Cybersecurity is a rapidly growing sector. What should you expect when you start your career in cybersecurity?
Why has Cybersecurity become a popular career path?
As mentioned, cybersecurity will see greater growth than any other job or job in the tech industry over the next ten years. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently approximately 141,000 cybersecurity jobs. This number is expected to grow by 33 per cent before 2030. This would make cybersecurity a more popular career path than any other tech job. Cybersecurity is a relatively new field of tech. Many companies are just starting to build their infrastructure and cybersecurity teams. This means that large companies and cybersecurity firms will need lots of experts to meet the growing demand as more of our lives become digitalized and more personal information becomes vulnerable.
Cybersecurity Career Path
Cybersecurity Certification
Cybersecurity is not a job that requires a college degree, as are many other tech jobs. It does require certifications that will determine the job level you are qualified for. There are many organizations that offer cybersecurity certifications. Some are vendor neutral and some are vendor specific. These include
Cybersecurity Certifications that are vendor neutral
CompTIA
GIAC
IAAP
ISACA
McAfee Institute
Cybersecurity Institutions for Vendors
AWS
Microsoft
IBM
Google
Cisco
Depending on the type of job, which one you get and from whom you get it will determine what certification you get. You will need to be certified for CompTIA Security+ or CySa+ if you are looking for a job in cybersecurity.
How to get a Cybersecurity Certificate
You must pass each exam to receive a cybersecurity certificate. There are three main ways to learn enough to pass a certification examination.
Relevant Degree
Bootcamp
Self-Taught
Each method has its pros and cons. It’s up to the learner to decide which one is best. Let’s look at the pros and cons.
The pros and cons of a cybersecurity degree
While a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, or a related field, is the most expensive and time-consuming route, it offers the most benefits. A cybersecurity degree is a great way for you to earn a higher salary and to get ahead of the competition by obtaining entry-level certifications. A cybersecurity degree will give you an advantage over other candidates when searching for a job as a senior or mid-level cybersecurity professional. However, it will cost more. The average annual cost to attend a public, instate school is just above $25,000, or about $100,000. This is a conservative estimate, as many degrees take more than four years. Student loans will also increase the cost.
The pros and cons of self-taught cybersecurity learning
The cheapest way to get started in cybersecurity is to learn it yourself. You can find many online resources that will help you learn enough to pass an entry level cybersecurity certification exam. These include Udemy, Coursera, and edX. These services can be purchased for free or a few hundred dollars. There are no instructors, advisors, professors, or other students to help you. It’s a good choice if you are a self-starter who is able to learn on your own. However, if you need help learning, it might not be the best option.
Cybersecurity Bootcamps: The pros and cons
Cybersecurity bootcamps combine the best of both the above options. They are far less expensive than a degree, but still offer the structure of a university program. However, this can change depending on how much you pay and which scholarships you are eligible for. The bootcamp is less expensive than a four-year degree.