Tips for Getting the Right IT Job

This cheat sheet presents practical tips for finding and getting the right job in the information technology industry. To print, use the one-page PDF version; you can also edit the Word version for you own needs.

Preparing Yourself in Advance

  • Understand what jobs you want to pursue in the short term and as part of your long-term career.
  • Determine what skill and experience will help you get the jobs you desire.
  • Devise and begin executing the plan to obtain the relevant education, training, and certifications.
  • Obtain the skills and experience through personal and work projects. Balance depth with breadth.
  • Be careful not to become complacent in a job that makes you too comfortable.
  • Build an online persona that's both appropriate for you and desirable for potential employers.
  • Craft several "elevator pitches" to briefly explain who you are and what jobs might interest you.
  • Treat yourself as a multifaceted company when managing your career.

Social Networking as Part of Your Career

  • Build professional relationships with people before you start asking them for job search favors.
  • Consider how you might help others along their career path and offer assistance when appropriate.
  • Ask for advice, feedback, and guidance of the professionals whom you respect.
  • Seek informational interviews when learning about a potential company or a job you might pursue later.
  • Don’t take for granted the help and advice that people in your professional network offer.
  • Keep the members of your social network regularly apprised of your career progress.

Finding the IT Position Worth Pursuing

  • Understand what characteristics make you stand out from your competition. What makes you an expert?
  • Look for job postings on companies' websites and on dedicated job websites. (That's a given.)
  • Establish a relationship with a few recruiters in your industry and make sure they understand you.
  • Allow potential employers to find you even when you aren't looking for your job, so serendipity can occur.
  • Consider whether you'll need to move to the locations that have the job openings you seek.
  • Explore multiple single social circles when looking a job: friends, former colleagues, college friends, etc.
  • Participate in events attended by the people within the industries or companies where you want to work.
  • Network within the companies you want to join to find positions that might not be officially advertised.
  • Consider whether you'll accept a less attractive job to break into the field, industry, or company you desire.
  • Find a way to contact the hiring manager directly in addition to applying through the official channel.

Crafting and Polishing Your Resume

  • Review resumes of similarly skilled people to understand your job options and competition.
  • Understand the job requirements of the position beyond what's in the official description.
  • Customize your resume to match the specific requirements of the position you're pursuing.
  • Make sure that every bullet point in your resume answers the question "So What?"
  • Don't rely on your resume as the primary way of getting the job for which you're applying.
  • Be truthful and brief in the text of your resume.
  • Describe both technical as well as "soft" skills (communications, sales. etc.) in your resume.

Handling the Interview for an IT Job

  • Research the organization and the position you're pursuing. How are they different from others?
  • Research the people who will interview you, so you can better engage them during the conversation.
  • Find out the dresscode for the interview. When in doubt, it's usually safer to over-dress.
  • Be ready to ask a few insightful, nonobvious questions during the interview.
  • Treat the interview as a conversation, not a one-sided Q&A session.
  • Use the interview as a chance to explore the culture of the company where you might end up working.
  • Send a thank-you note after the interview, referring to the specific topics discussed in the interview.

Negotiating the Compensation Package

  • Understand what salary you can expect by looking at survey findings, job postings, peer discussions, etc.
  • Be prepared to answer the potential employer's questions about your current compensation.
  • Consider all aspects of the compensation package, including salary, bonus, benefits, training, perks, etc.
  • Understand which aspects of the compensation package the employer can actually negotiate.
  • Understand your alternatives to a negotiated agreement (BATNA) to know when to say "no."
  • Stay engaged with the hiring manager throughout the negotiations process, which might span weeks.
  • Remember to show that you're excited about the new job and that you also value your self-worth.
  • Research and practice influence techniques that might add to your negotiating power of confidence.

Career Tips for Information Security

Post-Scriptum

This cheat sheet is distributed according to the Creative Commons v3 "Attribution" License. File version 1.2.

Updated

About the Author

I transform ideas into successful outcomes, building on my 25 years of experience in cybersecurity. As the CISO at Axonius, I lead the security program to earn customers' trust. I'm also a Faculty Fellow at SANS Institute, where I author and deliver training for incident responders. My expertise, which spans cybersecurity, IT, and leadership, allows me to create practical security solutions that drive business growth.

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