How can you prepare for a cybersecurity interview with no experience?

The most important factor when researching a company is understanding the motivation behind filling a particular role. It might be the case that they are looking to fill positions with individuals who have specific certifications such as CREST, OSCP, etc. For example, a company I interviewed with was hiring following a recent breach due to pressure from CEO/Board. Hence, I thoroughly researched the breach's technical and strategic aspects, which became a focal point in the interview. Furthermore, if Interviewer profile is known before hand, researching their background/strengths can help you anticipate questions. Additionally, companies take pride in their core values, understanding them and how it aligns with yours can be beneficial.

Have a great attitude. We can train skills, we can't train great attitudes and a positive outlook. Be hungry for knowledge. Those are the type of folks that make the greatest impact.

Culture is a significant factor when doing research. I always ask myself, 'Does the job description align with the job requirements?' To me, the job posting reflects the hiring team. For example, if it's an entry-level position but requires 5 years of experience, I ask questions such as, 'Did the hiring team take the time to review the job requirements before posting?' followed by, 'Will they take the time to get to know me?' When I find a job post of interest, I use platforms like Glassdoor, Indeed, and LinkedIn to learn more about others' experiences working at that company. If I notice a consistent amount of comments with concern about the culture, I assess if this trait might be in my interview or not to apply for the position.

Before giving that Oscar performance, decide whether you really want the job and can live with your inexperience. If you are willing to work hard and make up for this deficiency later, the first step is to understand what will be required of you at the company. Give a lot of thought to what you can do to deliver on those requirements. According to studies, 87% of employers will choose a candidate's attitude towards learning over experience, so be prepared to emphasize your willingness to learn and grow and contribute during your interview.

My first interview in cyber was when I had no experience. I didn’t even have a background in IT at all. However, I gave a lot of examples to things I have done and why those particular skills are transferable to this industry. That’s what ended up getting me the job.

Lately, I've had the opportunity to hire professionals for my team. While experience is undoubtedly crucial, I often find myself leaning towards candidates with strong fundamentals and a genuine eagerness to learn. In many cases, observing a candidate's enthusiasm, their hunger for the job, and the desire to evolve holds more weight than their prior experience. Having a solid foundation allows others to recognize your potential and consider you for a position, even if you lack experience. If you've learned all of this on your own, it shows determination and the capability to evolve and handle the job's demands. Intrinsic motivation and robust foundational knowledge often make an excellent fit, even without extensive experience.

I’m surprised none of the answers have mentioned Darknet Diaries, a popular podcast that I see cybersecurity pros and students (including myself!) recommending to each other all the time. Besides podcasts, the prompt also mentions blogs and online publications—I’m glad somebody already mentioned The Hacker News. Don’t confuse this with “Hacker News,” which is a different website for entrepreneurs hosted by Y Combinator. The real The Hacker News is found at TheHackerNews.com and it’s one of the sources that the great Dr. Gerald Auger references in his daily cyber threat briefings on the SimplyCyber YouTube channel. So that’s DarknetDiaries for in-depth cyber tales new and old, and SimplyCyber + TheHackerNews for the latest cyber stories.

While trying to appear highly professional in a field where you lack experience might be out of place, solid knowledge of the fundamentals and current trends will surely make all the difference. Let the knowledge you portray appear practical, not theoretical. Theoretical knowledge tends to bore interviewers and often feels out of touch with what is actually in demand in the real world of industry.

One thing I've learned is that you don't need to be employed to learn the basics of a profession. We have so many resources for learning readily available, whether it be LinkedIn Learning, Youtube, StackOverflow, Github, certifications, traditional schools...You get my point. If you have a cell phone, you can download materials and applications to help learn concepts. Have a laptop? Even better because now you can download full tools to practice security skills! My point is you can learn a ton, regardless of budget. Another thing I'll add is network! Use LinkedIn to find people at the company you like and doing the job you're interviewing for. Ask them questions; pick their brains. Many people will help because they want you to succeed!

Have knowledge of recent tech and cyber news, be honest and be you! And have the passion and motivation to learn. - TLDR, Hackernews (blog post) for more insightsful knowledge - no bs

One of the factors that have helped during my interviews is my public presence through blogs, security researches, contributions to open-source projects on Github and youtube channel have greatly helped. Additionally, presenting my researches at various Cyber Security Conferences demonstrates the ability to engage and present my thoughts in front of wider audience. This shows that you are big on contributing and giving back to the community, but at the same time interested in keeping your skillset up to date.

I would advise people to learn 7 layers of OSI model. It is so critical for Cyber Security personnel, not just for interviews but you need the understanding of OSI model while on the job. Another important skill is, how to quantify the risk- meaning you needs to understand risk methodology like FAIR model. You can't just tell your customer of risk, you have to understand residual risk and inherent risk to be successful.

I like this a lot. I often ask candidates, experienced or not, “how do you stay current?” If the only answer is related to I read some threads, articles, reddits, etc, then I pass. I want to hear ppl say, “when the first log4j hit, I stood up some test VMs with vuln versions and played with exploits I found. I didn’t fully understand at first, but the it started to make sense.” I also suggest testing your “smart devices” at home and understand everything they do. Using wireshark for example to isolate a device and then try commands and see if it is talking to something else and how. Anyone who takes initiative to learn more on their own is light years ahead of someone just reading about it.

A great way to prepare for a cybersecurity interview includes building your lab and gaining practical experience. Set up a virtual environment through VirtualBox, VMware, or Docker to simulate real-world networks and systems; then mess around with widely used cybersecurity tools: Wireshark for network analysis, Burp Suite for web application testing, and Splunk for log management and threat detection. Practice configuring firewalls, IDS/IPS systems like Snort, and SIEM platforms. Use your lab to run penetration tests, simulate phishing attacks, or analyze malware samples. Document your experiments and findings in a portfolio or blog to showcase your technical skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities to potential employers.

Just like an artist needs a portfolio of works ready to show, so should an aspiring cyber-security professional. There are numerous avenues online that are available to help someone demonstrate practical application of cyber-security principles; THM, TCM Security, HTB, etc... Many people new to the industry also 'dual-hat' efforts by constructing a mini-networking lab to become more proficient in both network engineering and cyber-security; think A+/Network+ and CCNA study efforts. You can them become proficient at documenting your cyber-security journey via WordPress, Wix, or SquareSpace or share your work via GitHub.

The best advice I ever received was to thoroughly research the company, its culture, and potential interview questions. While anyone can prepare for technical questions, soft-skilled questions can make a significant impact, especially when the hiring team is seeking a culture fit. Being asked questions such as 'Name a time you had a difficult conversation with someone' or 'Describe a situation where you made a mistake and how you resolved it' provides a great opportunity for you to share a relatable story. It also allows you to connect this narrative to the company's culture and values. This approach not only helps you prepare for these types of questions but also enables you to evaluate if the company culture aligns with your values.

In addition to researching the company, take a look at your resume. What knowledge, skills, and abilities do you have that could benefit the cybersecurity team? Are you great at communicating? Many in cybersecurity are not. Are you good at project management? Many in cybersecurity are not. Find ways to be an asset to the cybersecurity team immediately as you learn the craft of cybersecurity. I believe you hire character and train skills. Especially for those just getting started in cybersecurity.

Prepare for a cybersecurity interview with no experience by focusing on fundamental knowledge, completing relevant certifications, setting up a home lab for hands-on practice, staying informed about industry trends, understanding networking protocols, and showcasing your problem-solving skills. Practice common interview questions related to cybersecurity scenarios, emphasizing your eagerness to learn and adapt in a rapidly evolving field.

Prepare thoroughly for InfoSec interviews by understanding technical concepts, familiarizing yourself with standards like ISO 27001 and NIST, and practicing on vulnerability management and incident response scenarios especially for InfoSec operational roles. When answering the questions do not just provide the technical answer but refer to practical experiences for example when the questions are about security tools, regulatory compliance, and risk management. The key is to stay updated on security trends, threat scenarios of the emerging technologies for example risks of AI, social media. Emphasize communication skills. Be ready for scenario-based questions, typically ensure a well-rounded and prepared profile for your InfoSec interview.

If you claim to have had prior experience with a security solution, please, also be prepared to provide an example of the use case or implementation. It becomes frustrating when someone tells me that they had worked with the solution, yet is unable to present a practical example.

Well, this is where documenting your school projects, certs, extracurricular activities, internships etc while in school comes in. I know i participated in a cyber defense competition while doing my undergrad in computer science. I talked about my experience and the heavy self learning i did, certifications i took Network + and security +, internship experience as well as some of my essential skills from my legal profession days. And show enthusiasm to learn and your track record will convince for your that yes if we hire this person has the tendency to make the effort to learn and build the skills.

I recall my early interviews for a Penetration Tester role, fully aware of the ongoing need to learn. This awareness persists today. Demonstrating eagerness and the ability to evolve was crucial. I consistently emphasized enthusiasm, showcasing commitment through continuous learning and certifications. This approach yielded success. Feeling nervous during interviews is natural. To ease pressure, I prepared thoroughly, anticipating questions. I pledged not to lie; if unsure, I'd admit it, saying, 'I don't have that answer now, but I'll learn post-meeting.' Committing to honesty made the process manageable. Lying adds anxiety and is often exposed. If hired, the truth emerges, which isn't favorable.

Being Honest is one of the most important skills to demonstrate during your interview. Being ethical is the fine line that separates us defenders from the attackers. Don't be shy to accept that you do not have experience in certain things if it's expected by your interviewer at the same time show that you are curious to learn these things when you are done with the interview.

First of all, trust in yourself, organize your ideias and try to do a good progression during your interview. Be honest and polite; Describe your profile; Show your cases About Cybersecurity and Information Security relation; Interact during the interview; Ask feedbacks;

Remember, being honest has the advantage of when hired, you will be working with a team that knows your skill level and is willing to help in your evolution, there is no problem in not knowing everything about an area, so play fair and evolve together with the company.

It's crucial to remember that your foundational knowledge and eagerness to learn can make a huge difference. Seeing a candidate's enthusiasm and their drive to improve can sometimes outweigh their lack of experience. Understanding the basics well shows potential employers that you're capable of handling new challenges, even without a long history in field. If you've managed to learn this on your own, it's a strong sign of your determination and ability to adapt. So, for anyone stepping into a cybersecurity interview without much experience, remember that your motivation and strong grasp of the fundamentals are key. They can make you the right fit for the job, opening doors where you might not expect them. Keep learning and stay curious!

Online Courses: Enroll in cybersecurity courses and certifications on platforms like Coursera for practical learning. Hands-On Practice: Set up a home lab, use cybersecurity tools, and practice configuring security measures. Networking: Attend meetups or virtual events to connect with professionals and gain insights. Contribute to Open Source: Participate in open source projects to showcase commitment and skill development. Soft Skills: Develop communication and teamwork skills, crucial for collaboration in cybersecurity roles. Stay Informed: Follow cybersecurity news, trends, and vulnerabilities through blogs and forums. Adaptability and Learning: Emphasize your adaptability and eagerness to learn during interviews.

Experience is something you′ll gain, but some solid understanding of the Cybersecurity world concepts will be required for most of the jobs: 1- General crypto knowledge 2- Active Directory security concepts 3- Secure coding concepts 4- Network security architectural concepts and solutions 5- Offensive techniques used, including their tools 6- Understanding of defensive solutions and of course a something(or a lot of) about the job specifics you are looking for.... - solid dosis of motivation -show that you contiously learn and are prepared to learn new skills - passion is something you can feel from an interviewee regardless of the academic background.

Nothing replaces experience. Go get some that doesn't require an interview. Open source, volunteer at conference villages, find a mentor, build a tool, something! Anything!

As head of an expanding technical help desk I once hired a guy that had worked as a security guard for many years, but then took IT courses which he paid for from his own pocket. This dedication completely won me over and I was happy (and proud) to be able to give him the opportunity. He did admirably!