#38: Indecision Holds Us Back

When unemployed, sometimes we have to make hard choices. In my experience, having multiple options and forks in the road is outright torture, even more so being Neurodivergent. If I choose option A, I will lose out on the benefits of option B, and vice versa. What would often happen is going through the endless torture of indecision.

Cybersecurity Job Hunting

Many people get into Cybersecurity because they hear all over the news, at conferences, and on podcasts about the famous “Cybersecurity Skills Gap” with thousands of jobs available. I represent that this narrative is false. I have been unemployed for almost three months and I know I am not alone. It is one of the most challenging times to find a job in Cybersecurity in recent memory.

When a person loses their job, a lot of questions swirl around. Should they move for the next job? Should they take a crappy job that does not pay well? Should they go back to a toxic workplace with an abusive micromanaging boss? Should they change careers? Should they take a job with a lower-level job title? Should they give up working from home? Decisions, decisions….

Distractions

When working in Cybersecurity or tech in general, it is easy to lose ourselves in the chaos and forget who we are and what we want. Sometimes it is necessary to reduce or eliminate distractions. Turns out I was spending too much time volunteering and on social media, so I took a step back from both.

Instead, I started listening to self-help audiobooks to spend more time to heal internally and to find peace. I also had more time to explore and think about things in meditation. For example: am I in the right career field, the impact of AI, should I move, etc. When unemployed, one has time to contemplate these questions. Time is a precious resource. It was time to act.

Back to Studying

For a time, I considered becoming a manager. Since I have time, I retook the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) exam and also took the GIAC Security Leadership Certification (GSLC) exam to brush up on my management skills. I was often told that certifications are a mistake and a waste of time.

My counter: It is better to start walking down a path and failing rather than living a life full of regrets or not choosing. Turns out despite scoring well on both exams, I did not feel passion for the material. Add to that, layoffs in Cybersecurity with heavy competition for such roles makes it nearly impossible for me anyway.

What’s next?

First, I am going to keep job hunting but instead of expending all my time and energy doing that, I am going to keep learning. Second, I have made some decisions and will slowly start to take action. Third, I start teaching Security+ in night school in September. I am excited to help people and cannot wait to get started to teach transitioning veterans. Finally, I will keep watching to see how the industry reacts to more layoffs and hope that we have finally hit the bottom and on the road to recovery.

“When you've reached rock bottom, there's only one way to go, and that's up!”

-Buster Moon in Sing

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.

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