2022 Guide to Entry-Level Cybersecurity Jobs

[@MunitionsDudTester]

A friend gave me great advice a few years ago: "Even if you only meet some of the qualifications for a job, apply. Worst case they'll not contact you or you will only get an interview." A lot of the time qualification requirements are there just to dissuade the people who really shouldn't apply from applying. I recently applied for 5 jobs that I barely met the requirements for and got a call back for all of them asking if I was still interested in working there. The only person holding you back is yourself. You don't recieve some sort of "bad score" from applying to places and not getting a job that every HR person and recruiter can see, and as much of a meme as it is I'll still say it: "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

[@conradmbugua9098]

I read in a comment that a lot of those requirements are placed as a buffer to minimize the amount of applications sent and to ease the interview process

[@innocentrage1]

My path was 1. Work help desk for a year for experience but put sys admin on your resume, 2. Study for the security+ so you can talk somewhat about it and put it on your resume but dont go for it because it is expensive but worthless to anyone besides HR. Step 3. Apply for over 5000 jobs. I wish I was kidding but I applied for more jobs and went on more interviews in a year then in my entire 15 year career up to this point. I was applying anywhere from 15-20 jobs a day. Tailoring your resume only works to a certain point. Far better to just copy the job description at the bottom of your resume and put it as white text to cover all the key words. Step 4. Finally get a job offer right when you are about to give up and learn how to code instead. Also, there are no entry level cyber security jobs unless you join the Armed Forces and they will train you and give you a security clearance.

[@nightwaffle55]

So if I joined any military branch they offer courses and jobs that teach you all this???

[@danielgolubski8791]

@@nightwaffle55 Marcus talk to a recruiter joining was the best thing I ever did.

[@iT3K]

@@nightwaffle55Generally over 4-6 years you can learn a good chunk of it if you apply yourself. Key thing you need to want it, no one is going to just give it to you.

[@MeadowReport]

Love that there’s timestamps

[@MeadowReport]

Didn’t need to use it all information is valuable but it’s cool that it’s there

[@roderickmera1968]

Currently in IT Support and looking into cyber security. Your videos have helped me immensely throughout my career ! Thanks Zach!

[@isaiahkaiver1917]

One thing that helped me is just expressing interest in IT/Security with my employer. Since I expressed interest I was able to shadow the IT team and Security team. Since then I got moved over to our help desk. One step closer to eventually getting in Security. Just something to think about for anyone currently working in an enterprise role that is open to Shadowing

[@Itcareerquestions]

That is awesome and definitely a great way to break down the doors. Good luck to you!

[@isaiahkaiver1917]

@@Itcareerquestions Thank you!

[@ralph4370]

At least you got to shadow. The place I am at now. Promised they would help in getting get to my goal of more network experience. Problem is they are short staff, overworked and with each day passing I am away from my goal. The network guys are jerks and are not about shadowing. So I may have to quit this job, learn the CCNA. (I already have degree and Network+) and apply elsewhere and be taken serious. Don't wait for others to open a door when you can open a window.

[@mithyc2948]

Your insight into the job market and position descriptions is immensely helpful for me in figuring out what skills I need to learn to be successful in this industry, I just started my degree with WGU this month and your channel and the ones you recommend have been a godsend for my studies. Keep up the great work!

[@Itcareerquestions]

That is exactly what I want to hear. Good luck to you my friend! You’ve got this!

[@allgouda4u]

Really?

[@tylerfr0mearth]

Hey man, I just wanted to say congrats on your weight loss. Also, I want to say thank you for helping me find a career as a Network Engineer.

[@Itcareerquestions]

Hey Tyler! Congratulations 🎉🍾 !!! Thank you and good luck to you!

[@manypaji]

I just came back to this channel after 3+ years. You lost a lot of weight! Happy for you bro 👌🏾💪🏽

[@brandong6211]

Great content! It’s sucks because even all the “entry level help desk” jobs posting I’ve seen around my area require a bachelors like cmon how can we get experienced.

[@Itcareerquestions]

That is the worst!! Good luck to you!

[@Sci-Fi_Fan296]

This was chocked full of great info! Thanks

[@ruel1072]

GRC (e.g. policy) is the least stressful job out of all btw. I just thought I'd let you know.

[@planetbrooklynsupreme]

Thanks for the insight! I've been looking to pivot from tech sales, and have been deciding what I want my career path to be. I was surprised to learn that the troubleshooting I've done with software, and mods I made on my family computer as a kid was all relevant experience (can't put it on a resume, but experience nonetheless). I've come to find the content of your videos to be easily digestible and extremely comprehensive for those who might be in tune with anything tech. I appreciate you for the work you're doing. Keep it up!

[@Itcareerquestions]

You should be able to pivot directly into more security related sales and continue your journey from there! Thank you and good luck to you!!

[@Joshua1_7sc]

Thanks for the shout-out and link, brother. Great video.

[@Itcareerquestions]

For sure man, you deserve it.

[@thmswalk09]

Just moved from a help desk role to a NOC tech role. I was only on the help desk for 4 months. It is possible, just need to right help desk role and continue education.

[@Itcareerquestions]

Awesome work Joe! Good luck to you!

[@thmswalk09]

@@Itcareerquestions thank you! My hopes are with in the year to be working SOC

[@germainkone9029]

This is the good video everyone needs to see. Too much ads around cybersecurity. This $1500-$3000 boot camp, Trainning, hummmm. Security clearance, degree, experience, too many requirements that all the trainers are not talking about They were silent about all this. Just to collect their fees. So sad. I started making this point myself. Thanks again

[@grannyoldr988]

I'm KZbin famous! Thanks for the shout out. 🙂

[@fireleather1707]

Awesome! Good info on exactly what you need if your unsure (like me).

[@Itcareerquestions]

Glad it was helpful!

[@aikoking374]

this video was helpful i turn 16 in a month and by this time next year, i should be enrolled in community college. in the meantime, ill take the certifications for everything since they are free now and i have nothing better to do. hopefully, i can get a job and save up. then at 18 transfer and study abroad then that following summer ill be eligible to take internships abroad. take a local business or tech-related job near home or virtually during the school year and intern abroad again in the summer or at a consulting firm. graduate at 20 with a few gigs, hopefully, some projects, and either move to my dream state and start applying for jobs or start my own business and move abroad (of course i know plans can change especially when other people come into the mix. that's all i know and its why i want as many job options as possible. so during community college i hope to build a resume of sorts. take photography/videography, journalism, culinary, and acting classes if not for free then by the school. start an on-campus or online club to teach people some programming basics and inform people of the many jobs in the tech bubble and outside of it. i also have a goal of five languages in the next five years. i lived in tanzaia so i have a decent understanding of Swahili. i live in mexico now but grew up in texas where ive been taking spanish since 5th grade. binged switched at birth and became fascinated with ASL and my next two languages after i finish these are german and mandarin. i would love to teach people different langauges. so taking the TEFL or any language certifications is in consideration. also being an aupair somewhere or working as a tour guide are all jobs i looked into. i just love being in everything)

[@Itcareerquestions]

It sounds like you have a great path ahead of you! Good luck to you!

[@antoniotorres520]

Haven't seen a video of urs in a while. Looks like you've been on a weightloss journey. Congrats man!

[@Itcareerquestions]

For sure, thank you!

[@lifeform106]

Can getting a masters degree in cybersecurity help? I got my bachelor’s degree in an unrelated IT major but I can get a masters in cybersecurity. Do you think it’s a good idea?

[@drmarctagon]

No.

[@GMochileiro_42_]

Haha I watched your whole video from four yrs ago, took notes, and then realized you had an updated version. Thanks for the info 🤙🏾

[@KevtechITSupport]

Awesome video. Thank you for mentioning me.

[@Itcareerquestions]

For sure!

[@r3dac377]

Great video Zach. I have kept in tune with multiple job descriptions/requirements, your channel and others' throughout my learning process and it has lead the way. I have a Sec+ and a PNPT cooking. After the PNPT certification is achieved, I am comfortable saying that I will be properly aligned for an entry level position. Keep up the good work -R3dAc3-

[@Itcareerquestions]

Oh heck yeah!! Good luck to you!!

[@willownot]

I have two questions on the subject: 1- In 10 years, can AIs replace or take over many vacancies in cybersecurity? 2- Do you think doing comptia+, NDE, DFE, cloud+ would already be enough certifications to enter the market as a junior? what salary to expect?

[@JoseMartinez-dt9xj]

Wow Zach, amazing video & the information is awesome. I’m trying to get into Cybersecurity space & you have cleared so much fog that I had in my mind due to so much information search I have done & felt it was not cleared. But you definitely help me with that. Thank you again & awesome video. 👍

[@Itcareerquestions]

Hey Jose, first of all good luck to you my friend! Second, thank you so much for the kind words, I really appreciate that!

[@solacelu]

thanks for the video! Very well through and informative. Honestly helped me understand more about what path I want to take in the next few months - years.

[@Itcareerquestions]

I’m happy to hear that. Good luck to you! Thank you!!

[@jgtherrien90]

Thank you for the knowledge.

[@itsourceress5520]

Such good intel and advice!

[@dreamtraveller273]

This is super helpful. Thank you!

[@Itcareerquestions]

You’re welcome! Good luck to you.

[@kjcenteno5734]

Is IAM Manager Cybersecurity? I can't find any KZbin videos about this side in IT. Read some job description and seems like something I would like to do.

[@joshuahancock6896]

it's identity access management. In my Security+ and CySa+ certs, they talk about it so probably. But depends on whether you are engineering it or administrating it. Could probably fall under a cybersecurity manager or a systems administrator plus function.

[@anthonyrico9301]

Great Video, I just got my BS in Cybersecurity at GCU. So far I got one interview and I did fairly well. I hope to have more opportunities. I will work on my networking and thank you for the tips.

[@frankythomas1032]

Hey any updates on your progress? I’m on the fence about getting a BS in cybersecurity because of the high level of difficulty there seems to be in breaking into the industry

[@truegrizzlesfan2292]

24:20 he's right. Those are the programming language you want to understand as a software developer.

[@Mrbstjohn]

I just finished a boot camp and am studying for the security + And am struggling to get a basic entry lvl interview or even positive feedback!

[@truegrizzlesfan2292]

Honestly, it's going to hard for you to get your foot in the door. I would apply for contract position too. Best way to get in with a computer science degree. However, I know people who have Cyber security job with a certification. Computer science degree is best bet. If you can teach yourself how to code and understand the technology, you can get the job too but sometimes hiring will over look you for someone who have a better resume.

[@ThePigeonStoop]

You can't get experience if no one is willing to let you get that experience, a Firm Handshake don't get jobs anymore lol. So here's a Pro tip from someone living in New York City my whole life and the best way to get a job, it's one word. Network. AND! By Network I mean you have to make friends with random people who are in the industry even if you hate them. Having a friend in the business is so much more powerful than any resume or KZbin recommendation.

[@jameswood7784]

Great video thankyou. I'm currently in accounting and hating every minute of it, looking to make a move into cyber security and honestly lost on where to start. I don't have a degree as I went down the accounting qualification route (AAT and currently studying ACCA). Honestly lost as to where to start with my career move but this has given me some food for thought!

[@Itcareerquestions]

Hey there! Good luck to you on your journey. More good for thought for you. My current boss and ceo at TCM Security was an accountant and in 2015 he made the move to IT. Three year later he became a pentester.

[@jameswood7784]

@@Itcareerquestions that's reassuring! Pentesting is something that really interests me, any idea what route he took to get in? Did he do certs and work his way up, or did he go back and get a degree?

[@whatchyagonnado]

You can also take a look at WGU (western governors university) if you decide you want to go the degree route. It's super affordable, comes with a bunch of useful certs, and has a lot of IT program options. :)

[@289dancer]

Hi Zach! Thank you for this video. What is your recommendation for someone returning to work after a break following 8 years in the cybersecurity? Not a developer. Not a coder. Contract ended, child was birthed, that kind of thing. It seems to be a dry spell of getting back into landing a role. Interviews are being obtained but its stopping there. And I don't like the dragging through 4-5 interviews if they already know they are planning an internal hire or choosing another candidate. Any advice on not getting time wasted and getting hired as quickly as possible?

[@shootermcgavin4999]

A large number of the jobs now are remote so where you live doesn't matter as much. Not sure if things will shift back to the office anytime soon. Maybe the government jobs will want you in the office.

[@arthurgarcia6601]

Amazing job my friend, this helped me a lot.

[@TheAcehova313]

Thank you for taking time out to do this it is very helpful and motivating

[@Itcareerquestions]

You are welcome, that's my goal for these videos. Thank you for taking the time to let me know it's helped you, I appreciate that!

[@MrYounis26]

prepping my security+ after i passed network+, aws cloud practioner and ITIL, CSA and office 365, but what does run cmd mean on your hat?

[@Itcareerquestions]

Back In the day on windows computers when you clicked the start menu there used to be an option called “run” when you clicked on run it would open up a dialog box you for you type in. There you would type in “CMD” and hit enter, this would open up the command prompt for you. So RUN CMD is run command. The hat is also a spin on the musical group called RUN DMC. Their logo looks similar.

[@lukematteoni]

Awesome video thanks!

[@Itcareerquestions]

You’re welcome! Thank you!

[@-TheBigBadWolf-]

Brooo you lost soo much weight! I barely recognized you at first! Much luv brothaa 🐺💜💫

[@erickvergara9284]

I have a question! Is WGU Cyber Security Degree 📜 a good option or are there better CSD options?!!

[@deepadasmahapatra18]

You are Awesome!

[@trilokatmadasa3180]

Thanks man. That's a lot of helpful informations. Thanks again and all the best 👍 👌

[@jeffreyguia6530]

from ccna deciding to go to cybersecurity certs. am i not that late for a 37 y/o?

[@symeoncarter8144]

No I'm 37 with a CCNA and was studying for my CCNP then got an offer to join the cyber security team as an analyst, don't give up show them your hard work and you will be fine , good luck sir

[@animedude1957]

Great video man! Going back to the degree topic. I have a bachelors and a Masters in Healthcare Administration, and planning to go back to start to get my associates in cybersecurity. With those degrees I have now do you still think it be hard to get a job with those in cyber or is it specific to only IT degrees. I know I still got to do the other stuff but I was just curious about the degree part

[@Itcareerquestions]

Hey there, sometimes organizations will be very specific in requiring "security related degrees". Some organizations only care that you have a degree period. Seeing as how you already have a masters in Healthcare this can really open up doors for you along the cybersecurity route in the healthcare field. It might be in your best interest to start planning out a career path for cybersecurity and start identifying certifications and projects that you can do to start gaining the skills/knowledge/experience you'll need. I would highly suggest checking out TCM Security, more specifically our Discord server, reach out to me on there and and start conversing with some of our members there. I think you're in a prime position to jump into a cybersecurity career. Good luck to you! hope to see on you on the Discord: tcm-sec.com/discord

[@animedude1957]

For sure! Thank you! I will join this weekend for sure!

[@alexkatsanos8475]

Thank you!! 🔥🔥

[@Itcareerquestions]

My pleasure, enjoy!

[@CertifiedClapaholic]

So my Associate's degree in Cybersecurity is basically worthless for now until I do help desk for 6 to 12 months?

[@Itcareerquestions]

No, not necessarily.

[@CertifiedClapaholic]

@@Itcareerquestions that's good news. What jobs should I be applying for that aren't help desk? I have been applying to too many cybersecurity roles and not getting many responses. Makes sense to an extent but I guess I'd be better off switching up my job hunt strategy.

[@CertifiedClapaholic]

@Dior yep, actually pretty good news. Not as good as I was hoping for but looking back, it is realistically pretty great news and probably worked out for the best. I ended up accepting a Tier 2 level help desk position at a local company that is an MSP and expressed my interest in cybersecurity during the interviews. After about 4 months, our security department posted an internal job posting that several people (including myself, obviously) applied for and I got picked for the job! I have been in that position for 2 weeks now. I started on the help desk at $21.50/hr and after their initial job offer, had negotiated a guaranteed $1.50 raise after my first 90 days as long as the review was good. Moving to the security department only got me 1 more dollar an hour on top of that. And so while I was pretty disappointed in that pay bump, I chose to still accept the position because having Security Analyst experience on a resumé is the real prize anyways. Tbh, starting out on the help desk didn't seem ideal at first but it truly helped me understand networking a lot better than I thought I understood it coming straight out of college. Help desk sounds shitty (and I am sure it can be at many places), but it will get you experience that employers will value and at least at my company, it really was not that bad (though it can definitely burn you out if you stick around too long). I plan on being here for another 1 to 3 years to gain as much experience as I can and also to give my company a chance to pay me closer to what the market dictates for a Security Analyst before I start applying for other positions that pay better. So to sum it up, I took a path that didn't guarantee anything (except that $1.50 raise I had negotiated and some network troubleshooting experience), I applied myself to learning as much as I could (showed an eagerness to learn by taking notes when people would tell me things and constantly working on showing improvement week after week), and it seems to be working out for me.

[@jbs2763]

How does one get a security clearance? I had one in the last century while in the Army

[@matt_milack]

Hi! I want to start a serious education in order to became a Data analyst. It would mean a world to me if you would give me an answer to the next questions: 1. How in demand is this job? 2. How realistic is it to get this job fully remotely in American/Western European company as someone who is from Eastern Europe? 3. Would obtaining Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate, IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate and CompTIA Data+ certificate plus having my own projects in this field be enough to land me a job without having a degree? Thank you very much!

[@Itcareerquestions]

1. Look on the job sites listed in the description. 2. No idea. I’m in the United States. 3. See #1

[@matt_milack]

@@Itcareerquestions Thanks!

[@mbaz1628]

my man getting lean 💪🏾

[@jao8411]

Thanks for motivation almost didnt recognize you.

[@Itcareerquestions]

For sure! Good luck to you!

[@zakariagaboobe6575]

Pls do guide path to cloud computing.

[@Itcareerquestions]

I can look into it, but I would imagine the video would be fairly similar to be honest with you.

[@tyrojames9937]

I LIKE THIS VIDEO!

[@Itcareerquestions]

Thanks!

[@JJr-jf3my]

Does an IT job help you apply for cybersecurity jobs as far as experience? Im almost getting my bachelors in cyber security and I currently work at a Printer Repair and Support Technician.

[@nickxavier828]

Lol

[@twocubez7848]

I’d say it can, but you’d really need to sell it. In an interview, emphasize soft skills gained, like technical problem solving and troubleshooting, as well as effectively communicating with non-tech customers. Your current job likely isn’t a 1:1 match for a cybersecurity position, but that doesn’t mean it’s useless. Prove to prospective employers that you have a good baseline of technical knowledge/skills, convince them that you can quickly pick up on that workplace’s specific needs, and you’ll have a chance. Just keep learning and don’t underestimate your worth - ever!

[@bspence54]

Can you do a video on Digital Forensics ???

[@hendrasetiawan7220]

Hello, is that possible for me who has finance background to learn and go into cybersecurity path?

[@truegrizzlesfan2292]

Yes!!! Anyone who good with math can switch to cyber security or any route. It will take time and hard work. Do you love the technology. It's all up to you.

[@Thenomad777]

So youre saying theirs absolutely no way you can get a job with just certs

[@Itcareerquestions]

No that’s not what I’m saying. It’s definitely possible to get an it job with no certs, but a cert will help you when you’re competing against people with degrees OR degrees AND certifications.

[@phi180]

@@Itcareerquestions i dont think you understood the question

[@Itcareerquestions]

I suppose I read that wrong. Even still definitely possible to get an IT job with only a certification, might be more difficult to do now a days but still possible, especially for entry level IT work.

[@phi180]

@@Itcareerquestions thank you :)

[@GG-sy1ut]

Is it ok to go to college without any kinds of knowledge about IT

[@Itcareerquestions]

Yeah, they should be able to help you learn.

[@bigdog4166]

Wow man congrats on the weight loss! 👍

[@andrewsmith7534]

So I’m getting ready to leave the military in a year. Any tips or advice?

[@KevtechITSupport]

so many free resources for veterans. What do you want to do in IT?

[@roy3891]

Can I study cybersecurity without college and university?

[@claddiust]

Thank YOu.

[@abdimouuse6730]

Can you make a video about your weight loss journey

[@badsanta7356]

I am interested in the path through bug bounty hunting

[@devonnejones]

Before I start this 30 minute video, please allow me to say congrats on the weight loss. A YT search brought me to your channel and the first vid of yours I watch was about the “useless certs” so the weight loss is evident watching this vid seconds later… Now back to the vid!!! TEACH ME SOMETHING. PLEASE!! 😂😂

[@ismailhunaid7504]

sir what about AWS ?

[@Itcareerquestions]

What about AWS?

[@BB-uz4tc]

Can u hire your loyal subscribers to do some volunteer work for you and then we can add that to our resume? Give us your hardest problems we are smart and can figure it out!

[@Itcareerquestions]

I have no idea what I would have anyone do at this point. I don’t have enough time for the channel as it is.

[@BB-uz4tc]

@@Itcareerquestions great response ! It's ok.. keep up the great work and this was just a suggestion that down the road you can configure. You will have an army of IT people you have birthed!

[@emanuel5095]

I got the clearance as a veteran I just need the certs and degree now 😂😢

[@DSS-jj2cw]

Great video! I guess I will become a plumber! Lol

[@auntieuppity2458]

Yo.... you look well!

[@Itcareerquestions]

Yo! I'm feeling amazing! I hope you are well!

[@lanettecole2996]

You look great! How did you lose the weight? I was watching a video of you three years ago. Then this video! Great job! Great info! 😊

[@jacobocaj5778]

So basically it's good have a bachelor's degree?? Not just certification

[@Itcareerquestions]

It can be for sure!

[@truegrizzlesfan2292]

Yes. CS degree is way to go .

[@purplespace4922]

is software engineer part of it

[@Itcareerquestions]

It can be. Watch the video and you'll understand.

[@purplespace4922]

@@Itcareerquestions OK

[@143jeg]

Nice job keeping the weight off! You look great.

[@Itcareerquestions]

Thank you!

[@RinmaMC]

Thank you! This video holp me to understand that I am not for this 😅

[@csl9495]

I hate Networking. Often what you find is a bunch of highly paid, pretentious unskilled employers who's sitting on their high chair desiring for you to kiss their ass. These annoying folks are much like politicians... in essence 90% of Networking is Politics, as those who are truly skilled are usually the introverted type with their head down actually working and don't have time for political hiring. If you yourself aren't a kiss ass, just put your head down, study and make sure you're undeniably skilled.

[@recon0x7f16]

have u heard of level affect bootcamp

[@Itcareerquestions]

I have not.

[@andresquintero1443]

Thanks for the video man ! Btw did you lose weight ? Haha

[@Itcareerquestions]

You're welcome! Maybe a little bit? :D

[@pejv7903]

Bro is losing weight like a mad man, congrats

[@erikbarajas8499]

SKINNY LEGEND !

[@turkeysammich1059]

Wow man you lost a lot of weight, lookin good 👍

[@Itcareerquestions]

Thank you!

[@BrayanRodriguez-mw7iw]

OMF! You lost a lot of weight? Am I correct?

[@Itcareerquestions]

You are correct!

[@BrayanRodriguez-mw7iw]

@@Itcareerquestions you are just AWESOME BRO!

[@Itcareerquestions]

Thank you, you are too!

[@fallingxshadow]

Your video had 699 likes but I liked it anyway man. Lol

[@Smashhackisma]

You looking skinny now fam

[@Itcareerquestions]

Getting there!

[@Eidenbites]

Just start hacking illegally…. Jk

[@MMTPproductionz]

I have a bachelors, A+, and Sec+ and I’d say another great learning tool is hackthebox and Linux essentials.. its hard to secure a position without work experience but one thing I learned is brush up on your interview skills, they’ll take you a long way

[@abe5351]

Hey man what is your LinkedIn? Would like to connect!