How to Leverage LinkedIn to get a Cybersecurity Position (Or ANY job)

How to leverage LinkedIn to get a Cybersecurity position (or any type of job)

First, pick 3-5 companies you would love to work at.

Then next find folks who are already in that dream position you would like to transition into (whether it be a SOC analyst or Pentester) and ask the for 15 minutes of their time. Really pick their brains about day-to-day positions. Find out what they like about the job and dislike to help you decide if that particular role is right for you.

Personally, I have had great success doing this. Another great thing about this question it's very open ended/ interesting.

Furthermore, same principle follows when applying for any type of job.

More tips:

Reach out and see if hiring managers or recruiters are willing to give you more details about the position. (By doing this you can learn more about the company and see exactly what kind of tools they use day to day) this automatically gives you an advantage over other candidates that apply.

Good rule of thumb: Always leave the ball in their court. :)

Another tip for recent graduates and folks trying to transition into Cyber. I always recommend folks find a focus and really dig in and learn as much as possible about one thing in cyber.

Something I have personally learned that finding out what you actually want to do is half the battle. The good news is once you figure what you want to do, you can be more focused. For example, for me working toward becoming a SOC analyst became my main focus. So, I started studied Letsdefend, Rangeforce, Tryhackme, and multiple SOC analyst resources.

Self-study and lifelong learning are very important in Cybersecurity. I recommend starting out with free resources first such as the platforms and learn as much as possible before getting any certifications.

Also, highly recommend posting on LinkedIn at least a few times per week about what you are learning every day. (This shows hiring managers you are interested) For instance, folks could do a 100-day Cybersecurity challenge like my #cybertechdave100daysofcyberchallenge or similar to help them get out of there comfort zone.

Further, be sure to talk about any home Cybersecurity labs you have done in interviews. Always be sure you are watching Cybersecurity podcast each day where you can talk about that while being in interviews. I believe going that extra mile andshowing your true passion can go a long ways.

Other tips:

I recommend Sec+ for getting a really nice baseline of knowledge. However, keep in mind some certifications are not as good as others depending on geographical locations, etc.

Do NOT sleep on soft skills, (soft skills) will always transfer over to Cybersecurity. For instance, if you worked in restaurants or retail store knowing how to talk to customers goes a long way. Also, being able to quickly find resources is a big plus in cyber.

Do NOT be afraid to use LinkedIn to its full potential.

If you have any question, please feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn :)

Best of luck to all of you on the job hunt!!

Enjoy the journey :)