5 Tips to Succeeding in a Cybersecurity Career without a Degree

Succeed in a Cyber Career

If you like puzzles, love the tech field and enjoy the idea of stopping problems before they start, you’ve probably already looked at a career in cybersecurity. It’s not all spy versus spy, but it’s certainly a deeply rewarding job. So, how can you ensure you’ll succeed in this career? Check out the five tips below. 

Breaking in to Cybersecurity without a Degree 

Getting into cybersecurity is fairly easy in the current high-demand job market. As the number of cybersecurity incidents rises, so too does the need for cybersecurity professionals to help organizations deal with them – preferably before they have a chance to happen. Because a typical degree program can’t keep pace with the changes in the industry or turn out enough graduates to meet the job demand, colleges are offering bootcamp style training towards Security+ certification, Network+ certification and other cybersecurity courses. This format is more of the educational standard at the present time.  

With this type of certified training and a willingness to start at the entry level, those who are interested in cybersecurity can make their way into this satisfying career option. Previous IT experience is also a favourable way to get into cybersecurity without a degree. 

Once You’ve Started, how do You Stay Successful? 

Pushing ahead and achieving success in your cybersecurity career is built on a number of areas that are common to other jobs, but with a special twist specific to this role. Here are five tips for staying on top of your game in your cybersecurity career: 


1. Stay focused on the big picture as well as the minutia.  

Keeping digital assets, data and records secure comes from looking at the big picture – the entirety of a company’s resources – to the little things – how an employee accesses a certain app from their cell phone. Overlooking elements can mean opening the organization up to attack and millions of dollars in losses, so taking time to step back from the day-to-day elements of the job to review things is essential. These types of reflections must be done regularly and include ways to drill down from overall views to single potential access points.


2. Be willing to continually upgrade your education. 

As new threats emerge in the world of cyber security, those who fight them need to find ways to learn and develop the necessary tools and implementation. It’s a challenge. Daily demands will always be present, but as they shift, so too must your knowledge. This means education like a CYSA+ certification course and it also means staying in touch with industry professionals, attending seminars and contributing to the greater knowledge pool. It’s easy to earn something like an A+ certification training, sit back and focus on your job without looking at the rest of the world, but to really excel at your career, you must stay in touch with progressions in the industry. 

3. Understand that your days will go sideways.  
You start the day with a plan. You’ve got your top three to dos and you’re ready to go. Then, something happens – an attack alert, an update from the software company – and you need to shift priorities. It’s important to have plans, but you also need to show willingness to be flexible and accommodate the immediate needs that will arise.  

4. Work well with others.  
So often, those in tech are stereotyped as antisocial loners. This so often isn’t the case. Everyone in an organization must know how to interact with colleagues, suppliers and management effectively. For those working in cybersecurity, the ability to communicate with others is pivotal to success. Standards, procedures and best practices must be shared to avoid accidental infiltration. Plus, it’s always important to be seen as being a team player.  

5. Appreciate the roles in cybersecurity and keep an eye on what’s next for you.  
No one will progress in their career without staying aware of the opportunities around them. It’s important to keep an eye on how the industry is growing and changing in terms of various jobs and roles. Take the time to learn new things that may help you expand your career into another area. 

 

A degree isn’t required to have a strong and successful career in cybersecurity. Take advantage of the skills you already possess and use them to grow and change. 


Written by: Ronda Payne

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