Job search strategy

This section is designed to help students strategize for and organize their job search and career development activities

Learning objectives

• Identify your target job role, industry, and companies • Analyze your skill gap for the role • Create a skill development plan • Tailor and optimize your CV for the role • Become familiar with the job interview process

When a recruiter has limited time with a decision-maker, they may only highlight one or two resumes—you want yours to be one of them. Below are steps to help you stand out.

Topics covered in this section

• Identify your target job role

• Identify your target companies

• Identify your skill gap

• Create a skill bridge plan

• Resume optimization

• Networking and outreach

• Conduct informational interviews

• Job interview preparation

• Breaking into infosec (newcomers)

Identify your target job role

• Determine the income range acceptable for you.

• Identify the job role (job title) that matches your skills, interests, and income requirements.

• Start researching the role's skill/knowledge/credential requirements ASAP!

• Analyze/consider at least 3 job roles. Fill in the following table with the qualifications required for each role and note any gaps between your current skills and the job requirements.

Job role selection grid (example):

Job title	Skills/qualifications required	Skills you have	Skills you need
Network Administrator	IP connectivity, IP services, CCNA, Linux	Linux, Cisco IOS CLI	IP connectivity, IP services, CCNA
Incident Responder	OS (Linux, Windows, Mac), Packet analysis, SIEM tools, CompTIA Security+	Windows, Mac, Wireshark	Linux, SIEM tools, CompTIA Security+
Penetration Tester	IT networking, Kali Linux, CEH (EC-Council)	IT networking	Kali Linux, CEH (EC-Council)

• Consider how much time you'll need to bridge the skill gap (three months? Six months? Three years?)

Identify your target companies

• Job applications: Directly (Cisco, Huawei, Apple, etc.) and indirect (recruiters, job boards, job sites, etc.).

• Compile a list of 20+ target companies hiring for your desired role.

• Identify the skills/qualifications expected at these companies for the role.

• Gather background information about the companies - culture, projects, products/services, etc.

• Create a "wishlist" spreadsheet (Company Name, Mission/Vision, Projects, Products/Services, Revenue, Employee Count, Competitors, Headquarter Location, Subsidiaries, etc.).

• Use resources such as Huntr.co to organize your findings.

• Use LLMs/AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, etc. to research company information.

Identify your skill gap

• Use the list of 20+ companies to identify the expected skills for the role.

• Research recent job ads (20+ job descriptions) for the role and extract main skills expected for the role.

• Conduct a gap analysis: Identify your skill gap (skills, experience, and certifications you need).

Skill gap analysis table (example):

Skill/certification	Required for role	Current level	Gap/notes
Active Directory (AD) on Windows Server Powershell, IAM - database and service, DNS server, DHCP server, group policy	Asset	Missing	Need hands on training setting up AD Windows Server 2000 and later includes Active Directory
Backup and disaster recovery	Yes	Missing	Need hands on training in backup and disaster recovery
Network availability monitoring - NMS	Yes	Missing	Need hands on training - Nagios / OpenNMS
Network performance monitoring - NMS	Yes	Missing	Need hands on training - MRTG (SNMP based) / CiscoWorks

• Decide what you need to learn (your skill gap).

Create a skill bridge plan

• Create an action plan to address the skill gap (set SMART goals).

• Plan in terms of weeks, months, and years.

• Courses, hands on projects, industry certifications, seminars, etc.

A three-month action plan (example):

Skill	Timeline	Resources*	Tasks**
Active Directory (AD) on Windows Server	Mar. 3 - Mar. 9	https://www.udemy.com/course/active-directory-administration-for-helpdesk-technicians/	Complete Udemy course: Mastering Active Directory: Administration and Fundamentals
Backup and disaster recovery	Mar. 10 - Mar. 23 Mar. 24 - Apr. 4	https://cybercademy.org/build-a-backup-server-in-linux-project-overview/ https://www.cbtnuggets.com/tutorials/encrypt-data-at-rest-with-linux-tools	Build a Linux (Ubuntu) encrypted backup and recovery server
Network availability monitoring - NMS		https://www.nagios.org/ Chapter 5. Monitoring Network Availability in Deveriya (2005, p. 288)	Deploy Nagios for Linux-based (Ubuntu/Debian) network monitoring
Network performance monitoring - NMS		See training resources sheet	Deploy MRTG (SNMP based) on a small Linux (Ubuntu/Debian) network

*Resources: Create a detailed training resources sheet.

**Tasks: Courses, hands on projects, industry certifications, seminars, etc.

Setting SMART goals:

• Specific: Complete Udemy course: Mastering Active Directory: Administration and Fundamentals.

• Measurable: Study 5 hours/week and set up a test environment.

• Achievable: Udemy's course is for beginners and is highly rated.

• Relevant: Required for target role.

• Time-bound: Achieve proficiency within 2 months.

Resume optimization

• Tailor your resume to the target role.

• Tailor your applications to the target position and target company.

• Optimize your resume for ATS (use resources like Huntr.co).

• Keep the professional summary brief (1–3 lines).

• Submit as a Word document (not PDF) for recruiter edits.

• Use simple formatting—avoid complex columns/fonts.

• Limit length to 2–3 pages, even with extensive experience.

• Roles older than 10 years need only basic details (company, title, dates), or drop.

ATS compliant resume example:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQKiwHcCki0Nn7k-gbPy3AFlrHysn0M1CyEI5-NVVlO4TlX3BEmgvDNLwcC_DTZV5is_xHMVNbWTi6f/pub

Networking and outreach

• Update and tailor your LinkedIn profile (maybe also your X/Twitter profile).

• Grow your connections (e.g., seven new industry professionals/week from your target companies/industry).

• Create Glassdoor and Indeed profiles.

• Build professional connections (connect, comment, message, etc. industry professionals).

• Schedule informational interviews with connections for information about the job role trends and opportunities.

• Participate in/join webinars, virtual meetups, or networking events to learn about job role trends and opportunities.

Conduct informational interviews

• Reach out to professionals in your target companies for informational interviews using social media/job hunting platforms (Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, etc.).

• Gain valuable insights into company culture, job requirements, industry trends, organizational structure, etc.

• Use informational interviews to identify any gaps in your resume, skills, or certifications.

Job interview preparation

• Build a story toolbox:

• People remember stories more than facts.

• Use the STAR method to help structure your stories (where there's "action" or accomplishments to communicate):

• S - Situation: Describe the context or problem.

• T - Task: Explain your responsibility or role.

• A - Action: Detail the actions you took to solve the problem.

• R - Result: Explain the outcome/impact you made.

• Prepare at least two stories demonstrating problem-solving skills, interpersonal skills, handling/learning from conflicts and mistakes.

• Responses to common and expected interview questions.

• Practice mock interviews with friends/acquaintances/career coach/yourself.

• Demonstrate cultural/organizational fit (alignment of values, mutual gains).

• Demonstrate your ability to get the job done and add value/make a difference.

• For skills you don't have yet:

• Emphasize (give examples of) your fast learning capabilities.

• Give examples of similar skills/experiences.

• Ask probing/follow-up questions (tailor your responses to their concerns).

• Make a strong first impression:

• Non-verbal communication (body language, tone, posture) plays a huge role—93% of communication is non-verbal.

• First impressions form in a fraction of a second and can be lasting, so present yourself confidently.

• Practice interview answers (responses to common and expected interview questions).

Common interview questions:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSUhHKxH_qq0YO_R0f_3oNNPxle_HylW2CveXoqLDF59JSxuWxUde5FDS1OIUlq4VjvUGHp4D4jARiM/pub

Breaking into infosec (newcomers)

Consider:

• Within an organization, transferring to a security role.

• Seeking mentorship from infosec professionals.

• Gaining experience through volunteer work or internships.

• Attending industry conferences (e.g., BSides) and local meetups (ISSA, OWASP, etc.).

• Completing courses, hands on projects, industry certifications.

• Finding a reputable external recruiter.

Key lesson takeaways

• Start your IT and cybersecurity career by selecting a job role • Research the industry skills for the role and create a skill development plan • Tailor your resume for the role • Start building a professional network ASAP

References

https://futurecareer.net