Why Should Your Daughter, Nephew, or Student Consider a Cybersecurity Career?
Why Should Your Daughter, Nephew, or Student Consider a Cybersecurity Career?
Generation Z Careers
High school and college students have exposure to more career fields, than just a couple of decades ago. Kids used to mostly know about careers that existed near where they grew up or were popularly portrayed on television. Young people in New York were more aware of finance careers than young people in Ohio. Kids in Texas were more aware of energy sector careers, than kids in Delaware were. There was inequity in awareness of potential careers based simply on where you grew up.
In the Internet Era there is a lot more awareness about potential careers. However, there is still an inequity of awareness of amazing career opportunities in technology.
Cybersecurity Careers
There is more to the tech industry, than just becoming a software engineer or coder. As Generation Z considers their futures, let’s introduce them to opportunities in cybersecurity. As plenty of popular and lucrative 20th century jobs are being automated away, cybersecurity jobs are going the other direction.
In 2019 there was a shortage of 3.12 million cybersecurity professionals globally, including 359,236 in the United States; 27,408 in the United Kingdom; 27,192 in Australia; and 16,552 in Canada..
What about that automation? Isn’t it coming for cybersecurity jobs too? With the explosion of Internet-connected devices just over the horizon, machine learning and artificial intelligence are going to automate boring, repetitive tasks. This will support cybersecurity professionals focusing on more interesting challenges.
Interesting near-future, cybersecurity challenges will include securing self-driving cars, delivery drones, biomedical implants, next-generation aircraft and ships, space communications, and the data of billions of people. Cybersecurity careers will provide Gen Z an opportunity to positively impact an increasingly technology-driven society.
Economic Security
Millennials are the first generation to earn less than their parents in nearly 100 years in the United States. This negative trend along—with growing inequality in general—should concern us regarding the future economic security of Generation Z.
If you’re concerned about the economic security of your Zoomer, consider that the median income for an information security analyst (with less than five years of experience) in 2019 was $99,730 in the United States. The average salary of a cybersecurity architect is $130,000. Trends point to cybersecurity continuing to be a vital, well-paid profession into the coming decades. After all, the sheer volume of the devices and organizations, which need to be secured, continues to increase in the face of growing cybercrime.
In 2020 cybercrime cost the global economy more than $1 trillion. That’s a 50% increase from 2018. The explosive growth of cybercrime should certainly worry us as netizens. However, it screams career opportunity for Gen Z as they consider their options in the workforce.
Many of us didn’t know that cybersecurity was a career option when we graduated school. For some, it wasn’t yet. Today cybersecurity is a booming career field with a diversity of specialties. Cybersecurity needs smart, curious people. If you know anyone contemplating their future, suggest they consider a cybersecurity career.
Please share the Becoming Cyber Newsletter with the potential cybersecurity professionals in your life.
