Why should you pursue a career in cybersecurity? Well, let’s start here; this is the 21st century. We are in a modern age where a larger percentage of basic things are already computerized. This includes the storing and retrieval of important information and data. It could be the login details to your social media account or a leading financial company’s backend user data.
However, the computer age has made storing all this information very easy. And subsequently, this important information can also be lost easily. In order to guarantee the safety of this information, a security system must be set up. This is where cybersecurity comes in.
So, why should you pursue a career in cybersecurity? To answer that question, we’ll look at seven unique reasons why you should pursue a cybersecurity career in 2022.
Reasons Why You Should Pursue A Cybersecurity Career in 2022
Cybersecurity Jobs are High in Demand
There are a lot of companies in cyberspace. And with each emerging company, there is also an increasing cyber threat. This leads to high demand for cybersecurity professionals.
Cybersecurity job positions yet to be filled are over 1.8million in 2022. This shows that the available labor supply does not balance the increased demand for cybersecurity professionals.
Furthermore, a cybersecurity degree spans a period of four academic years. This means if you pursue a cybersecurity career in 2022, you are expected to graduate in the year 2026.
And what’s more exciting is that between the years 2025-2026, about 3.5million job openings are expected to be available in the cybersecurity field.
It’s safe to say the best time to pursue a degree in cybersecurity is now.
Cybersecurity Professionals Are Well-Paid
Behind every passion for creating a solution and offering a service is the desire to be well-paid. And, to a great extent, this isn’t a problem if you choose a career in cybersecurity.
Available cybersecurity professionals are far less than the need for their service in cyberspace. So, every company chanced to get a Professional in cybersecurity ensures they are well-paid. Why? This is because other companies in cyberspace often try to lure them into their firm with better salaries.
For the vital service they offer in ensuring the safety of end-user information, companies in Cyberspace are ready to pay cybersecurity professionals a high amount of money.
So you can understand better, let’s mention a few digits. An entry-level analyst gets paid $84000-$92000 annual salary. An experienced CISO receives an average annual salary of $380000- $420000.
In the cybersecurity space, your educational level and years of experience qualify you for more jobs. Jobs with higher salaries require higher qualifications like a Master’s degree.
There is Room for Career Growth In Cybersecurity
One of the things to note while choosing a career path is the ability to grow and scale-up. In the cybersecurity field, there are various career opportunities to be explored and new areas and skills to move up the professional ladder.
As a cybersecurity professional, there are limitless growth possibilities. The cybersecurity job market is growing at a rate of 31%. This is four times the regular job market growth rate of 4%. And as world technology advances daily, cybersecurity professionals would need to upscale their skills as well.
There is a wide range of specialization possibilities in Cybersecurity. However, different educational requirements are required to secure a job at various levels. Here are a few career paths in cybersecurity
- Cybersecurity architect
- Cybersecurity Engineer
- Chief Information Security Officer
- Consultant
- Computer Forensics
- Ethical Hackers
Cybersecurity, An Interesting Career Path
Cybersecurity is one of the most interesting career paths. This is because you get to have fun while on your job. You get paid for solving real security issues and challenges. As you do what you love, you get paid and ensure data security.
Working as a cybersecurity officer comes with a lot of thrilling experiences. You get to tackle new real-life challenges every day. With the daily advancement in technology, there is an increasing number of companies and hackers in Cyberspace. And, every success in protecting your organization’s data or interrupting a hacking process leaves a rewarding feeling on its own.
You wake up daily unsure of what challenges you’d face in Cyberspace, but the thrill of being able to succeed in your duty is enough to keep you going.
Learning Made Easy
In 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown, the number of online courses increased. Now, in 2022, it is more possible than ever to complete a degree in cybersecurity wherever you are located.
As an international student who desires to pursue a career in cybersecurity, you can decide to take an online course. Submit projects and assignments. You can also get certified without having to travel to a new region.
Cybersecurity: An Evergreen Degree
The world keeps advancing, and technology keeps improving. The potential of cyberspace in years to come is limitless.
And subsequently, this makes a degree in cybersecurity relevant for a lifetime. Cybersecurity professionals would be needed to ensure the security of the increasing amount of information available in cyberspace.
So, if you are interested in pursuing an evergreen degree, cybersecurity is one of the best options you have. Cybersecurity will not lose its value over the years. Instead, it will appreciate as the demand for cybersecurity professionals keeps increasing.
Professional Recognition
Pursuing a degree in cybersecurity exposes you to the basics and rudiments of cybersecurity. All the course training, assignments, and projects prepare you for the real-life challenges ahead.
However, there are various self-teaching channels available. You can learn how to be a cybersecurity professional without pursuing a degree. But, pursuing a degree in cybersecurity gives you global recognition. You are seen as an educated cybersecurity professional.
No matter how skilled you are, your degree is considered first, and it speaks for you. This is even before you get a chance to prove your ability. So, without a degree in cybersecurity, it may not be easy to secure a well-paid job. This is because companies in cyberspace would prefer to employ an individual with a recognized cybersecurity degree.
Conclusion
There are a lot of career paths in technology available for study. But cybersecurity is one of the few that stands out for unique reasons. Some of these reasons have been mentioned above in this article. Pursuing a career in cybersecurity is a worthy 4-6years educational investment.