Here's how you can kickstart your Cybersecurity career as a recent graduate navigating the job market.

Traditionally new entrants in cyber security begin their careers with very limited knowledge of how to keep their organizations cyber safe. Their training primarily deals with installation procedures, configuration process, user access, and some minor degree of network problem solving. Adding cyber vigilance skills and mindset can enhance their newly acquired cyber security knowledge to a much higher level where they can proactively participate in the cyber safety of their organization.

Gaining practical experience can be a challenge without a job, but there are ways around it. Consider internships, volunteer work, or part-time positions that offer exposure to cybersecurity tasks. Participating in hackathons, cybersecurity competitions or open source projects can also be beneficial. These experiences not only enhance your skills but also demonstrate your passion and commitment to potential employers. They can provide you with tangible achievements and stories to share during job interviews. They can also give you more experience being on a team and practicing soft skills. Remember that your resume and skills will land you the interview and from there your soft skills will take center stage.

One needs practical experience to get a job, and one needs a job to get some practical experience. It is the usual chicken and the egg story. A fresh entrant to the field of cyber security can begin by freelancing, i.e., offering help to individuals and small companies, etc. In such assignments, rather than just doing the minimum work like configuring and installing, the newbie should extend themselves to helping their clients become cyber-safe. Such extended effort will provide them with more in-depth experience which will be helpful to in any job interview or a bigger assignment.

A typical new entrant is usually hesitant to approach more experienced cyber security professionals. While joining online communities is very helpful, appropriate participation in such communities is important to be noticed.

When I’m not upskilling in cybersecurity, I enjoy boxing. ✨🥊✨ What does boxing have to do with your cybersecurity job search? 🤷♀️😂 The best fighters shadowbox. They practice alone. They prepare by punching, well, nothing. This is because the majority of punches even great boxers throw during a match won’t actually make contact with an opponent. This job market is rough! If you feel like you keep punching and missing, you’re not alone! Let the closed doors and misses fuel your drive toward the open door that’s right for you. We’ve got to keep fighting though. That’s the only way we’ll get a more inclusive, more secure digital world - the ultimate cybersecurity win for all of us! ✨🥊✨

Be able to "demonstrate." Much of the interview process is going to be about "tell me a time when..." in a lot of cases you won't have a specific work experience to showcase that. If you have done something in a lab, or in a class then explain that. It's key to not just answer their question but let them know your line of thinking, how you learned from it, what you took away from the experience. Over-explain, not the technical details but the value of the knowledge you have because of it. In cases where you don't have the experience to answer a question like that, then tell them how you would. "If I encountered ABC, then I would do Y in that situation, and consider XYZ, and work with X, ...."