10 valuable advices to land a job in 2010
Adriano Dias Leite | Jan 11, 2010 | Comments 45
6 – Get your resume professionally rewritten
I have to confess that I’ve spent a while to convince myself about that one, but as our relocation to Australia was getting closer and I hadn’t updated my CV for ages, I decided to give it a try. Actually, the trigger for me to get it professionally done was, believe me, an unsolicited e-mail. Like all of you, I hate SPAM, but since I was kind of receptive for any help in the daunting task of resume writing, why not?
It turned out to be an experience. The service promised a free CV analysis, and since it was for free, why not giving it a try? Fortunately, the company was serious and they got back to me with a 5 pages e-mail explaining every shortcoming my CV presented, with very convincing arguments. Making the story short, if I compare my 5 years old CV with the current one, I tell you something for sure: the market requirements for a CV have changed 180 degrees.
Getting it rewritten cost me a few hundred bucks, but since I had spared a budget as part of my overall plan, the outcome was very satisfactory and definitely more aligned with the current market. That’s definitely a recommended service, but make sure the company providing the services has a reputable background and its customers are content with the outcome.
I don’t want to explicitly advertise a company here, but if you are interested to know who has worked on my resume, get in touch with me at webmaster@myinfosecjob.com.
EDIT:Due to the overwhelming number of inquiries about the company, MyInfosecJob has become an affiliate of them to better serve our readers. Check out the banner at the left hand side.
7 – Brand yourself
Are you a specialist for a given technology? Have you got several years of experience in a certain specific field? Let everyone know it!
Branding yourself is more than bragging about your skills or experience: it doesn’t come so easy. People should perceive you as an authority in your field, and what’s the best way of doing it, you ask?
Fortunately internet eases this task, giving you several different channels to share your knowledge. Let me mention some examples:
- Starting your own blog: Yes, I know, Internet is full of blogs already. But who said there is no space for your voice too? Taking this blog as an example, I can surely tell you it’s the most rewarding initiative of mine in the past couple of years. It definitely gives me pleasure to write articles and see people participating, no matter if complimenting or criticizing. The point is: I’m sharing my thoughts and opening a dialog with my peers, even though virtually.
- Asking and answering questions at LinkedIn: LinkedIn is another channel full of people striving to learn, which is a very fertile ground for sowing your seeds and get noticed.
- Participating in forums and discussion lists: Search for groups of your interest and take part. More than just sharing knowledge, you’re building a network around you with minimal effort.
There are several other options over there, being it a podcast, workshop or association. The point here is having people associating you with a specific knowledge. As said, Internet couldn’t be of more help.
8 – Work on your weaknesses
I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: The first step to solve a problem is to acknowledge its existence.
I’m fully aware how hard it is to find our own weakness, let alone accept it. But a sincere feedback from your boss or close peers definitely aids the task. Becoming a better professional requires a huge dose of humbleness from you to accept a feedback that might sound nonsense at first, or even hurt you.
My advice to transforming a weakness into strength is:
1 – Ask people around you what they think your weaknesses are. Tell them to describe situations where they spotted it and try to look at yourself from their shoes. 99% of the time you’ll see they are right.
2 – Ask for their opinion on what you should do to improve that weakness. People will be glad to help you strengthening or developing a certain skill.
3 – Constantly consult with them to measure your progress. It will be rewarding to both of you seeing progress is being made!
9 – Believe
It comes without saying: If you don’t believe you can get there, why would the others? Look around you: you might have already achieved a lot in your life, but there’s still much to do. Keeping faith into your objectives only brings more strength to deal with the hurdles you might face. So look ahead, there is a whole new year ahead of you! Roll up your sleeves and start working on new life right now!
10 – Enjoy it!
Sounds like a paradox, but changes are the only constant in our lives. And when times of change arrive, you have 2 distinct choices: to welcome or to reject them. Being positive and accepting the fact that the unforeseen can happen only eases the transition to the new.
If you’re enduring unemployment or discontent about your current situation, sitting in a chair complaining about the fact won’t take you farther; only action and an optimistic attitude will change your situation.
So now that you’ve given an opportunity to write a new page in your life, make the most of it with passion and perseverance. Positive energy attracts positive things, so pull yourself together, put these advices into practice, and enjoy the changes to come!
Hopefully the tips have been useful to at least make you rethink your situation and perhaps spark some ideas to start different. Welcome to 2010!
-Adriano Dias Leite, on behalf of My Infosec Job team.
Pages: 1 2
Filed Under: Articles • From me to you • Job Market • My career
Thank you so much for this post. I was just laid off from a fortune 500 company and found myself getting very frustured with my job search. I have over 9 years in the IT industry; Info system, LAN admin and InfoSec. I have a BBA and MBA in IT. I have been running into barriers with not having any secuirty certs. I only have 3 yrs in Inforsec; which limits my chances to getting the CISSP. I can go for the GSEC but dont have $3000 to spend. This article help me to refocus and stay positive in my journey…THANK YOU!
[...] One good thing about an information security career is that the barriers to entry are fairly low, since the skills can be self-taught. However, while a formal degree in computer science is not an absolute necessity, having one may prove to be a major factor in a firm’s decision to hire you. Many potential employers will also ask you for a professional certification in information systems security. But nowadays, the main obstacle to get into the Security field is experience. To be considered for any Information Security Job most companies will want several years of experience (around five is preferred). This might sound a bit like the chicken and the egg problem: how to have experience if you can’t get the job, and vice versa? As I said before, you just need to plan. [...]
[...] want to become a successful professional, do it right: get yourself some entry level certifications, land a security job, get experienced, and only after go for [...]
[...] One good thing about an information security career is that the barriers to entry are fairly low, since the skills can be self-taught. However, while a formal degree in computer science is not an absolute necessity, having one may prove to be a major factor in a firm’s decision to hire you. Many potential employers will also ask you for a professional certification in information systems security. But nowadays, the main obstacle to get into the Security field is . To be considered for any Information Security Job most companies will want several years of experience (around five is preferred). This might sound a bit like the chicken and the egg problem: how to have experience if you can’t get the job, and vice versa? As I said before, you just need to plan. [...]
[...] One good thing about an information security career is that the barriers to entry are fairly low, since the skills can be self-taught. However, while a formal degree in computer science is not an absolute necessity, having one may prove to be a major factor in a firm’s decision to hire you. Many potential employers will also ask you for a professional certification in information systems security. But nowadays, the main obstacle to get into the Security field is experience. To be considered for any Information Security Job most companies will want several years of experience (around five is preferred). This might sound a bit like the chicken and the egg problem: how to have experience if you can’t get the job, and vice versa? As I said before, you just need to plan. [...]
[...] to turn a successful professional, do it right: get yourself a little entrance turn certifications, land a confidence job, get experienced, as well as usually after go for [...]
[...] http://www.myinfosecjob.com/2010/01/10-valuable-advices-to-land-a-job-in-2010/ Esta entrada foi publicada em Jobs. Adicione o link permanenteaos seus favoritos. ← [...]
[...] One good thing about an information security career is that the barriers to entry are fairly low, since the skills can be self-taught. However, while a formal degree in computer science is not an absolute necessity, having one may prove to be a major factor in a firm’s decision to hire you. Many potential employers will also ask you for a professional certification in information systems security. But nowadays, the main obstacle to get into the Security field is experience. To be considered for any Information Security Job most companies will want several years of experience (around five is preferred). This might sound a bit like the chicken and the egg problem: how to have experience if you can’t get the job, and vice versa? As I said before, you just need to plan. [...]
[...] One good thing about an information security career is that the barriers to entry are fairly low, since the skills can be self-taught. However, while a formal degree in computer science is not an absolute necessity, having one may prove to be a major factor in a firm’s decision to hire you. Many potential employers will also ask you for a professional certification in information systems security. But nowadays, the main obstacle to get into the Security field is experience. To be considered for any Information Security Job most companies will want several years of experience (around five is preferred). This might sound a bit like the chicken and the egg problem: how to have experience if you can’t get the job, and vice versa? As I said before, you just need to plan. [...]
[...] want to become a successful professional, do it right: get yourself some entry level certifications, land a security job, get experienced, and only after go for [...]
[...] want to become a successful professional, do it right: get yourself some entry level certifications, land a security job, get experienced, and only after go for [...]
[...] want to become a successful professional, do it right: get yourself some entry level certifications, land a security job, get experienced, and only after go for [...]
[...] want to become a successful professional, do it right: get yourself some entry level certifications, land a security job, get experienced, and only after go for [...]
[...] One good thing about an information security career is that the barriers to entry are fairly low, since the skills can be self-taught. However, while a formal degree in computer science is not an absolute necessity, having one may prove to be a major factor in a firm’s decision to hire you. Many potential employers will also ask you for a professional certification in information systems security. But nowadays, the main obstacle to get into the Security field is experience. To be considered for any Information Security Job most companies will want several years of experience (around five is preferred). This might sound a bit like the chicken and the egg problem: how to have experience if you can’t get the job, and vice versa? As I said before, you just need to plan. [...]
[...] want to become a successful professional, do it right: get yourself some entry level certifications, land a security job, get experienced, and only after go for [...]
[...] One good thing about an information security career is that the barriers to entry are fairly low, since the skills can be self-taught. However, while a formal degree in computer science is not an absolute necessity, having one may prove to be a major factor in a firm’s decision to hire you. Many potential employers will also ask you for a professional certification in information systems security. But nowadays, the main obstacle to get into the Security field is experience. To be considered for any Information Security Job most companies will want several years of experience (around five is preferred). This might sound a bit like the chicken and the egg problem: how to have experience if you can’t get the job, and vice versa? As I said before, you just need to plan. [...]
[...] want to become a successful professional, do it right: get yourself some entry level certifications, land a security job, get experienced, and only after go for [...]
[...] One good thing about an information security career is that the barriers to entry are fairly low, since the skills can be self-taught. However, while a formal degree in computer science is not an absolute necessity, having one may prove to be a major factor in a firm’s decision to hire you. Many potential employers will also ask you for a professional certification in information systems security. But nowadays, the main obstacle to get into the Security field is experience. To be considered for any Information Security Job most companies will want several years of experience (around five is preferred). This might sound a bit like the chicken and the egg problem: how to have experience if you can’t get the job, and vice versa? As I said before, you just need to plan. [...]
[...] One good thing about an information security career is that the barriers to entry are fairly low, since the skills can be self-taught. However, while a formal degree in computer science is not an absolute necessity, having one may prove to be a major factor in a firm’s decision to hire you. Many potential employers will also ask you for a professional certification in information systems security. But nowadays, the main obstacle to get into the Security field is experience. To be considered for any Information Security Job most companies will want several years of experience (around five is preferred). This might sound a bit like the chicken and the egg problem: how to have experience if you can’t get the job, and vice versa? As I said before, you just need to plan. [...]
[...] One good thing about an information security career is that the barriers to entry are fairly low, since the skills can be self-taught. However, while a formal degree in computer science is not an absolute necessity, having one may prove to be a major factor in a firm’s decision to hire you. Many potential employers will also ask you for a professional certification in information systems security. But nowadays, the main obstacle to get into the Security field is experience. To be considered for any Information Security Job most companies will want several years of experience (around five is preferred). This might sound a bit like the chicken and the egg problem: how to have experience if you can’t get the job, and vice versa? As I said before, you just need to plan. [...]
[...] One good thing about an information security career is that the barriers to entry are fairly low, since the skills can be self-taught. However, while a formal degree in computer science is not an absolute necessity, having one may prove to be a major factor in a firm’s decision to hire you. Many potential employers will also ask you for a professional certification in information systems security. But nowadays, the main obstacle to get into the Security field is experience. To be considered for any Information Security Job most companies will want several years of experience (around five is preferred). This might sound a bit like the chicken and the egg problem: how to have experience if you can’t get the job, and vice versa? As I said before, you just need to plan. [...]
[...] want to become a successful professional, do it right: get yourself some entry level certifications, land a security job, get experienced, and only after go for [...]
[...] One good thing about an information security career is that the barriers to entry are fairly low, since the skills can be self-taught. However, while a formal degree in computer science is not an absolute necessity, having one may prove to be a major factor in a firm’s decision to hire you. Many potential employers will also ask you for a professional certification in information systems security. But nowadays, the main obstacle to get into the Security field is experience. To be considered for any Information Security Job most companies will want several years of experience (around five is preferred). This might sound a bit like the chicken and the egg problem: how to have experience if you can’t get the job, and vice versa? As I said before, you just need to plan. [...]
[...] want to become a successful professional, do it right: get yourself some entry level certifications, land a security job, get experienced, and only after go for [...]
[...] want to become a successful professional, do it right: get yourself some entry level certifications, land a security job, get experienced, and only after go for [...]
[...] want to become a successful professional, do it right: get yourself some entry level certifications, land a security job, get experienced, and only after go for [...]
[...] As I’ve mentioned sometime ago, my resume has been professionally redesigned/rewritten by a company which gave it a complete face lift and brought it in line with the current market requirements. I was simply amazed by the results, and since many of you asked me for the company name, I became one of their affiliates to extend their reach to other information security professionals around the world. As I know many of you are looking for jobs and ways to leverage your “employability”, I couldn’t let pass the opportunity to share my findings about the service in general. [...]
[...] Security degree offer you?Information Security Job Market Report 2010Do you want to become an expat?10 valuable advices to land a job in 2010 February 16th, 2010 | Tags: Career, Certifications, Interview, Job Market, Objective, Security | [...]
[...] presented in this article should broaden your field of sight about the way you conduct your career (even if you are unemployed), and will definitely give you the edge when the message they transmit are absorbed and put into [...]
Hi Adriano
I would really thank you for the post that u have made especially for entry level people in to infosec jobs. I totally agree upon my personal experience that its very hard to get in . But ur blog has made me think what to do plan next. I will try my level best to enter in to information security side as thats my dream . I want to really thank u again for posting such valuabe information . Pls do post valuable information like job sites too which will benefit extremly for entry level people .
Hey mate. I don’t read many blogs, but yours is of thelittle I read.Have a awesome day!
[...] One good thing about an information security career is that the barriers to entry are fairly low, since the skills can be self-taught. However, while a formal degree in computer science is not an absolute necessity, having one may prove to be a major factor in a firm’s decision to hire you. Many potential employers will also ask you for a professional certification in information systems security. But nowadays, the main obstacle to get into the Security field is experience. To be considered for any Information Security Job most companies will want several years of experience (around five is preferred). This might sound a bit like the chicken and the egg problem: how to have experience if you can’t get the job, and vice versa? As I said before, you just need to plan. [...]
[...] 10 valuable advices to land a job in 2010 [...]
[...] to comments This post is on growth, whether career growth or personal growth, the following post http://www.myinfosecjob.com/2010/01/10-valuable-advices-to-land-a-job-in-2010/#more-438 has some great [...]
Excellent article. Well done.
[...] promised in our “10 advices to land a job in 2010” article, today I decided to open a space to Jeff Parker, an Infosec Professional and road warrior [...]
Thanks for the article, it helped me to give more thought on my future steps.
Very useful article! worth reading multiple times!
Excellent article Adriano! I am starting my job search in Spain today (after relocating from the uk, looking for quality of life) and read this article first thing in the morning gives me a lot of enthusiam.
very helpful!!
thanx
I can definetly say that this article is the nice one to kiddle our thoughts. Great effort dude.
http://in.linkedin.com/in/balachandarnatarajan
Excellent article Adriano !
I’ve just moved with my whole family from Germany to Canada 5 weeks ago in goal to find a new job that suite my carrier path, and I am also doing my CISSP certification on my own expense in 5 weeks. I am fully convince of the value of my choice and investments. It’s not easy, needs a lot of family logistics, find right CISSP study time, discipline, discipline, discipline…, and… yes … keep the enthusiasm.
Our Plan B is to keep up the Plan A. I try to apply on my personal life some high level key ideas of the famous PDCA concept. Let said that my own self esteem is my daily Auditor
All the Best to everyone in 2010 !!!
Ralph
Wonderful article and it’s really helpful…
Thanks a lot for this wonderful work…
–Mayank
Great!. Good recommendations.
Thanks
Adriano,
I wanted to let you know about the great job you did with this article, hopefully people out there will read it and obtain the inspiration you planted with this words of wisdom. Look forward to keep in touch in 2010 and beyond!
Gene