Real-world practice, along with your education and certificates, is extremely important to your growth in this industry. However, many employers will ask for experience, even though it is very clear you have just completed or are continuing your education.
One of the best ways to gain experience, as well as give back to your community, is to find a non-profit organization (NPO) that needs help with their internal infrastructure and security posture.
Most NPOs suffer from a lack of skilled resources. Due to the financial constraints and a lack of employees, the outcome is that only so much can be done. This introduces difficulties in properly securing the NPO's assets and responding to events in a timely fashion.
Compounding this unfortunate state is that a lot of charities are run by volunteers or people who are working part-time. This means NPO's have a lot of people who are coming in and have not, perhaps, gone through the full training that a full-time employee would receive.
Many cannot afford these services, yet due to the nature of their business, it is extremely important that this not be put on the back burner. As charities compete for funds, a cyber incident may discourage current and future donors, which could lead to the demise of the NPO.
This provides an urgent and timely opportunity for individuals wishing to gain more exposure to Cybersecurity and earn the necessary experience to land their dream job.
If this sounds like you, consider going to your local church or another nonprofit in your area and offer them your knowledge. It will help you gain the experience you need as well as help an organization that has been giving to your community.
As always, we're here to help!
-Virginia