How to get promoted in a cybersecurity career

Introduction: What the cybersecurity talent market looks like at the moment

Are you considering a career in cybersecurity? If so, this is actually a great time to be in the field, especially with an excessive shortage of cybersecurity workers in the United States. 

According to the 2019 (ISC)² Cybersecurity Workforce Study, “in the U.S., the cybersecurity workforce gap is nearly 500,000. By combining our U.S. cybersecurity workforce estimates and this gap data, we can calculate that the cybersecurity workforce needs to grow by 62% in order to meet the demands of U.S. businesses today.”

The employment and skills crisis is actually a great opportunity for employees who are seeking to advance their careers but also transfer laterally into cybersecurity positions from other IT fields. Businesses, in fact, are ready to invest in the professional development of current employees and help them take industry-specific courses, obtain certifications or participate in advanced training. 

More and more companies are keen on retaining their workforce and provide opportunities for staff to prove and improve their skills to grow within the job and progress in a cyber security career path through promotion or lateral transfer. Fostering staff that already knows how to work in the environment and has formed professional relationships within the company creates a win-win situation for both the employee and the employer; the in-house person is already familiar with the business and is knowledgeable of the organization, its purpose and mission; he or she is already immersed in its culture and a promotion can only increase loyalty and sense of belonging while providing opportunities and incentives to evolve and emerge. 

Of course, when promoting someone internally, there is also the immediate benefit of saving time and money in recruiting external candidates on job (Read more...)