Breaking In: A Journey Through The Cybersecurity Hiring Maze

The hiring paradox

A newcomer to cyber security describes leaving repetitive IT QA work for the field amid loud skills-gap messaging—thousands of Dutch vacancies—yet experiencing repeated rejection when applying as a career changer.

Personal path

Background spans healthcare account management, software quality assurance, party events, CEH training, and a short pentest internship that proved too screen-heavy. Five months at 32 hours per week of searching finally yielded a SOC consultant role.

Community help vs barriers

The security community offered generous informational conversations even when not hiring. Major blockers included job posts listing many expensive certifications (CISSP, CISM, OSEP) far above entry level, and junior titles requiring prior experience. She advises talk-first-certify-later and clearer preferred-certificate labeling.