Ready to Start Your Career?
By: ginasilvertree
December 17, 2018
Career Readiness: Developing Yourself at Any Stage of Your IT/Cyber Career
By: ginasilvertree
December 17, 2018
According to the careertech.org website, “A career-ready person effectively navigates pathways that connect education and employment to achieve a fulfilling, financially-secure and successful career.”This site also notes that a career is more than just a job and career readiness has no defined endpoint. Further, to be career ready in an ever-changing global economy requires adaptability and a commitment to lifelong learning, along with mastery of knowledge, skills and dispositions that vary from one career to another and change over time as you progress. Lastly, your knowledge, skills, and dispositions are interdependent and mutually reinforcing.Being career ready isn’t just for recent graduates or career-changers (as many of you reading this may be). All of us need to cultivate our individual career readiness as we travel down the various paths of our work lives. The good news: wherever you are in your IT or cyber career, you can begin (or continue) to enhance your career readiness.Where can you start today? Begin with an understanding of career readiness. In 2016, the University of Michigan produced a video highlighting the seven competencies that individuals of all experience and skill levels should have. The competencies are listed below (with descriptions from other sources) along with a selection of relevant posts and tools on Cybrary that will help boost and support you in any stage of your IT/cyber career:
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving:
You can exercise sound reasoning to analyze issues, make decisions, and overcome problems. You can obtain, interpret, and use knowledge, facts, and data in this process, and may demonstrate originality and inventiveness.- Protect Your Network by “Thinking Like a Thief"
- The Most Important Skills You Need to Become a Hacker (and How to Learn Them)
- A Holistic and Risk-based Approach to Cybersecurity
Oral and Written Communications:
You can articulate thoughts/ideas clearly and effectively in written and oral forms to persons inside and outside of your organization. You have public speaking skills; can express ideas to others; and can write/edit memos, letters, and technical reports clearly and effectively.- Cybrary Cyber Security Glossary
- Network Terminologies
- How to Showcase Certifications on Your Resume and 3 Reasons Why You Should
Teamwork and Collaboration:
You can build collaborative relationships with colleagues and customers representing diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints. You can work within a team structure and can negotiate/manage conflict.- Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Planning Certification Course
- Project Management for Beginners
- Importance of Planning, Management and Testing
Information Technology Application:
You can effectively utilize existing digital technologies ethically and efficiently to solve problems, complete tasks, and accomplish goals. You demonstrate effective adaptability to new and emerging technologies.- Cybrary Course Catalog
- Hack Your Way to a Rewarding and Challenging Pentesting Career
- Security Operations Certification Course
Leadership:
You can leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals and use interpersonal skills to coach and develop others. You can assess and manage your emotions and those of others; use empathetic skills to guide and motivate; and organize, prioritize, and delegate work.- Management Quality: Concepts, Standards, and Implementation
- Become a Cyber Security Engineer
- Transition to Project Management Certification Course
Professionalism/Work Ethic:
You demonstrate personal accountability and effective work habits, e.g., punctuality, working productively with others, and time workload management, and understand the impact of non-verbal communication on professional work image. You demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior, act responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind and are able to learn from your mistakes.Career Management:
You identify and articulate your skills, strengths, knowledge, and experiences relevant to the position desired and career goals and identify areas necessary for professional growth. You can navigate and explore job options, understand and take the steps necessary to pursue opportunities, and know how to self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace.
