Your journey into cyber
6 tips to help you become a cyber security professional
1. Find your specialism
The cyber security industry can feel vast and very varied. To help, we’ve divided the sector into ‘specialisms’. These include:
- Incident Response
- Governance & Risk Management
- Security Testing
You can use our Career Mapping Tool which will suggest specialisms to you based on the answers you give.
Our Cyber Career Framework gives more in-depth information on each specialism, including job roles, typical salaries, and knowledge & skills required.
2. Stay up-to-date
In an ever-changing industry like cyber security, it is essential to stay up to date on changes both in the UK sector and worldwide. This can also show how cyber security can apply to people’s everyday lives. Keep in touch with us and we can keep you in the know with the latest cyber developments.
3. Join networks
Building a network of contacts can lead to opportunities.
Check out our newest initiative, The Cyber Access Network (CAN), that aims to empower and support the next generation of cyber security professionals. Whether you’re a student just starting out or a career changer exploring new opportunities, CAN exists to support your journey.
- Networking Opportunities: Join a community of other aspiring professionals with access to employers and established professionals.
- Webinars & More: Join us for webinars on technical and non-technical topics you need to know to enter the profession, and be among the first to know when we publish new blogs, guides and reports.
- Curated Resources: We connect you with high-quality resources and initiatives from trusted organisations across the cyber security ecosystem.
You can join your local Cyber Cluster with the UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration (UKC3). They foster collaborations and empower knowledge exchange. Find out more by visiting their website.
Attend cyber security events and expos. You can keep updated with events we attend here by checking out our events calendar.
4. Hone your soft skills
Hiring managers are broadening their minds about who makes a quality cyber security candidate. This includes those with transferable, complementary, and so-called ‘soft skills’.
Some Stats!
Recent graduates in cyber security jobs: 7% studied Humanities or Social Sciences and nearly a third studied a non-Cyber Security or Computer Science degree.
43% of UK cyber businesses report having a complementary (soft) skills gap among either existing staff or job applicants*
These include:
- Leadership
- Management
- Creative thinking and adaptability
- Marketing
- Networking
- Teamwork
- Problem solving
*Source: DSIT
5. Try out training
Check out our list of online resources, bootcamps and entry-level certifications.
Our Cyber Access Hub hosts a collection of resources for parents, teachers and students.
Check out the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) list of certified training programmes and their list of Certified Degrees.
6. Explore qualifications
Qualifications are a great way to show employers you are serious about cyber security.
Qualifications include:
- Cyber Extended Project Qualification (CyberEPQ)
- Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) Qualifications
- T Levels (England)
- Apprenticeships
- High Technical Qualifications (HTQs)
- Degrees
Click here to find out more.
For certifications, explore our Certification Framework Tool which is constantly expanding as more are added.