There’s lots of advice about applying to jobs. Here are some tips specific to cyber.
No matter your path, expect the job application process to be challenging.
Search
On platforms like LinkedIn, experiment with saved searches that pair topics with roles.
Once you start to populate your resume with skills you’ve developed, platforms like LinkedIn can start auto-recommending roles for you that match your skills.
Review
Read a lot of job descriptions for entry-level security roles. See what qualifications tend to show up often in the sorts of jobs that interest you.
Do your homework
If you notice gaps between what most entry-level cyber jobs require/prefer and what you have on your resume, see if you can fill those.
Doing your homework includes researching roles at a firm that interests you. It’s not always a smooth move to ping someone and ask them to let you know if they have any roles that might be a good fit. That firm might have hundreds of roles open; it’s not their job to figure out how to match your background to a job. Instead, unless you already know someone who would refer or guide you, note at least one or two specific open roles that caught your eye when you’re reaching out.
Attraction
Do your homework so that your profile on places like Linkedin or elsewhere draws attention from recruiters.
There are a lot of recruiters that specialize in technology roles generally or security roles specifically. Follow them so you get notified about their posts.
It gets easier. When you’re junior, attracting outreach from recruiters is much harder. When you mid-level and above, you’ll get pinged by recruiters very frequently.
Referrals
Hiring goes in cycles. If you’re looking for something new, let your closest mentors know. They can’t necessarily get you hired, but they might be able to get your resume read and considered by a human. That’s is a big step up from getting filtered out by an Applicant Tracking System (or ATS, the platform many recruiting teams use to manage applications).