Building a Brand in InfoSec
The information security field is growing at an exponential rate, and with this growth comes an increasing number of professionals seeking opportunities to become part of it. As a result, it has become more difficult than ever for individuals to stand out from the crowd and gain an edge on the competition. Fortunately, we’re living in the age of technology and social media, which allows job seekers to showcase their knowledge, connections, and skills as they build their brand.
Developing a personal brand can offer numerous benefits to your career. Not only does it give you an opportunity to stand out in a job market flooded with candidates by increasing your visibility and highlighting your experiences, but it also allows you to build genuine connections based on shared interests or goals. In addition, it can also help you to build confidence and credibility to future employers, or even business partners.
Below are some of the steps you can take to get started with your personal branding.
Build Up Social Media Profiles
Your presence on LinkedIn and other professional or educational networking sites can help build and establish your personal brand. We’ve compiled a list of some of the key pieces of information to add on your professional profiles, which include:
Your experience: One of the best ways to show your knowledge and skills is to highlight your work experience. You should be sure to include where you’ve interned, worked, consulted, and contracted as it relates to the information security field.
Your accomplishments: In addition to displaying your experiences, you should list what you achieved while in those roles. This can include successfully handling a live attack, organizing an InfoSec event, implementing firewalls, rolling out new security initiatives, and identifying system vulnerabilities.
Your tactical and personal skills: Both practical and personal skills help make your personal brand. While practical skills show what you’re capable of in your career, personal skills will help draw in partners and/or employers you closely align with.
Your career goals: Not only does listing your career goals indicate to potential employers where you want your career to take you, it also shows you’re motivated and willing to put in the work to achieve them. Another benefit of including career goals on your social media is that it helps open the door for those who might have insight and experiences to help you get there.
Create Valuable Content
It’s good to say what you’re capable of, but in the InfoSec world, it’s even better to show it. Creating valuable content and giving back to the InfoSec community goes a long way when building your personal brand. Here are some ideas of content you can create to build your trust and authority:
Write “How-To” blogs and video tutorials to help others get better at whatever topics you feel are important to write about.
Share reviews or insights on software and services to help guide others after you have used a software or service..
Participate in guest-speaking webinars to discuss your area of expertise and answer questions other professionals might have.
Redact blogs about your career to guide other professionals down the same path or about software / tools that you use to teach them the tricks.
Record InfoSec-related podcasts if you’re not comfortable with writing, but feel at ease behind the microphone.
While there’s a multitude of possible content to create to build your personal brand, it’s important to remember you should focus on what people want to watch, listen to, or read about. You can discover what people are interested in by keeping up with industry news or networking with other seasoned and aspiring professionals. Which brings us to our next point…
Network & Help Others
When building your personal brand, security conferences and events will become your best friend. They give you the space to network with students and professionals around the world in person as well as through social media, forums, groups, and dedicated professional networks.
Networking with other professionals is not just about you and building your personal brand. It’s also about adding value to the InfoSec community so one day you can return the favor and help someone achieve their personal and professional goals.
Building your personal brand can take a bit of time, but brings endless opportunities, whether they’re projects, new job offers, and / or good friends with the same passion for all things security.
Whether you’re just starting out in your InfoSec career or a tenured expert, INE is proud to offer training for all levels and styles of learning. Visit our website to learn more about our comprehensive suite of Cyber Security, Cloud, Networking, and Data Science learning material.
About INE
INE is the premier provider of technical training for the IT industry. INE is revolutionizing the digital learning industry through the implementation of adaptive technologies and a proven method of hands-on training experiences. Our portfolio of training is built for all levels of technical learning, specializing in advanced networking technologies, next generation security and infrastructure programming and development. Want to talk to a training advisor about our course offerings and training plans? Give us a call at 877-224-8987 or email us at sales@ine.com.
