If you're going through Hell, keep going.

A Year in Review...

To say that 2023 was tumultuous would be an absolute understatement. Suffice to say, as tough as things truly got... I'm luckily still here standing! Although I'm not standing as the Nick I was at the beginning of 2023, this is a good thing. I have grown wiser, more patient, and more introspective as to understand why I am where I am today and where I know I will be in 2024.

Uphill Both Ways

January of 2023, I managed to secure an SOC Analyst interview through networking. I was elated following my Cyber bootcamp, and thought this job change was securing my dreams and future! Alas, with the shaking in my voice, and the lack of confidence in my answers to technical questions, my nerves got the better of me and I bombed the interview. Though disheartened at the time, I knew I had to keep moving forward.

I continued to connect with others on LinkedIn, apply to open positions well within my capabilities, and spend every waking hour I had outside of my day job studying for my CompTIA Security+ (which I obtained in April 2023), and both the CDSA and CPTS on Hack the Box Academy. Coming from retail and positions that do not stem in the field of information technology, I knew this would be an uphill battle. Nothing could have prepared me for this though...

I would go on to apply all year and only manage to secure my second interview in December of 2023. I never expected this much rejection, especially with all of the skills I have gained along the way. Economists will say the job market is down, pessimists will say that I am not trying hard enough, but I say as a realist that everyone is correct in their own way. Automation has ruined online applications, you need to create a new account for practically every job out there now, ghost jobs are present and numerous that look too legitimate for a desperate candidate to differentiate, the list goes on. One immutable truth holds strong, however, and it's that the only thing you can rely on to get your resume in front of someone is PEOPLE.

A friend in the industry, someone who knows someone else, an expert with an audience you gain as a mentor, whatever the interaction is, the common denominator is people. There is so much automation in the application process that if you do not have specific words relative to the job description, your resume falls out of selection before a human can ever read it. I can attest to this, as I unknowingly had an awful resume and it wasn't passing the ATS for at least 6 months (even though expert HUMANS told me it was bulletproof). After rewriting it about 8 times, I was finally pleased with my copy and the ATS started to recognize me as a viable candidate. You could imagine my frustration, but getting angry gets me nowhere.

A Light in the Dark

Regarding my second interview, I managed to pass the prequestionnaire with the highest score, the phone interview with a perfect score, and the in person interview is where things seemed like I had secured the role. Out of 300 applicants, I was 1 of 3 finalists called in for an in person interview. Now, I did not live in the town the job was located, so I had roughly an hour and a half drive to stay in a hotel the night prior to the interview. After returning home, 4 days later, I received a rejection email and did not obtain this new position. I was absolutely devastated and buried myself in thought for the rest of the evening; I truly did not know where I went wrong. After a year of denials and only 2 interviews for roughly 300 job applications I submitted, I was finally beginning to feel like I was crawling in a footrace. Luckily, I also spent the past year surrounding myself with others who share my aspirations and tenacity, and I was able to snap out of that funk and use this as a learning experience.

I emailed the hiring manager and thanked him for the opportunity, and asked him to shed light on why I was not selected so that I may learn and develop myself as a candidate for future openings. Expecting nothing in return, I let the email float for a day. To my surprise he provided me with a wealth of feedback in regards to my skills, my experience, and my very minor shortcomings that led to me not being selected (it was a coin flip decision according to them). I thanked him for his insight, and he even offered that their company budgeted for another analyst role in Q4 2024 and I'd be the first one they call. Things change and I do not want to get my hopes up, but that experience alone was an absolute win in my book.

Lessons Learned

My key takeaways from 2023 have left me more understanding, more patient, and filled my heart with more drive than it's ever had before in regards to breaking into cybersecurity. The old me would say that I failed a lot, but the me today says that I was overwhelmed with new learning opportunities. 2024 is the year of implementing that learning and finally specializing in what works for this day and age's job market. If you are an aspiring professional reading this, the most useful information I can offer is listed below:

• "Perspective is everything." Did you not pass selection? Or did you just get a confirmed list of skills you should be studying and portraying form the job description?

• "When it comes to Resumes, everybody is an expert." Your resume can look like crap or beautiful to all different individuals. Format is useless, content and organization is forever. Sometimes, simple and to the point is better than catching an eye. The only annoyance is having to tailor it to every job you apply for (it is necessary to pass the ATS filter, and an unfortunate mess we are stuck with today).

• "ALL your experience can be related." I was told in that feedback from the second job I almost obtained that my business knowledge from the roles I've held so far made up SIGNIFICANTLY for the professional work experience I lacked in cyber. He stated that knowing business is more than half the battle, because cyber translates to all categories of the business from end users to stakeholders, both upstream and downstream. Do NOT sell yourself short on what you have, capitalize on soft skills and business acumen.

• "Get used to the word No." Someone didn't select you for a position? To put it bluntly, get over it. You can waste time on processing emotions, or you can put that nose to the grindstone and prepare yourself as a better candidate for the next one. The statistical chances of you getting more Yes than No answers is impossible and unrealistic, so don't dwell and let your emotions give that power over you.

• "Degrees don't matter." There are mixed opinions on this, but I am living proof that degrees do not matter. I have a Bachelors of Science in Exercise and Wellness, yet I am pursuing cybersecurity (career pivot late in the game). My candidate feedback stated that I, being 1 of 3 finalists, was up against a Bachelors in Cyber and a Masters in Cyber. Little to no work experience and an coming from a seemingly unrelated field, I went toe to toe with others who dedicated their entire processional careers to this, and I got as close to securing that role as a simple coin flip decision!

The summary of this year in review is that the job market sucks right now for everyone, not just cyber. To win and succeed, you have to adapt to the times, develop your skills where necessary, and change your perspective to stay positive throughout the sea of rejection you will inevitably come across. Tailor that resume and capitalize on the skills you already possess, have confidence in what you offer and bring to the table, and come to terms that failure is nothing more than a learning opportunity to increment your chances in the future. 2024 is my year to get this job, I have firm conviction in that. Will it be yours too?