We're not hiring unicorns. But that doesn't mean any less effort.

By any assessment the effort I'm going to hire well feels extreme. Far more so than I have done in the past. I wanted to work a bit harder to reach potential candidates in a small market and give everyone an opportunity to work with us, so in addition to the usual dumping of roles on a corporate careers page, I am:

1. including a new cyber apprentice role that requires no prior experience, does not require a specific background, and provides a degree from a top UK university alongside work experience at CERT.JE
2. running a focussed social media campaign highlighting the challenge we have to solve in order to build engagement and understanding
3. undertaking targeted media coverage in local media outlets including Channel Eye, Bailiwick Express and the Jersey Evening Post
4. reaching wider audiences through radio adverts going out this week on Channel 103
5. working with local partners such as CYPES and Digital Jersey on inclusion and engagement
6. hosting events with the Channel Islands Information Security Forum to engage women and young people, and contacting secondary schools to promote our apprenticeship and wider engagement in cybersecurity
7. display advertising in the Jersey Evening Post to reach those who may not be actively looking or engaged with us social media, and the families and friends of those who may otherwise have discounted a career in cyber.
8. making sure our new office is fully accessible to those with physical disabilities (note: if you're reading this outside Jersey this may seem an odd thing to say as it would normally be assumed, but accessible premises in St Helier are very hard to come by - this by itself took 6 months)
9. being open to cognitive diversity and adapting our hiring process to maximise inclusion, for example reducing reliance on presentations in favour of practical exercises
10. holding an event for anyone interested in cyber careers in the Jersey to find out more about careers in cyber, whether they are interested in our current roles or not.

There are easier ways to hire, and we could probably do less and still reach a good pool of candidates. So why go to all this effort? It's not the common cyber security industry issue of trying to hire unicorns: skillsets so rare they don't exist. Cyber jobs can be great at demanding irrational levels of experience and qualifications, however our job descriptions are flexible - we're looking for best fit not perfect fit. We know Jersey's never had a national CERT until now, so we don't expect to find people who have worked in one. Instead we're looking for human beings with all their wonderful imperfections, and we will support our team with training and development alongside other national CERTs.

It's for a different reason, and one far more fundamental.

10 years ago when I came to Jersey we set up the Channel Islands Information Security Forum to bring together the professional community, partly because I realised that if I needed to hire, I would have to bring someone in from outside the jurisdiction and relocate them as we just didn't have the capabilities locally. That first meeting was three of us around a small table at Costa Coffee. It's now nearly 300 strong. But we still have problems - we are too heavy on risk and compliance skills at the expense of technical skills, we have insufficient depth and breadth to meet market needs and allow local cybersecurity providers to develop capacity, plus we are simply excluding too many young people because of legacy attitudes and expectations - 90% or more of past candidates and cybersecurity event attendees are male.

CERT.JE can't secure Jersey; we may have the mandate to do so but it just doesn't work that way. It takes all of us, as a community. Being an independent nation comes with responsibilities. We need the right skills to protect our economy and wellbeing, and to get those skills we need to engage people with the roles available and the career opportunities both locally and globally, and make sure these skills are developed and available.

That means showing that there are and can be opportunities in cybersecurity locally. It means reaching those who have previously discounted a career in cyber due to lack of appropriate jobs, lack of skills development, or contrary expectations by others. It means reaching those who might consider it in the future. And it means reaching those already working in the field but who are looking for new development opportunities.

You can find out more about our roles here: @CERTJersey | Linktree

This is not just a hiring exercise. This is one very small step towards sustainable capacity and capability development in Jersey, so that we can deliver on our vision for Jersey to be internationally recognised as a safe place to live and do business online.

Note: to follow our journey as we build and develop our island cyber security centre, you can follow me or CERT.JE on linkedin. I will try to share as best as time allows.