It’s no secret that the fastest growing career field is in IT. You hear about it and read about it all the time. The American work force is transitioning out of the blue collar and manual labor sectors and into the fields of IT and other tech-based sectors as the recession and its effects start to wear off.
The fastest growing specialty within the tech sector is in Information and Data Security. This is because more and more business professionals are seeing the need to implement business antivirus and network security systems. For many entrepreneurs and small businesses, this is as easy as the installation of simple but highly supported software.
Sometimes, when a small business owner loves his antivirus software, he might want some extra security in place just in case. That is where you, the IT guy or girl, will come in.
Whether you are employed by a consulting firm or are in charge of keeping a single company’s network secure, as someone who works in IT Security you are going to be spending the majority of your day in front of a screen. You will work in a variety of programming languages and will analyze data and code for potential risk factors and holes. If you’re in charge of the networks, you’ll fix those problems and holes and neutralize the risk factors using software programs and code that you may design yourself.
One of the most common things people hear about IT security is that it is a hands-on field. This means that while you definitely want to take at least some classes in computer science and programming while you’re in school, this isn’t a field that requires advanced degrees to help someone be competitive. This is a field in which practical experience matters more than classroom grades. It’s also one of the few fields in which a background in hacking is seen as a good thing instead of a reason to be wary.
That said, there are some things that you’ll want to make sure you understand before you come sit down for an interview:
You’ll want more than just a passing level of knowledge of programming languages and operating systems. Learn Windows, Mac OS and Linux programming languages backwards and forwards.
Know how to build a network with your own two hands both virtually and practically. This means that you should feel just as comfortable in front of a mess of cables as you do a keyboard.
Know how to build your own computer from the ground up.
Understand software mechanics and keep current with the field.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the field of “Information Security Analysts, Web Developers and Computer Network Architects” has a faster than average growth rate of 22%. The average salary for someone in this field clocked in at around $75K a year in 2010. That’s not bad at all for a field you can enter with only a Bachelor’s Degree (a statistic that is shrinking more every year).
According to CNN Money, the IT Security Consultant makes, on average, $102K per year and the field has a projected grow rate of almost 28% over the next ten years.
So, seriously: IT is the field to explore if you want a career that you can jump into right away for a decent wage straight out of school…or even transition into after being out in the workforce for a while. It's a great way to avoid being part of a high level of youth unemployment.
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The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List
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Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers
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In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things
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You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.
If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp, a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.
In this video workshop, you'll learn:
How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.
