A woman in tech offered to answer questions from other women about careers in tech. This was on Threads, last night. I happened to see a question another woman asked her. I want to answer the question, but (1) I’m not a woman, and (2) she didn’t ask me. It would be so. completely. out. of. place. for me to reply on that thread. So, here’s what I’m going to do.
I’m going to quote the question, anonymously, here. After all, she didn’t give me permission to quote her, so identifying here is just a no-no. And then I’m going to answer it. The answer is relevant to anyone seeking a career in tech. It’s not gender specific.
Here’s the question she asked: “Is it worth getting a cybersecurity certificate? My employer offers it but I'm not entirely sure it's worth it. I went through their data analytics bootcamp with no bites.”
First, I should tell you why I’m qualified to answer her question. I taught tech courses in colleges for seventeen years, including cybersecurity courses and CompTIA cert courses. I still teach tech and cybersecurity in private industry. Also, I was the Training Manager for a while at one of the top three US cellular companies. And I’ve hired people for tech jobs. So, yes. I’m qualified to address the subject.
Here's my answer: If your employer is willing to pay for education, use that benefit to the absolute max. Take all the training they’ll give you, if you can do so without jeopardizing your health or relationships. Even if it doesn’t directly help you get a job tomorrow, or the next day, knowledge is power. It has value. You’ll end up using that knowledge in ways you can’t even imagine or predict.
The tougher question may be, “What training should I take?” Maybe the woman who asked the question is going to max out her training benefits no matter what. Maybe her question is only about whether or not that specific cybersecurity cert is the right choice for her. Okay, I can’t answer that. Only she can. But I can help her move in the right direction with this thought…
Do you like cybersecurity? Do you want to move into cybersecurity? If you do, then take any training you can get related to cybersecurity, if someone else is willing to pay for it. Is it an instant ticket to a job offer? That wouldn’t be realistic. No cert can do that. That’s not what certs are for. (I know, the cert salespeople tell you the cert is an instant ticket to a job offer, but they’re lying. And, truthfully, you already knew that).
But if you do your networking – if you’re meeting people who can introduce you to people who can hire you – your chances are a whole lot better if you can say, “I have this cert,” than if all you can say is, “I have no training in this field.”
Take the training. If your employer is giving you the opportunity, take the training.
Best of luck to you, and keep on moving forward every day.
#training #cybersecurity
