The current recession has seen layoffs across the board - and
information security is no exception. There are a lot of good
people chasing a smaller number of jobs in the information security
field and this situation is likely to continue. Simultaneously, the
profession is changing: there seems to be a bigger drive for
consultants with a greater understanding of business (and how it
works) and a need for people who can 'bridge the gap' between
technology and business. Technology specialisms are also likely to
be in demand,writes Adrian Davis, senior research
consultant at theInformation
Security Forum.
Qualifications, networks and your general knowledge are some of
the tools you can use to achieve your career aim. If you want to
become a consultant, be more business-focused, or to help to bridge
the gap, go for business-related qualifications.
The MBA is the gold standard - and certainly will open doors for
you - but other qualifications will be valuable. If you wish to
stay in technology, start with technology-focused qualifications,
and then broaden out to management-focused qualifications. That
way, you can demonstrate your expertise and bridge the technology
and business gap.
Whilst technology specialisms are likely to be in demand,
technology changes quickly and focusing on one particular
technology may be counterproductive. Remember that many IT jobs,
once considered as 'irreplaceable' have been outsourced or have
disappeared: don't let this happen to you! Be flexible and
understand the underlying drivers behind a range of technologies
and how they interact.
One thing qualifications will not give you are the 'soft
skills', for example, people management, leadership and presenting.
To further your career you will need a mix of the hard
(qualifications) and soft skills. Here networking can play an
important role to demonstrate wider capabilities (such as working
collaboratively with different industries and sectors) and to
establish that all important nexus. Volunteering and becoming
engaged in industry or special interest groups may pay dividends in
the longer term.
It is important to realise that furthering your career is your
responsibility: you have to decide what you want to achieve and how
you get there. Being flexible, inquisitive and above all,
delivering value to your business will help in both furthering your
career and increasing your job security.
Read more expert advice from the Computer Weekly Security Think
Tank >>