The Magic Ingredient For Your Job Hunt

And every single time, it's the same problem. People struggling to find their first cyber job.

The thing that surprises me is that many of these people are genuinely amazing.

🤳🏼 They have technical skills. 💻 They have built home labs. 📜 They have done certifications.

They have tried everything they think and they were told will get them a job.

And yet, they still struggle.

Yes, the cybersecurity entry-level job market is difficult. There are a lot of things that need to change with that.

BUT, at the same time, there is something I have seen some beginners do that actually gets them that first job.

Networking. 📶

Whenever there is a job opening in a company, it usually happens like this:

• The role is first posted internally and companies look within their own organization
• Then, people often ask "Does anyone know someone trustworthy who could be a good fit?"
• Only after that does the role reach the outside world, where everyone competes for the same position

And even when the role is public, the people who have connections and referrals often have an advantage because they can get that first conversation 📞

Now, this doesn't mean technical skills don't matter.

They absolutely do.

But sometimes there is nothing wrong with your CV.

Nothing wrong with your portfolio. Nothing wrong with your skills.

Maybe the problem is simply that the people hiring don't know you.

They don't know what you can do.

That's why networking is so important from the very beginning.

When we are at university, we are rarely taught enough about people skills, communication and building relationships.

But those things matter a lot.

💬 Because it's not just about what you know. It's about who knows what you know.

From what I've seen, the people who start building relationships early, often create opportunities that others don't even know exist 🪜

How much has networking influenced your career journey?