Data-Driven Cybersecurity Career Guidance

Q&A with Dr. Esona: Skip Entry-Level in Cybersecurity You’ve put in the years. You’ve led teams. You’ve managed operations, compliance, or risk. And now, you’re ready to pivot into cybersecurity. But the internet keeps telling you: "Start from scratch. Entry-level only. Analyst 1, maybe help desk first..." Let’s clear this up. 💡 You can go straight into a mid-level role in cybersecurity—if you reposition your experience and back it up with strategy. Today, I’m answering 5 of the most common questions I get from mid-career professionals ready to level up without starting over. 1. Can I go straight into a mid-level cyber role? ↳ Yes, but not with a junior-level mindset. ↳ Roles like GRC Analyst II, Privacy Program Manager, Risk & Controls Lead, or Vendor Risk Specialist are excellent landing spots. ↳ Focus less on “breaking in” and more on bridging your existing experience with cyber language. 2. How do I talk about my past roles in a way that lands interviews? ↳ Translate your outcomes: “I reduced onboarding risk by 30%” → “I designed and enforced process controls.” ↳ Use the STAR method to tell results-driven stories that match cyber job descriptions. ↳ Highlight your risk thinking, documentation, and cross-functional leadership—those are high-value in GRC. 3. What should I include in a project portfolio to make up for no direct experience? ↳ A fictional GRC audit with ISO 27001 controls ↳ A sample risk register with identified threats, impact levels, and remediation plans ↳ A policy and compliance checklist for a small business (real or imagined) You don’t need a job title to build proof—you need execution. 4. What are the best certs for a mid-career pivot? ↳ ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (foundation + credibility) ↳ ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor (for audit alignment) ↳ OneTrust Privacy Tech Pro or CIPP/US (if targeting privacy/data roles) Certs give you language and structure. But projects give you leverage. 5. How do I convince recruiters I’m not just “starting out”? ↳ Update your resume to reflect cybersecurity-aligned outcomes from your past roles ↳ Include your portfolio URL on your resume and LinkedIn ↳ Speak confidently about governance, frameworks, and impact—not just your titles You’re not new to leadership. You’re just new to this language. 📩 Got a question about pivoting into cybersecurity without losing your momentum? Drop it in the comments or DM me—we might feature it in a future Q&A. Ready to skip the “entry-level” trap and aim higher? Book a 1:1 session and let’s build your mid-career cyber strategy together. 🔔 Follow for more cyber career insights! ♻️ Repost if this was helpful or tag someone who's ready to level up in cyber!

We used Python and real job data to uncover which cybersecurity careers pay the most and which have the most openings. This guide is for anyone planning their next move, whether you’re job hunting, thinking about a career switch, or just curious about the current landscape. By analyzing 100 job postings from Indeed, we grouped roles into defensive operations, offensive operations, engineering, GRC, and leadership, and then standardized job titles to make the results easier to compare. The findings reveal that offensive security and leadership roles tend to offer higher salaries but have fewer openings, while defensive and engineering positions are more common but generally pay less. With the scripts provided, you can expand this analysis and explore the data yourself, giving you a clearer picture of the cybersecurity job market today. If you want to explore cybersecurity careers and understand the landscape using real data, this gives you a starting point. We’ve also included all scripts so you can expand the analysis yourself. Check out the video here: https://lnkd.in/gySZUm8v

Cybersecurity Career Tips #1 If you want to enter the cybersecurity field, it’s not enough to just pick a list of courses, complete them, generate certificates, and think the job will come naturally. And it’s definitely not just about adding certifications to your resume that’s only one step in the process. It’s essential to learn what is applied in real work contexts. You don’t need to study C if you’ll never use it in your daily tasks. Your studies should be aligned with your actual needs. My first recommendation if you want to become a cybersecurity professional is to understand what the market is looking for. Analyze open positions in your region or remote roles, define the requirements for each position, and identify the practical skills you need. Platforms such as HackTheBox, TryHackMe, PortSwigger Academy, PentesterLab, and Root-Me are excellent for hands-on learning. I strongly recommend investing your time in acquiring real-world skills. Write write-ups, share your journey here on LinkedIn or other networks, build personal projects and publish them on GitHub, connect with other professionals, and expand your network both online and at industry events. Also, develop your soft skills. Communication is critical, even in a job interview. Being able to translate technical issues into business impact is just as important as technical knowledge. A common way to start a career is by working in consulting firms. There are many opportunities at different seniority levels. It may not be your dream job, but it opens doors. Prepare your resume for the positions you aim for and highlight the key points that match the role especially if specific knowledge is required. A resume will only be considered if it demonstrates the right skills, relevant training or certifications (to validate your expertise), and professional autonomy. And don’t limit your job search to LinkedIn. It’s great for networking, but when it comes to landing jobs, explore alternatives. Target companies that interest you and check their career pages many positions are never posted on LinkedIn. Above all, stay focused. Don’t try to learn everything at once. Concentrate on what will land you your first job, and then expand your knowledge base to increase your seniority or pivot to other areas. But the real secret lies in how you communicate and sell your work your knowledge, your problem-solving mindset, and your ability to handle situations consistently. #CyberSecurity #InfoSec #CareerAdvice #Hacking #TechJobs #SoftSkills