
- Leadership (senior or executive level roles)
- Consulting (being a consultant)
- Education (teaching or mentoring others)
So, what do you think? Do you already have an outline of your future career plans?
