Please upgrade your web browser

These pages are built with modern web browsers in mind, and are not optimized for Internet Explorer 8 or below. Please try using another web browser, such as Internet Explorer 9, Internet Explorer 10, Internet Explorer 11, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari.

Career change

Veteran

KOSSI FANDOUMI Louisville, KY

I am currently a Reservist in the NAVY. I have been a medical lab tech for the last 10 years and I am looking forward to a career change. I would like to get into cybersecurity ( No formal IT training at this point).
Any advice or mentor will be very appreciated.

20 December 2020 7 replies General

Answers

Advisor

Irene Penney Brewster, MA

These might also be useful, if you haven't found what you're looking for. The first could help find related areas within cybersecurity, and then the second/third to help identify where those jobs are:

https://www.cisa.gov/publication/cyber-career-pathways-tool, which will point to:
--> https://niccs.cisa.gov/workforce-development/career-pathways

https://www.cyberseek.org/heatmap.html + https://www.cyberseek.org/pathway.html

Advisor

Karen Lau Bedford, NY

I don’t know where you are located, but there are 10 major universities that are hosting a program that my colleague helped write here at IBM. It’s specifically tailored to Cyber Skills and getting Veterans and transitioning military real skills in that space. https://uwf.edu/centers/center-for-cybersecurity/uwf-cyberskills2work/. Good luck!

Advisor

Jeff Martin Ashburn, VA

I’d suggest that you network at the target company or industry. Use LinkedIn to find people already working there and reach out to them. Ask them the process they used to get hired and ask them to help you navigate the hiring process and if they are willing, ask them to submit you as a referral. These activities require much more time on your part but in my opinion would greatly increase your chances for success. Good luck!

Advisor
Advisor

Brock Renshaw Tampa, FL

Hi

Cyber security spans a plethora of options for you. Do you want to dig into the IT details or would you prefer to dig into the threat actors? Or do you want to manage cyber analysts? Work incident response or cyber risk? Or a combo of those. Also those are not an exhaustive list of cyber options.

Does the Navy offer you an opportunity to do cyber? Can you change your rate to become a Navy cyber specialist?

Send me an email at brock.renshaw@citi.com with a few times you can meet for 30-60 mins to discuss.

There are many paths you can take. Just depends on which one is right for you.

Comptia and ISACA offer several certifications which employers desire.

The demand for cyber folks outweighs the supply so now is a good time to consider the move.

Brock

Veteran

KOSSI FANDOUMI Louisville, KY

Thank you Jerry for your valuable input. I will take it into consideration.

Advisor

Jerry Welsh Middleville, MI

Kossi,
First conduct some career research in cybersecurity. Know what positions need and what typed of education and/or certificate. DO NOT let a university sell you a credit until you know what the market wants. Conduct some informational interviews, with current cybersecurity folks. Look up what an informational interview is, be structured in you questioning. Here are a couple of quick reads, you need to slowly build a LinkedIn profile. Thanks for your service, God Bless. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/come-prepared-transition-process-gap-between-civilian-jerry-welsh/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-more-right-jerry-welsh/

Your Answer

Please log in to answer this question.

Sign Up

You can join as either a Veteran or an Advisor.

An Advisor already has a career, with or without military experience, and is willing to engage with and help veterans.
Sign Up as an Advisor.

A Veteran has military experience and is seeking a new career, or assistance with life after service.
Sign Up as a Veteran.