How can you show your cybersecurity skills to potential employers?

I've interviewed easily over a hundred candidates over the years. When it comes to the resumé, the fact is I mainly use it to ask "What does the candidate claim to know? What is fair game to ask them?" I look for positive assertions of what projects you worked on and what your role was in those projects. Without the role, you might have just been the note taker for all I know.

Based on my experience, creating a tailored resume that matches the desired job profile is essential. It is important to showcase the skills required to perform the job responsibilities, as this can help candidates get shortlisted. Additionally, highlighting any relevant certifications will emphasize your expertise in the subject matter, rather than just listing job responsibilities. To make your resume even more impactful, quantifying the results of your past work experiences will help highlight your achievements.

Disagree, every great opportunity I’ve been awarded in my career had nothing to do with this sheet of paper. Keep up to date with CE and in most jobs having some presence in your field be it slack channels, online publications , or social media will help more, your brand/ image should reflect your enjoyment of your career. I like conferences because it’s a multi bird one stone and I don’t need a sheet of paper to get a seat at the table to talk to those with the ability to make my dreams come true. Play the hero, villain, sidekick game: find someone you admire talk with them, find that CTF team that got around you talk with them, then find a friend to go grab lunch with.

Demonstrating your cybersecurity skills to potential employers is crucial in a field where practical expertise is highly valued. There are few ways where you can showcase your expertise and interest towards this field, 1. Showcasing relevant certifications such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), CompTIA Security+, or Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP). 2. For intermediate and senior candidate, it would be great displaying your security research on a particular findings. 3. Also, portray your quality when comes to problem solving, team work, creativity and Time management. 4. Lastly, it would be great if you can include some of your quantifying efforts.

Your resume serves to purposes: 1) It needs to get you a job interview. 2) It will set the direction and shape many of questions asked during your interview. Appropriate use of keywords and phrases can help your resume float to the top of the algorithm used to sort them, but it also needs to pique your would-be interviewers with curiosity. You may or may not have all the technical skills needed for every job you apply for - but technical skills can be taught. Your resume needs to demonstrate skills which are less easily taught; * problem solving, * intellectual curiosity, * conflict resolution Resumes which can demonstrate these skills and provoke thoughtful interview conversations are the resumes of high performers.

Build a project .. a simple one but solving a generic problem. Start with .. how to build a start up and secure. Work on that in your personal aws account for 3 months .. then do a aws certification .. and then do some introspection .. in 5 months you will have skills to showcase. That was my approach many years back before joining AWS as security architect. I can help

As a pentester, showcasing my portfolio on Medium and GitHub is crucial. On Medium, I write detailed walkthroughs of my projects, discussing objectives, tools, challenges, and outcomes. I make sure to use clear language and visuals for better understanding. On GitHub, I upload my code, scripts, and tools, including a README for each explaining its purpose and usage. I maintain a consistent structure across both platforms, starting with an introduction, methodology, results, and lessons learned. I also include step-by-step guides or video demonstrations to make my work more accessible. Engaging with the community through comments is a key part of my approach, allowing me to receive valuable feedback to showcase growth and understanding.

Contribute to Cybersecurity Communities: Actively participate in cybersecurity forums, discussion groups, and communities. Answer questions, share insights, and collaborate with others. This involvement demonstrates your commitment to continuous learning and engagement. Stay Informed About Industry Trends: Stay up-to-date with the latest trends, threats, and technologies in cybersecurity. Discussing recent developments in interviews or on your blog demonstrates your commitment to staying current.

Earning certificates in any filed is testament of dedication of the individual. It is not that easy; one has to go through a rigor to earn it. Certifications can also help you network with other professionals and access more resources and opportunities in the cybersecurity field.

Although the field of cybersecurity isn't an easy one to practice, it is rewarding, sought-after, and highly recession resistant. Certifications are the best way to demonstrate competence in the field to employers, aside from verified experience. While not in the above list, GIAC certifications are also a fantastic option of pursuit.

Cyber security as a skill acquired can be showcased through portfolio and certificates earned. Certification will show your potential employer that you have gone through the learning process and fit for the role.

Certifications from reputable institutions validate your skills, demonstrate specialized cybersecurity knowledge, and commitment to professional development.

If you are certified, recognize how little it means. It's the last thing on your resumé, it's the thing you talk the least about. Know that many certifications are literally a black mark against you when you are in front of technical people because they know that the information presented is just wrong in the real world.

Community is key. I've gotten further because of my active participation in forums over many years. I've gotten multiple interviews and jobs because of such. It almost doesn't matter the community. Don't focus on just a security forum. In my case, it was often a security subgroup of a forum not specific to security, one where I could contribute, but also learn about other topics.

In my experience I have learned that as a cloud security professional, you are as weak as your weakest employee who has shown less interest in ensuring that the device used for work is not left unlocked, I also learned that a scammer usually target your C suits roles to communicate actions to those below resulting in simply getting a payment account for salary changed to a hackers account.

2, 3, And 4 Can and will entirel all replace number 1 In a modern job seeking environment that’s all you can really say about that.

Leverage popular free platforms like TryHackMe or HackTheBox to build your technical skills, linking achievements to LinkedIn or your resume. Explore free Capture The Flag (CTF) events hosted by companies like SANS for a unique, competitive learning experience. Soft skills, often overlooked, are important in communication. To build these skills, create a tech blog or document your GitHub projects, showcasing your passion and enhancing your writing skills; these can be seamlessly integrated into your resume and LinkedIn profile. Additionally, consider applying to speak at local conferences or security events—an excellent opportunity to refine public speaking skills, that can translate to leading meetings and conducting interviews.

Being Knowledgeable without demonstrating skill will not make experts, while demonstrating the skill we actually get to know what we had learned and what was our expectations, once something implemented it will give more weightage to skill.

First and foremost. Cracking is not security. Practice your infrastructure support skills. Practice your automation building skills. Practice your writing skills. If I'm given the choice between someone who's done many CTF exercises or TryHackMe exercises -- versus someone who's done lots of demonstrated background in writing? I'm almost certainly going to pick the writer. Their skills are more transferrable, more valuable almost every time. Get into writing something. Documentation, fiction, case studies, argument, recommendations, risk assessments. Write.

Practice your Interviewing skills! - You've worked on Certs, built a good resume, and done some cyber practicing. Now do the icing on the cake. Watch Youtube Videos on common interview questions. Know how to answer the with a positive angle. Practice in front of a Mirror, then with a friend or family. Prepare some good answers about your experience both work and life-related that can answer the "tell me about a project you led", or "tell us about a time you failed at something". Be able to show you had a learning experience from that.

Building your home lab is like crafting a personal workshop for cybersecurity exploration. Imagine your virtual space as a canvas, with tools like VirtualBox or VMware being your paintbrush. Windows 11 becomes the backdrop, and Kali Linux, your specialized palette for penetration testing. It's a hands-on journey, akin to navigating through Cybersecurity Lab, TryHackMe, or Immersive Labs – turning learning into an immersive experience. So, in this digital workshop, let your curiosity guide you, experiment freely, and watch your cybersecurity skills evolve.

Participating in open government initiatives..nationally and internationally as well as engaging with local enterprises such as local charities, education institutions, demonstrating diverse skills and engagements.

Be a communicator. In a world of instant messages and sound bites, it is critically important to be able to clearly communicate your thoughts to others. Innovative ideas, clever plans, and unique perspectives are useless if they are stuck inside your head. Develop your written and oral communication skills. Practice them every chance you get. Read books (any books). It's amazing how often a meeting or misunderstanding can be avoided simply by spending the time to send a clear and concise message.

To showcase my cybersecurity skills to a potential employer, I'd present a portfolio highlighting practical projects and security assessments I've conducted, emphasizing tangible outcomes and solutions. I would discuss my experience with relevant certifications like CISSP and practical engagements such as Capture the Flag challenges. Additionally, I'd highlight any contributions to the cybersecurity community, whether through blogs, open-source projects, or presentations at conferences. During the interview, I'd articulate my problem-solving approach, ethical mindset, and ability to communicate complex security concepts effectively, providing a well-rounded picture of my expertise and suitability for the role.

This I think above all else is where everyone whom dawns the IT moniker needs to focus because as I moved further into cyber security it becomes less IT. Witnessing that change allows you the opportunity to see the proverbial other side of the fence more frequently. Using that information to create a more secure environment and showing the individuals around you that cyber security begins the minute you interact with someone or something. Using this knowledge you can pivot every conversation into a way to increase your counter for future developments.

Produce quantifiable results. Holding a job title is great, especially in the cybersecurity field, where the turnover rate is high, but pointing to quantifiable achievements that demonstrate a high level of expertise in your field will help you stand out from the other resumes. List unique projects you are proud of, they don't necessarily have your most complex projects but you should be able to speak on what you did and how you did it. Metrics don't hurt. It may seem like unnecessary bragging to count the number of people or systems you've protected just by doing your job but stating it provides a figure for the amount of value you could be providing to your next employer.