Cybersecurity: A Career Choice for Veterans

by | Mar 4, 2021

For the past few months, we have been actively participating in career fairs with the US military. We have talked to several active personnel facing the same questions in these events: what is a good next step for me? What type of work can I do once I retire? 

Not everyone wants to follow the common path of going into the police force or public services. Most of them are looking for reintegration into civilian life, working for a private company, even if that means spending time catching up and learning new skills.  

Cybersecurity presents itself as an interesting career option. Not only are there over 310,000 unfilled jobs in the US, but it is a field with a talent gap that is expected to keep growing for the coming months.  

But what makes it such an attractive option for veterans?  

Cybersecurity: a Great Option for Veterans

There are different benefits of having a military background when transitioning to cybersecurity. On one side, your experience gave you a set of skills that makes you an ideal candidate for a cybersecurity job, while on the other, this is a role where you will still be honoring your commitment to serve our country.  

1- A way to continue serving our country 

Over the past few months, we have seen citiesgovernment offices, and even a city water supply fall victim to cybercrime. So, another way to serve and protect is to work in cybersecurity this time from a different frontier and fighting different battles. As a cybersecurity professional, you will be in charge of leading a critical mission, with high pay (an entry-level position can earn an estimated $98,000) in a field where there are hundreds or even thousands of opportunities.  

2- Employer seek veterans for cybersecurity jobs 

Being in the military gave you certain skills and professional qualities that make your profile more attractive than civilians´. The time you served helped you develop key attributes, such as learning agility and problem-solving skills, leadership capabilities, working in high-pressure environments, understanding the risks at stake, and your pursuit of excellence. Remember that a good cybersecurity professional has technical skills and soft-skills that bring a lot of value to the workplace and the relationships with teammates, vendors, and the management team.  

3- GI Bill will cover your education 

Finances can be a major concern for veterans who are trying to reintegrate into civilian life. One of the biggest benefits of having served our country is that there are many funding options for your education. A significant one is the Post 9/11 GI Bill. If you qualify for the GI Bill, you can get cybersecurity training with zero out-of-pocket investment depending on the months you actively served. At CyberWarrior Academy, we offer a Cybersecurity Bootcamp that in only 6 months will help you learn all the basic concepts of cybersecurity, earn hands-on experience and get four industry-recognized certifications.  

Having a military background will open the doors to many opportunities in cybersecurity. Not only your experience serves as a reference of your level of commitment to your country, but it shows that you are used to working under pressure, you are trained to fight your adversaries, you understand and are used to working as part of a team, you are resilient, and you understand the importance of security. If you are considering making the transition to civilian life, don’t hesitate to consider cybersecurity.  

 

Are you interested in learning cybersecurity?