Starting a job in tech? Read this advice to maximize your experience
It’s that time of the year. New graduates have just begun to enter the workforce, re-fueling a cybersecurity industry that desperately needs talent around the world. Right now, the shortage sits at just under four million unfilled cybersecurity jobs globally, with the gap rising year-over-year, according to the nonprofit ISC2.
It is imperative that the industry do all it can to retain new graduates who are entering the industry, but there are steps that grads can take to make the transition from school into a Security Operations Center as smooth as possible. Cybersecurity is a fast-paced environment in which the circumstances can change on a dime, or at least as fast as the adversary can execute, innovate and adapt. With constant change, I have found it incredibly beneficial to identify and internalize, a mission-driven approach to work.
Let me explain. As a new graduate, your responsibilities may afford you a bit of extra time, and your scope of work might be narrow until you gather the ‘lay of the land’ at your company. But taking ownership of those limited options by being curious and asking questions, building relationships by engaging with your colleagues, and getting a bit uncomfortable by taking on tasks that you may not be perfectly ready to say ‘yes’ to in your role will fuel your professional growth faster than anything else.
As a junior employee, taking the initiative to understand how different teams and departments at your organization function alongside each other, offering insight where you can and over-communicating with your colleagues will show that you are ready to grow while immersing yourself in the company. It will help your colleagues and managers build trust in you that they might otherwise reserve for more senior employees and jumpstart your career right out of the gate. Do not underestimate the value of learning the company culture. Get involved in clubs or programs that you are passionate about.
It is also important to remember that not everyone lands their perfect role in the perfect part of the organization immediately after graduation. Just because you may have accepted or are applying for roles because they are interesting, this does not equate to immediate long-term success. I was always interested in math, for example, but a professor encouraged me to pivot myself to computer science. It was considered a more practical field than mathematics when I realized teaching was not what I was interested in as a career. In my case, the first part of my CS internship did not enthuse me at all before I discovered network and security. Even when I did develop a passion for security, it took several separate roles to figure out what I wanted to specialize in, from compliance, incident management, to security operations center management.
The bottom line is that career trajectories are rarely ever linear, and many people learn more about what they don’t like before finding something they do like. While on this journey myself, I received great advice and mentorship from the people I met along the way: my first internship role, colleagues over the years, at conferences, networking events and meetups; connecting both in-person and online to share stories and best practices in the cybersecurity world through to career advancement. The first few months of a new role are the best time you will ever have to soak up the wisdom of your colleagues, and to take it all in. This is the best time to build relationships, get involved with the company culture, learn to interact with new teammates, find passion in the industry, and meet interesting people who are willing to impart their knowledge with eager, tenacious new graduates. There is only one time in your life that you will be a new grad entering the workforce. Plunge into the experience and enjoy the journey.
