I see lots of job postings both here and on other job websites. Unfortunately, many recruiters have highly unrealistic expectations and then wonder why they don't get a lot of quality applicants. Here are some of the common issues I see and how they could be improved.

Many jobs posted as "entry level" aren't really entry level. They require advanced degrees such as Masters Degrees, multiple certifications such as CASP+/CISSP/CISM, several years of experience with cloud/cybersecurity/programming/infrastructure/risk management, That is not entry level. That is advanced level. People with that complete list of qualifications will not apply for your "entry level" position. Masters Degrees should only be required for mid to upper management level positions. CASP+/CISSP/CISM are advanced certifications. If you want entry level, Security+ should be the most advanced certification you recommend (not require).

Most jobs do not list salary ranges, and then they require applicants to go through multiple rounds of interviews. There is nothing more frustrating for job applicants and recruiters than to schedule a series of interviews with different stakeholders over the course of several weeks only to discover the position pays significantly less than the amount the applicant is seeking. No offense, but I"m 52 years old with 30+ years of experience so I don't want your $30K per year job. Start with four times that amount and I might be interested. Recruiters should do themselves and the applicants a huge favor. List the salary range. If you don't get a large pool of applicants, look at both the salary range and the requirements. You may not be aligned with industry trends.

Some industries just don't understand the marketplace. High schools, colleges, and government typically pay a tiny fraction of the rate that the open market and public/private companies pay. Why would you want to teach at a high school for $40K or to teach at a college for $66K when you can teach corporate customers for $90K or more? If you're offering less than $100K for someone with a Masters Degree in a technical field, such as cybersecurity, the good applicants will find employment elsewhere. Do your research to find out what a Python developer with seven years experience makes. Or what the average CySA+ or PenTest+ certification holder makes. There are plenty of online resources for researching salaries.

Many jobs are nothing more than side hustles. Lots of jobs are part-time or term contract work. I worked as an independent contractor for 12 years. It's inconsistent work at best, there are no benefits whatsoever, and you are responsible for your own taxes, and it required constant travel. I was on the road 5 days per week for 45 weeks per year. That's exhausting work for a lower quality of life. Part-time work is an option only if you already have a full time job with a very flexible schedule, which means you won't get many applicants for classes taught every Tuesday during the day for ten weeks. Consider creating full-time salaried positions.

Many jobs offer the bare minimum in benefits packages. Two weeks per year of time off? Thanks but no thanks. Try starting with three or four weeks. Medical/dental/vision plans should be reasonable and affordable. 401k options should include company matching. Incentive-based bonus structures are welcomed. Offer comprehensive onboarding and career development options. The more you invest in your employees, the more likely they are to be productive and to remain loyal.

Many jobs require working onsite or hybrid work. That eliminates countless highly qualified fully remote applicants from the potential job pool. The vast majority of tech work, especially training and education, can be done 100% remotely. My wife and I moved to the Tampa Bay, Florida area last year and we have no intentions of moving elsewhere. Quality of life matters with today's job seekers. If the job can be done remotely, list it as a remote position. Occasional travel is fine, but remote workers are more productive because they don't waste countless hours commuting. And you save a lot of money on office rentals, supplies, utilities, taxes, etc.

For applicants, pay attention to the language in the job listings. Also pay attention to the hiring process. If an organization has unrealistic expectations in the hiring process, they most likely have unrealistic expectations every day at work.

edit: possible Fall (August) start date.

General Description​

Two Course Training Program (Security + and CYSA+)
Contract/Part Time

Kingsborough Community College Office of Continuing Education is seeking a CYBERSECURITY Instructor to work with a cohort of students and teach CompTIA Security + and CYSA + live online. Each course is 80 hours.

This role is a part-time instructional role requiring individuals to teach three days between Monday-Friday from 5:30-8:30pm or 6-9pm. Each course is 10 weeks long.

​

Other Duties​

• Provide hands-on instruction and practical training to prepare students for the CompTIA Security+ and CYSA+ exams.
• Assist learners with CompTIA’s CertMaster Learning Management System (LMS) and supplemental resource materials (CertMaster Learn, Lab, and Practice)
• Monitor learner success and provide guidance as needed
• Maintain appropriate records of attendance
• Provide insight into career tracks and prepare learners for entry-level positions in IT
• Work closely with the Program Coordinator to identify learner needs and provide support
• Administer pre- and post-course survey and assessments
  

Qualifications
BA Degree and/or equivalent experience

2+ years of practitioner experience in Cybersecurity

2+ years of teaching experience​

Preferred qualifications: CompTIA Security+ and CompTIA CYSA+

Instructors will receive 90 hours per course (90 hours Security+ and 90 hours CYSA+) at $64/hour. 80 hours per course + 10 hours prep.


To apply, email resume, cover letter, and any relevant certifications to [email protected].

Hi Guys

Im just wondering can you ask to have your exam reviewed by a pearson rather then the automated system if you think the exam Glitched ?

Kind regards
Matthew

Hey Guys

how did ye feel about the Data+ Beta exam , all I can say was it was a varied exam.

Any thoughts ?

best regards
Matthew

Hi Guys

I recently took the Server+ Exam I was 2 questions of passing it I feel though that my exam glitched when I did my PBQS and I can't confirm if my data was saved when I submitted it for them , ive reached out to pearson but there onvue chat feature is awful , also my proctor was 45 minutes late to the exam.

is there anyway of appealing the result of the Fail or do I just take it again

best regards
Matthew

Hi Guys

As a Microsoft MVP MCT MCE AND MCSE holder I find it mad to believe CompTIA Make it so difficult ti be a CompTIA Trainer , is there any discounts for CTT+ is it a path worth pursuing ?

Best Regards
Matthew

Hey Guys

im have my casp+ booked second time around didn't get it 1st time any advice ?

Kind regards
Matthew

Hi buddy
someone know if CompTIA will Introduce son or later for Cyber security field Threat Intelligence a certification? I understand that it cover in CySA+ Certification but its time to create a new ones for cybersecurity threat analyst focus. I see that in the Security Operation Center has new team that not only react by events trigged by security controls and SIEM but their task is proactive hunting for threats inside and outside network organization and providing TTP's of Adversaries and share it to all level of organization.

I understand that CySA+ Certification well explaining this taks and how this team works but if CompTIA vendor could have a certification in deed focus on deep Threat Intelligence was wonderful.
I know some vendor are already providing this certification i think CompTIA need to keep track.

What your viewpoint Guys?

Thanks to everyone for your input on the latest post! In the spirit of giving, listed below are the winners for this giveaway. Please send me a message directly to choose an item of CompTIA Content or CompTIA Swag. As a bonus to @Brian Callahan for being our first response, please choose one from each category! Thanks again everyone and we will see you all for the next Question of the Month on Monday December 5th

@Brian Callahan
@Rick Butler
@Michael Schmitz
@Edmond Fotso - CySA+
@MaguireM
@Jon W

It seems my study books have a conflict in clarifying if Pro for Workstation has/ does not have/support BitLocker. Does Pro for Workstation support or have BitLocker?

Eric B.

Can anyone explain windows desktop styles/user interface and what's the objective?

Thanks,
Eric B.

Hey buddy
exam shedule for december 23.
for those who passed this exam can you give me tips and tricks?
Thanks for feedback

Hello buddy
I stil waiting for my Project+005 Beta exam result made at begin this year if I no wrong date but i did recevied yet until now. anyone can explain me about or need I keep waiting?
Thanks for feedback

Which book(s) would you recommend for preparing for the CySA+ CS0-002 exam?

Hello, The college I work for will be putting on an A+ Certification Course. It will be a 3-Week 5:30-8P (Pacific Time). We had an instructor setup and was good to go, but he pulled out due to family reasons. The course we are building will have the Certmaster login to allow further training for the students. It will also include 2 exam vouchers.
The Class would be from Jan 17-Feb 3rd.

Please email me back at [email protected] if you have any questions or would like to assist

Thank you for your time!

Hello, The college I work for will be putting on an A+ Certification Course. It will be a 3-Week 5:30-8P (Pacific Time). We had an instructor setup and was good to go, but he pulled out due to family reasons. The course we are building will have the Certmaster login to allow further training for the students. It will also include 2 exam vouchers.
The Class would be from Jan 17-Feb 3rd.

Please email me back at [email protected] if you have any questions or would like to assist

Thank you for your time!

Any tips for CASP+, free materials, YouTube tutorials and the likes?
Ready to face this paper now

Can somebody give me some advice how to pass Server+ certification and give me some guidelines on what to focus?

What are the TTTs planned for 2023? Looking forward to the new certification launch in '23.

We haven't posted this in the CIN before, but because I was answering a question regarding it, I thought I'd better say something...

Tomorrow is your LAST Day to complete all the sessions for PK0-005 Project+ if you want to remain eligible for a test voucher. Hopefully, you all have had the chance to sit down and enjoy the sessions, getting them finished up. If not, well, tick-tock tick-tock.

And remember, if you have questions after the fact for Project+, feel free to reach out to me. I'll be happy to answer them.

Cheers everyone!

/r

Hi,

I completed the SEC+ course on demand, when will I receive the TTT voucher?

Thanks
Doug Hemphill
[email protected]

Hello Forum,

Good afternoon. Apologies if this question has already been asked, I am still learning the setup. We will be starting our certification course this spring. Our students will be high schoolers (Juniors and Seniors). My question is for anyone who has worked with this age group before. What are some common mistakes you have noticed your students make with the A+ certification? What are some ways you encourage your students to take the course AND complete the certification?

My Best,
T.S.

After passing the CASP+ exam in April 2022, my A+, Net+, Security+, CySA+, and PenTest+ are all good through 2025. So is my Data+. My IT Fundamentals+, Project+, Server+, and Cloud Essentials+ are all good for life. That leaves my Cloud+ certification. I passed the beta exam in October 2020 which means it expires in October 2023. Normally, I retake an exam to recertify, or I take a higher level exam to recertify. There is no higher level exam for Cloud+ and I have no idea when the next version will come out, so I'm looking at the list of non-CompTIA IT industry certifications that will give me enough CEUs to renew it.

I was a bit surprised by the list. It contains everything from AWS and Google exams (which make perfect sense) to GIAC exams (ridiculously priced exams) to CGEIT Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (advanced level governance exam) to Offensive Security exams (which require hands-on lab activities) to (ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity - CC (an entry-level) cybersecurity exam.

Are there any insiders who can give us insight into how CompTIA chooses the non-CompTIA industry certifications that are accepted for renewing CompTIA certifications?

Meanwhile, I received a free voucher for the (ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity - CC exam so I'll be using that to renew my Cloud+.

Thanks, CIN for the prep and Train the Trainer!