Referrals or Recommendations please?

Posted in:Tech

Hello gorgeous gorgeous people,

I’ve been searching for a career position for months and it’s taking a toll on my mental. My savings are rapidly depleting as I have to pay bills with no consistent income flowing in. I’m asking for a helping hand.. I am new to the Cybersecurity world and I’m kindly asking for a referral or if anyone is willing to introduce me to a recruiter that you know who has entry / junior level cybersecurity positions.

I possess an active secret clearance and I’ve obtained certifications in Security+, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), and Splunk. I am in the DFW area and I’m available to work in person, hybrid, and/or remote. I can start ASAP.

I'm open to working full-time, part time, and contract / temp positions. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to secure a position. I know something awesome is waiting for me and I'm going to overcome this imposter syndrome and my financial woes.

Thanks in advance to any and everyone who can help and contribute. I hope we can connect soon.

Be well and have a fabulous weekend 🤍

Iynna·Jul 22

Hi Ariel,So sorry to hear this situation. It’s been really hard out :( A few days ago, another member @lycaconstantino shared her interest in cyber and looking for roles. Perhaps the two of you can connect to share opportunities and whatnot. I was curious, since you’re new to cyber and things are all quite competitive, in a way to increase your chances of success, are you open to other roles outside of that industry (perhaps in the industry you were in before)? But use that role as a temp thing to pay bills, rebuild your savings etc. In the meantime, some ideas: leverage the content on our new chatgpt resource to help tailor your search and ensure you save time when drafting your cv https://elpha.com/resources/chatgpt-resumeAnd are you familiar with this: https://www.nist.gov/nice/apprenticeship-finder I'd recommend sending an email to every single person on there with a very specific ask ie. two lines about your technical experience and your desire to work in cyber and taking on a project/internship/or even a role if they have one.And lastly you should connect with the following Elphas @SDPerch who's a woman in cyber (she is part of a network of Women in Cyber, maybe something for you to look into) @ShagunNayar who's passionate about the field, @kathrynrasmussen who is very intentional about having more ladies in the space, @staceyfortin who has decades in the field, @BKelsey who works at a cyber company, perhaps she is hiring hehe :)

arielt·Jul 23

Thanks for your reply, @iynna!Yes I’ve been applying for jobs outside of cybersecurity so that I can have a source of income coming in. Though I haven’t connected with @lycaconstantino yet, I have been connecting with other cyber professionals trying to learn and network as much as possible. I’ll have to check out the last link you posted, my first start may be there. I really appreciate your time and help!

Iynna·Jul 23

Of course! Keep us posted on how the conversations and search go!

akilahkamaria·Jul 23

You look like the perfect candidate for Raytheon or Northrop Grumman. They have career fairs so you have an option versus just sending an email into a black hole. Look for opportunities on https://www.dice.com/ if you are interested in contract roles. You can reach out and speak to the recruiters on the postings to get a better sense of what is happening with the roles. https://site.pheedloop.com/event/nabcrmprecruit2023/home/ This week they are having a career fair. Networking opportunity to meet cyber professionals who can help---https://events.humanitix.com/cybersecurity-woman-of-the-year-awards-gala-2023-live-stream-from-las-vegas? Join this group on LinkedIn as they post lots of information you can use. https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8673525/ I wish you the best!

arielt·Jul 24

I didn't see this response earlier when I checked but it's visible now since your last response. Thank you so much for this!! I'll definitely be in attendance. I just sent you an invite to connect on LinkedIn. I should've added a note to let you know it's me from Elpha. I really appreciate your time and help!

BKelsey·Jul 23

Hi @arielt - My company is based in California and requiring in-person or hybrid employees only. That said, I have been working in cybersecurity for the past 5 years and would be happy to chat, learn more about what you are looking for, and connect you with my network. Hang in there!

arielt·Jul 23

Hi there and thanks so much for your response! I’d love to connect with you and it would be great to have some insight from a tech professional giving me guidance. I’d really appreciate that, here is my LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ari-thompI look forward to connecting with you soon.

akilahkamaria·Jul 23

@arielt I left an earlier reply but i don't see it anymore.... Event this week--https://site.pheedloop.com/event/nabcrmprecruit2023/home/ 2. https://events.humanitix.com/cybersecurity-woman-of-the-year-awards-gala-2023-live-stream-from-las-vegas? 3. www.dice.com for contract roles. 4. Raytheon has virtual career fairs and you look like a match for their profile. 5. This linked in group is great for intel https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8673525/

Morgan·Jul 25

Check out this Twitter thread; There's a cyber internship.https://twitter.com/TheJobfather__/status/1683913651873370113Also...do you have a basis in Networking, or did you skip to Cybersecurity? Do you know the OSI model, how network infrastructure works?

arielt·Jul 26

Thank you SO much! Yes, I have an understanding of Networking such as the OSI model and how the network infrastructure works. I have the knowledge but no experience as of yet.

Morgan·Jul 26

I know Juniper and Fortinet had free courses online at one point with virtual infrastrcture -- I'll see if I can find them again. I used Cisco NetAcad way back when for the simulation but these days I remember it being really hard to even sign in and get the program again.

Morgan·Aug 01

I found the Juniper one that's the associate level; If you pass the (free) course, you get a discount voucher;https://learningportal.juniper.net/juniper/user_activity_info.aspx?id=JUNIPER-OPEN-LEARNING

arielt·Aug 02

This is SO helpful!! Thank you so much, Morgan! 🤍

ashleighmariebrown·Aug 03

I don't have any connections for you presently, but I'm in a similar position and am sending you support and strong income vibes! Please keep us posted on your wins.

arielt·Aug 03

Thank you so much, I’m wishing us all unlimited success, positivity, and happiness! 🤍 I sent a connection request on LinkedIn.