All throughout the month of October, we have been participating in Cybersecurity Awareness Month to help guide organizations and individuals on how to #BeCyberSmart. For week three, we have shifted our focus to Cybersecurity Career Awareness to highlight the individuals that are eyes-on-glass every day as experienced InfoSec professionals, and to also put a spotlight on ways aspiring professionals can get into the field and thrive.

Even as cybersecurity concerns have increasingly dominated international news, the talent shortage in the cyber industry has only grown over the past year.

Studies show that there aren’t enough skilled tech force workers to fill the jobs available now, much less to meet the increasing demand of the years to come. In fact, (ISC)² estimates the cyber workforce needs to increase by 62% to meet demand as businesses invest in technology and cyber threats become more sophisticated. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the industry will experience job growth of 31% between 2019 and 2029.

At Fishtech Group, we have prided ourselves on our focus on cybersecurity career development, from providing challenging hands-on opportunities for seasoned cyber career men and women, all the way to hosting mentorship events for area schools to help the next generation find their footing in this growing industry.

Below you will find a mix of resources all surrounding our ongoing commitment to advancing cyber careers. Browse through and be sure to reach out if you have any questions.

#AskFishtech Panel Discusses Cybersecurity Careers

We are gradually building our way to the next installment of our #AskFishtech webcast series at the end of the month, and we’re excited to tackle more great questions after the robust and interesting conversations that were sparked last time around. In fact, here’s a clip from last year’s #AskFishtech webcast with a couple members of our executive team chiming in on cybersecurity careers.

Hear from our own Chuck Crawford, Chief Customer Officer, and Kerry Kilker, Chief Operating Officer, as they talk about their experiences in the field, and discuss ways individuals can get started in cybersecurity.

Fishtech’s Commitment to Engaging Young Learners

Fishtech Group is committed to getting young people interested in cybersecurity. Raising awareness and interest is good for both our company’s mission and the industry overall. We’ve been at it so long that we’ve even hired one of our visiting students after he graduated recently!

And our efforts are being noticed. We were thrilled last month to receive a Corporate Hero Award from the Kansas City Central Exchange for our ongoing efforts to bridge the gender gap in cybersecurity.

Inspiring Tours of Fishtech Campus

After a quiet 18 months, we are happy to once again host students and teachers through our headquarters and Cyber Defense Center. We hold Q&A panels featuring our analysts and developers for the school groups. During Covid, we truly missed the interaction and opportunity to inspire — and be inspired by — these visits.

Each tour includes brief interviews with Fishtech Group employees, all from different parts of our organization. Employees each describe the work they do day-to-day, how their career path led them to Fishtech, and what training and education helped them be successful today. Often they will tell our student visitors that certifications and specialized training are great, but what truly makes a candidate stand out are so-called soft skills that our industry values, such as:

• Passion and how to apply it to real-world problems
• Curiosity and how to pursue lifelong learning
• Creativity and collaboration
• Ability to troubleshoot

Our recent community engagement includes a diversity of initiatives such as:

• Hosted 70 adults and teens interested in a cybersecurity career with a Community Expert Panel
• Toured 20 high school students who aren’t necessarily interested in cybersecurity but are on alternative learning paths
• Counseled seven college students about next steps in their collegiate and cybersecurity career
• Explored cybersecurity career choices with a group of math teachers seeking knowledge to mentor their students
• Helped choose recipients for First Robotics grants to area schools
• Kicked off KC STEM Alliance’s Remake Learning Days with an eye toward cybersecurity

We’re Hiring!

There are so many different roles that make up the broader cybersecurity industry, and chances are… We’re hiring for most of them. So, what are those roles exactly? We have been asking many members of our leadership team to highlight roles they are looking for so we can get to work recruiting the best of the biz.

Whether you’re actively looking for a new job opportunity, or you are new to the industry and want to learn about what some of the roles in cybersecurity actually are, check out a couple of the below videos to get insight into how these positions fit into our organization.

For more information on our career initiatives, fill out the form below to be connected with a member of our team.