Share Your Good News With The People Who Helped You
We’ve discussed the value of networking the journey to your first cybersecurity job. A side effect of your networking is that you’ll develop a group of cybersecurity professionals and leaders who are interested in your success. These stakeholders are people who took the time to review your resume, talk to you about different cybersecurity specialties, made introductions for you, and so on.
There is one last step to your journey to become a cybersecurity professional. It’s by far the easiest. After you accept an offer for your first cybersecurity job, contact the people who helped you get there. It doesn’t need to be anything overly elaborate. Call them or send them an email and let them know about your success.
They’ll have interest in hearing about your new role. Tell them what excites you about the new position. You can even mention your ambitions in the coming years. Then of course, thank them for their role in your journey. Do this before making your big LinkedIn announcement of your new role.
After you accept an offer for your first cybersecurity job, contact the people who helped you get there.
This simple, but important step, serves a few purposes. First, the people who helped you genuinely wish you success. Cybersecurity needs more good people. If you're smart, curious, and driven, we need you. Let your stakeholders know that they helped add another cybersecurity professional to our ranks.
Second, the followthrough helps to further develop your cybersecurity relationships. There is a value to having a cybersecurity network that extends beyond your employer. By demonstrating that your contact is more than transactional, you can help develop relationships that go beyond one-time assistance.
Cybersecurity needs more good people. If you're smart, curious, and driven, we need you.
Third, you’ll demonstrate that you’re a class act. It’s easy to post your career update to LinkedIn with the presumption that all your stakeholders will see it there. It takes effort to individually create messages to the people who helped. The effort will serve as a demonstration of your character.
It can be challenging to get into cybersecurity. Because of that challenge it will feel truly amazing when you get that first job. After you do, make sure you stick the landing. Properly thank the people who helped you. It will impact how your cybersecurity stakeholders view you as a professional.
