https://www.yourcyberpath.com/56

In this episode, we provided an introduction to cybersecurity careers in the defense sector within the United States. This discussion can provide you with a great starting point for understanding how to get a cybersecurity position within this sector of the industry.

The defense sector consists of three main categories of positions: military members, government civilians, and government contractors. The defense sector is a huge area of growth in the cybersecurity industry, with over 50% of all federal government cybersecurity spending being dedicated to the Department of Defense’s budget for digital security in the United States. This equates to a lot of cybersecurity work and positions being made available within the industry for qualified and cleared individuals.

As we went through the episode, we covered all three areas and types of positions available in the defense industry. We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of joining the military or the reserve forces in order to get a cybersecurity position. For example, if you join the military, they will provide you with all of the training and qualifications necessary to become a talented cyber defense professional. We also covered the role of government civilians and the lengthy application process they undergo to land one of these positions. There is usually a lot of competition for these positions and a lot of “preference factors” that they use in determining who to hire for these positions. Finally, we covered the work of government contractors, which consists of the commercial companies involved with conducting business for the government.

For many defense sector cybersecurity positions, it is important to maintain a Secret or Top-Secret security clearance. This is another lengthy process, unfortunately, and can take between 6 to 18 months to finalize your investigation and get awarded a clearance. Due to this, those that have already received a validated security clearance have a significant advantage in getting hired those who are waiting for one or simply do not have one yet. The requirements for the Cyber Security Workforce (CSWF) requirements and certifications were also discussed.

As we discussed in the episode, there are a lot of other differences between applying for a civilian or contractor job inside of the defense industry, especially in terms of the position description and the way you will write your resume. If you want to land a contract position, you should visit the company’s website or any of the major job boards like LinkedIn, Monster, etc. If you want to land a government civilian position, then you should visit their central repository at USA Jobs.

What You’ll Learn

●     What is the defense sector?

●     What are the three different types of positions available to work for the government?

●     What type of requirements are needed to get a job in the defense sector?

●     What type of roles are there in the defense sector?

●     Are there any differences when applying for a civilian or contractor position?

Relevant Websites for This Episode

●     www.YourCyberPath.com

●     www.HiredIn21Days.com

●     www.linkedin.com

●     www.monster.com

●     www.usajobs.gov

https://www.yourcyberpath.com/55

In this episode, we are focused on the ever-divisive question of the importance of certifications in the cybersecurity industry. The answer to this question has changed over time from certifications being unimportant, to them being extremely important, to well, it depends.

Certifications can be extremely important for several reasons, including their ability to help your resume get through the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) filters used by the human resources and recruiting team, but they are not a silver bullet that will instantly land you a job.

As Jason Dion (Lead Instructor of Dion Training) shares with us in this episode, certifications can be your ticket to getting an interview, but they alone won’t get you the position. That said, without having that certification on your resume, you can easily be filtered out of consideration before a hiring manager even gets a chance to look over your resume. This makes having the right certifications and experience imperative if you want to land your dream cybersecurity position.

Just as a certification isn’t a substitute for a college degree, you will also learn that a college degree is not a substitution for having the right certifications. This is often not an “either-or” thing, but a “yes-and” type of thing that you must achieve for many cybersecurity positions.

What You’ll Learn

·     Why certifications are important in the cybersecurity industry

·     Are certifications or experience more important to a hiring manager?

·     Are certifications or college degrees more important to a hiring manager?

·     Which certifications should you be getting to advance in your career?

Relevant Websites For This Episode

 ·     Hired in 21 Days (https://www.hiredin21days.com)

·     Dion Training (https://www.diontraining.com)

·     CompTIA (https://www.comptia.org)

·     ITIL® 4 Foundation (https://www.axelos.com/certifications/itil-certifications/itil-foundation)

·     CREST (https://www.crest-approved.org)

For the past year, my good friend Wes Shriner has been my cohost. We’ve created some great episodes together, which I hope have helped you. These days Wes is super busy in his new role as Chief Information Security Officer, and I couldn’t be happier for him. So now that Wes has graduated from being my cohost, I’ve invited Jason Dion to cohost. 

Some of you may already know about Jason from his online certification prep courses. Maybe you’re already a customer of his? Well, it turns out that Jason is much more than a certification expert. He’s also an experienced hiring manager. So let’s meet Jason!

Applying For Cybersecurity Jobs But Struggling To Get Hired? Take This 2 Minute Quiz To Find Out Where You’re Getting Stuck In The Hiring Process!

https://www.hiredin21days.com

For the past year, my good friend Wes Shriner has been my cohost. We’ve created some great episodes together, which I hope have helped you. These days Wes is super busy in his new role as Chief Information Security Officer, and I couldn’t be happier for him. So now that Wes has graduated from being my cohost, I’ve invited Jason Dion to cohost. 

Some of you may already know about Jason from his online certification prep courses. Maybe you’re already a customer of his? Well, it turns out that Jason is much more than a certification expert. He’s also an experienced hiring manager. So let’s meet Jason!

Applying For Cybersecurity Jobs But Struggling To Get Hired? Take This 2 Minute Quiz To Find Out Where You’re Getting Stuck In The Hiring Process!

https://www.hiredin21days.com

"This week we have hosts, Kip Boyle, CEO of Cyber Risk Opportunities, Jake Bernstein, CISSP from K&L Gates, and Chris Brumfield, CPCU, ARe, a Professional Liability Advisor and no-fee independent insurance broker present a rapidly changing yet crucial cyber risk management tool in this CLE recording from September 15th, 2021.

"This week we have hosts, Kip Boyle, CEO of Cyber Risk Opportunities, Jake Bernstein, CISSP from K&L Gates, and Chris Brumfield, CPCU, ARe, a Professional Liability Advisor and no-fee independent insurance broker present a rapidly changing yet crucial cyber risk management tool in this CLE recording from September 15th, 2021.

All cyber risk managers need to understand Cyber Insurance, and so should all of us!

This is the second CLE we have hosted in a webinar format, and will be doing another one on December 15, 2021! If you want to be a part of this comment below and we will make sure we get you on the list!"

This week we are highlighting one of our popular episodes!

First covered back in Episode 40, we covered the topic of Security Awareness Training, and wanted to revisit it again in this epsiode.

Looking for a nontechnical job in Cybersecurity?! This might be a good option for you! In today's episode, we have a very special guest, Gabriel Friedlander, the founder of Wizer Security and Co-founder & CTO of ObserveIT. Join experienced hiring managers, Wes Shriner, Kip Boyle, and Gabriel Friedlander as they explore Governance Risk and Compliance (GRC) and Security Awareness and training from the Common Security Service Catalog.

They will be exploring:

✅ Cybersecurity Awareness Month

✅ Required Training

✅ Behavioral Training

✅ Skills Training

Loved this episode and want to learn more about Wizer?!

Check out more here:

https://www.wizer-training.com/

Can playing capture the flag also give you cybersecurity job hunting success on LinkedIn? Yes! Check out our step-by-step guide:

https://www.YourCyberPath.com/pdf

In episode 50, we showed you the first half of Kip's presentation with Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, where Kip talked with the students about Cybersecurity Management. This is the second half of this 2 part series, where we did open Q&A. They asked a lot of good questions!  

 If you missed the first half, check out EP 50 here: https://youtu.be/HmS4AuGrD-c  

Interested in my book?! It is available in paperback, kindle, and audible. 

Check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Doesnt-Innovate-Executives-Practical-ebook/dp/B07M7KTZWX     

Can playing capture the flag also give you cybersecurity job hunting success on LinkedIn? Yes! Check out our step-by-step guide: https://www.YourCyberPath.com/pdf

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"Recently, I was asked to be a guest speaker for Professor Kevin Cooney at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, to talk with his students about Cybersecurity Management. I have split this up into two sections, the first half which is this episode is the lecture and then the next podcast will be the open Q&A I did with them. I was so honored to talk with this group of students and to learn that they have been using my book, Fire Doesn't Innovate, as one of their textbooks.

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In today’s episode I want to answer a common question that I get: “Why do all the cybersecurity job postings ask for 5 years of experience but they're labeled as entry level positions?”

Can playing capture the flag also give you cybersecurity job hunting success on LinkedIn? Yes! 

Check out our step-by-step guide: https://www.YourCyberPath.com/pdf

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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/yourcyberpath/message