Covers: Aptitude, skills, interest, and career path opportunities

Aptitude

Aptitude is your natural ability or talent to do something. The sub-page linked above provides multiple sources to identify your aptitude. But let’s face it, if you’re ready this page you’re probably good with computers and figuring things out. That’s a great start!

Skills

Skill and experience come with tinkering, hobbies, and on the job experience. What are you doing, beyond school work, to develop your skills? If you show initiative you can help others in your personal network, offer volunteer or affordable support for small businesses while learning as you go, shadowing an mentor, or arranging an internship with a company. Your passion will factor into your skills development as only those with a drive will mature to greater heights. For those wondering if they need a degree, yes, that is very significant in 2023 to be considered for a job over those that have learned on the job without a degree.

Interest

If you don’t have a passion and continual interest – and this is true for everything in life – you won’t be very good at it. Cybersecurity is constantly changing, like that of our adversary tools, tactics, and procedures. If you’re not passionate and committed to continual learning you won’t ever be anything beyond mediocre.

Career Path Opportunities

Cybersecurity is similar to all other technical fields, where you can work largely as a sole contributor or “geek” but coordinating with others, sometimes leading initiatives or groups – OR – follow leadership roles. Sadly, “go-getters” that are dependable are often rewarded with leadership roles only to find out they don’t enjoy the politics, soft skill requirements, pushing powerpoint and reports, or the ‘people factor’ involved with such roles. I’m not trying to place a negative view of leadership, as I love it, but this is what many engineer geek types have said over the years.

Check out these roles, if you think cyber is for you!