Cybersecurity Employability

[Bert313]

Hello CINERS,

I would like to train Security+, CySA+, but I'd like to know what is the likelhood of employablity with either one or the other certifications, but not both.

I just want to set the proper expectation of employment opprotunities with my students. Are you finding that individuals certified in either of the aformentioned certifications have been employed and what are the typical job roles. I've looked at the job roles on the CompTIA webpage, but are those realistic?

Thank you.

-Robert

 

[Jarrel]

Depends on the country and State, I would say.
Where are you located?

In that way, other CINers could provide a more directed response.

 

[Gregory Childers]

Security+ has been around much longer, and as a result is more widely known and requested by employers. But more certifications will give a competitive advantage over candidates who only have one.

 

[Rick Butler]

Security+ is the gold standard as far as the US Government is concerned. If you want any job that's basically touching IT in the government, you need to have Security+ in your pocket to even be considered, these days.

 

[jasoneckert]

Employability is not directly correlated to certification. There are people who are highly certified that can't land a job because of other deficiencies, and people who do not have any certifications that can easily land a job.

Remember that the primary value of certification is that it dramatically increases the likelihood of getting callbacks for an interview. For example, if 20 people apply for a Cybersec job and only 5 of them are certified in that area, then those 5 are likely the ones they will interview first. If one of those 5 job candidates gets the job, they won't bother interviewing the other 15.

That being said - what I hear from employers in Ontario, Canada is that the actual Cybersec certification doesn't matter - they just care that you have at least one. And this is coming from employers at small Cybersec MSPs, larger Cybersec organizations, as well as individual companies hiring for IT talent (=the largest number of jobs related to Cyber out there right now due to the massive number of organizations that employ security roles now in their IT department, or require security as part of other IT job roles).

So, on the CompTIA front, Security+ at minimum. Others are a bonus that make you look more attractive during the job application process.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Jason.

 

[Bert313]

Thank you so much everyone for your feeback. It was very helpful. By the way, I work in the Detroit Metropolitan community.

 

[Bert313]

Lastly, can you confirm where I may get an instructor deck for Security+ and Network+?

With Appeciation...

-Robert

 

[Bert313]

Security+ is the gold standard as far as the US Government is concerned. If you want any job that's basically touching IT in the government, you need to have Security+ in your pocket to even be considered, these days.

Thanks for your reply. I was considering training a 70 hr course for Security+. Do you think that's too long?

 

[Fanuel]

Security Plus will provide a better platform to pursue CySA+ or Pen Test+

 

[Rick Butler]

...is that the actual Cybersec certification doesn't matter - they just care that you have at least one.

Here's is a key point. Something that I've noticed is that if you have two certs in the same subject matter from two different certifying bodies, it doesn't make you any more certified or capable; it just means you've taken one more test on the same thing, letting you display two logos as opposed to one. Now the benefit is that if an employer is looking for a CISSP and the candidate is a CASP+, it may be difficult to get that interview, even though both certs are comparatively the same (no holy wars, please). So perhaps taking that CISSP and the CASP+ is a good thing, at least for the key word search bots.

In the end, it all doesn't matter if you can't get to the interview.

Lastly, can you confirm where I may get an instructor deck for Security+ and Network+?

Doesn't your school already have a chosen publisher for the material? Are you using CompTIA, Pearson, Cengage, or are they expecting you to build your own?

/r

 

[Tess Sluijter]

Lastly, can you confirm where I may get an instructor deck for Security+ and Network+?

With Appeciation...

-Robert

You, or your school, need to buy these if you want to use the official CompTIA materials.

 

[Steve Linthicum]

A key component of certifications is their history can demonstrate with multiple industry-recognized certifications a learning path and a willingness to be a life-long learner in this ever-changing technology field.

 

[Rick Butler]

a life-long learner...

Nah...more like a technology junkie and certification achievement addict.