According to a recent report from Cyber Seek there are currently nearly 50k open cybersecurity jobs in Virginia. This is second only to California. For students looking to embark on a career path that will offer a bright future, this is one to consider. It’s a field with a projected job growth of 31 percent by 2029, and the average salary of someone in this field is $92,870.
There is a currently a shortage of workers within cybersecurity, and employers are struggling to fill positions. “From April 2020 through March 2021, there were 144,700 openings for Information Security Analysts, but only 131,000 workers currently employed in those positions – an annual talent shortfall of 13,700 workers for cybersecurity’s largest job,” Cyber Seek reports on its website.
The quickly evolving landscape of technology is the reason there’s been an increase in the need for these types of jobs, explains Kwame Yangname, founder and CEO of Qwasar, an online coding school that seeks to equip the workforce with digital training.
“There are almost more people right now in the virtual world than in the physical one, and in the virtual world, there are no borders, so it's kind of easy if you are on the other side of the world to be able to rob a bank in Virginia, and that's why there is that huge demand now in cybersecurity,” Yangname said.
In previous years, these jobs were popular mostly in specialized areas like government or defense, but as the technology that employers use has evolved, cybersecurity professionals now work in finance, healthcare, retail and other industries. While some jobs within the field of cybersecurity require an associates or bachelor’s degree, others do not. Many are more focused on certifications such as CompTIA Security+ or Certified InformationSystems SecurityProfessional (CISSP). Because there is a such a demand currently, Yangname explained, employers tend to focus most on the skills and experience that a candidate can demonstrate.
“If someone is really looking to get a job in the tech industry, for me, the most important thing is, they really have to check how many projects, what kind of portfolio they're going to have at the end of the curriculum, because the tech industry is a very specific industry,” Yangname said. “You want to be able to show to the employer, to the recruiters, what kind of things you have done. So, really be careful about how many projects you're going to do, what kind of projects, are they related to the job you want to do tomorrow?”
This is what led him to design the curriculum at Qwasar in a unique way that sets it apart from many of the degree programs or bootcamps that are popular today.
“If you want to learn how to code, the best way to learn is by doing,” he explained, “so we use an active learning, project-based learning approach. We are a community of learners from all around the world, and we also want students who learn from each other. So, if you join our program, you will not find a course, you will not find an exam, you will not find a lecture. What you're going to find are projects that you have to accomplish, and from project to project, you're going to follow a path, you're going to follow a track, and it's going to lead you at the end to get a portfolio of projects you have done.”
And it’s important to note that not all positions in the cybersecurity field are technical. According to a study by Frost & Sullivan, a research and consulting firm, 30% of current cybersecurity professionals come from non-technical fields. Some employees have transitioned from the fields of analytics, project management, technical writing or law. In addition, security firms—like most other businesses—need to hire professinals in marketing, HR, sales or project management.
The field may also be a good fit for veterans, Yangmane said, because some positions will require a security clearance. Additionally, veterans understand the mindset needed when defending oneself or others from attacks, and they have familiarity working with other government organizations.
While all training programs will vary in cost depending on if a student pursues a certification or a two-year or four-year degree, Yangname said his program is very competively priced. Full-time students pay $200 per month, and part-time students pay $100 per month with most curriculum areas spanning from nine to 18 months.
Cyber Seek lists some of the top cybersecruity job titles as: cybersecurity analyst, consultant or manager; software developer; systems engineer; vulnerability analyst / penetration tester; cybersecurity specialist or technician; and incident analyst / responder.
To learn more about cybersecurity jobs and the pathways to obtain them, visit cyberseek.org.
You can learn more about Qwasar at https://qwasar.io/.
If you’d like to learn more about how to get started in careers that do not require a four-year degree, read about local training partners and apprenticeship programs on our Resources page.