Navigating the Cybersecurity Career Path

Introduction

Every week, I get a call from someone I don't know (or barely know) asking for a meeting so they can get to know me and ask me questions about working in security. Often, the person is thinking about working in security and needs help figuring out where to start. Just as often, the person already works in security and is wrestling with some challenge they can't solve on their own and wants some guidance. Sometimes, the person has taken on a new leadership or management role, and they are overwhelmed with the responsibility and don't know where to start.

They ask questions like these:

• How did you get into security?
• What would you recommend I do about this problem?
• How do you balance your work and home life?

I ask questions like these:

• Where do you work now?
• What do you want the outcome to be?
• Have you read this book/blog/podcast?

Being a mentor, coach, and sounding board is one of my favorite things to do. I love the community of people who work in this profession, and I love helping people navigate their way into and through it. I typically meet with a couple of people each month. Sometimes, meeting a new person results in an ongoing mentoring relationship, with a regular meeting cadence and a specific issue we explore. Sometimes, it results in no further meetings, but we do form a common connection, where I learn more about them. Usually, I also take something away from our meeting, too. I learn something that helps me remember something I had forgotten or ...