How to Actually Get an Entry Level Cybersecurity Job in 2025
Cybersec Café #49 - 01/07/25
In this digital age, it’s no surprise that careers in Cybersecurity are growing ever more popular.
As big data continues to grow and people continue to build digital products and collect virtual assets, security becomes exceedingly important.
Besides the prestige and occasional adrenaline rush that comes with protecting the “good” from the “bad”, Cybersecurity roles have some of the best entry level salaries ($65-90k USD) salaries out there and generally provide you with quite a lot of life flexibility (Work from Home, flexible hours, work-life balance).
On top of that, career trajectory can be fast if you work hard and hone your craft.
Satisfying work, great pay, fantastic life balance - why wouldn’t you want to make the jump?
Here’s how you can actually land that entry-level cybersecurity job in 2025.
Understand the Landscape
In order to figure out how to get your foot in the door, you first need to understand how trajectory in the industry works.
The cybersecurity industry has many different routes (Analyst, Engineer, Architect, etc.), different disciplines inside each route (red team, blue team, purple team), and sub-niches in each discipline (penetration tester, forensics, cloud security, …).
All of these roles can also eventually feed into management, director, or even C-Suite roles if you find your skills align with the high-level, business, and political side of cybersecurity.
But before I overwhelm you, in order to determine your initial path you’ll need to consider your own experience and domain knowledge.
Are you coming from an engineering discipline? Maybe an IT/Network background? Do you know how to code already?
If the answer is yes to one or all of those, maybe Security Engineer is the correct route to aim for.
But what if you‘re looking to jump in with little to no applicable knowledge?
Well, then Analyst is probably your best bet.
An Analyst position will give you exposure to many different facets in the industry and help you focus on growing your domain knowledge. Hell, even with an engineering background this might be the correct route to get your foot in the door.
I won’t lie, a bachelors or masters degree will certainly help you land that initial interview, and a lot of jobs will certainly write you off immediately if you don’t have one.
But one of the benefits of jumping into such an in-demand industry is that there are still plenty of companies that will give you an opportunity if you don’t, as long as you have applicable experience.
So, let’s focus on what you can do to put yourself in an advantageous position no matter your situation.
Basic Knowledge
To be successful in cybersecurity, you’ll want to study up on some basics in order to build a strong foundation.
Outside of basic cybersecurity fundamentals, you’ll want to study up on:
Networking Fundamentals: DNS, IPs and Subnets, Network Protocols, and Web Requests
Authorization and Authentication: Authz vs Authn, SSO, RBAC & ACLs
Cryptography, Hashing, and Encoding: Differences between them and their use cases
Programming and Query Language Basics: Python and SQL Basics
Part of why cybersecurity is difficult is because it requires knowledge outside of the security domain. But trust me, it’s not as difficult to learn as it sounds.
Here are some blogs I’ve written to get you started.
I’d also highly recommend checking out one of my favorite YouTube channels, Power Cert.
- Today’s Sponsor -
Prepare for a career in Cybersecurity, one sip at a time with The Security Sip. With rapidly evolving threats and technologies, many struggle to gain the right skills and experience to break into the cybersecurity industry. This course is designed to transform beginners into industry-ready professionals over 12 sections, 85 modules, and 155 exercises. Check it out!
Certifications
In my experience, the industry is divided on certifications.
On one end, you have the people who like to get certifications every quarter.
On the other, you folks who don’t have any.
Certifications are a great way to say “I know something.” But they also can’t compare to real life experience.
But in a situation where you’re trying to land that entry level job, Certifications can put you ahead of your competition, especially if you don’t have a degree (in a way, these will act as your degree). Certifications show a couple things:
You were able to complete something from start to finish
Basic Proof-of-Knowledge
They’ll also be great talking points in interviews.
If you’re starting out, I’d recommend getting at least one. If you’re without a degree, it’s probably best to get a couple.
Here are some suggestions (I am not sponsored by any of these certifications):
CompTIA+ - Provides a solid foundation in security concepts, including threat management, cryptography, and network security (Designed for beginners with basic IT knowledge).
CEH - Teaches penetration testing and hacking techniques used to identify vulnerabilities (accessible with basic knowledge of networks and security).
Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate - Focuses on threat monitoring, detection, and response in a Security Operations Center.
(ISC)^2 Certified in Cybersecurity - Focuses on foundational cybersecurity principles
GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) - Covers essential cybersecurity skills like system hardening, encryption, and access controls.
Projects
A project is not only a great knowledge builder, but can be a focal point of your interviews.
Projects show four things:
Passion: It shows you’re already invested in the industry.
Initiative: You’re a self-starter, you are motivated to jump into something yourself.
Problem-Solving: You’ve identified a problem and actively created the solution.
Follow-Through: You don’t need deadlines. You set your mind to something, and you accomplished it.
Okay, but what should you do?
You don’t need a full-fledged SaaS app to build an amazing project.
Here are some ideas:
Secure Your Home Network - Make note of what you did and why you did it.
Learn Pentesting - Take an intentionally vulnerable web app and search for vulnerabilities (Juice Shop)
CLI Tool - Know how to code? Create a security-focused CLI tool. Make sure to make the repo public so people can see the code.
HackTheBox - Participate in CTF’s and hone your technical skills.
There’s plenty to do, don’t be afraid to search the internet for inspiration!
Interviewing
You did it - you landed that interview.
You’ve won the battle, but the war has just begun.
Interviewing is your chance to demonstrate that you’re the right person to take a chance on.
Start by owning your experience and what you’ve accomplished. Be honest about what you don’t know, but talk in detail about what you do.
Remember: Prove, don’t just tell.
Use this opportunity to show off your soft skills. Communication is essential in any profession, but I believe it can really set you apart in this industry.
Remember: Your knowledge can be an 8/10, but if your communication is a 3/10, you’ll be perceived as a 3/10.
Another interview tip I’ve found success in is looking to make personal connections. Look for opportunities to keep the conversation light, actively listen for if the interviewer gives any insight into their own interests and genuinely be curious.
Remember: The goal is to leave the conversation with the person feeling positively about you. Make them want to work with you.
Lastly, make sure you show your interest. Undoubtedly, you’ll be asked a derivative of the following two questions:
Why cybersecurity?
Why this organization?
Be prepared. And be ready to ask the question back.
Why did they choose this organization?
What can you do to get put on critical projects?
What do you need to do to succeed at this organization?
Establish yourself as a hard worker and a team player.
Uncover Your Passion For It
I’m not saying cybersecurity has to be your life, but I truly believe you need to have some degree of passion for what you do to be successful in your career.
Take time to explore the small facets of cybersecurity. What do you enjoy? What are you good at?
Find where these two intersect.
But remember, it’ll never happen without action. The best time to start was yesterday. But the next best time is today. Even a small amount can make a big difference.
Securely Yours,
The Cybersec Cafe
Just a heads up, The Cybersec Cafe's got a pretty cool weekly cadence.
Every week, expect to dive into the hacker’s mindset in our Methodology Walkthroughs or explore Deep Dive articles on various cybersecurity topics.
. . .
Oh, and if you want even more content and updates, hop over to Ryan G. Cox on Twitter/X or my Website. Can't wait to keep sharing and learning together!