From retraining to working in cybersecurity? It’s not science fiction for our graduates
The intensive cybersecurity course has already had several runs and dozens of people who have decided to take their careers in a new direction. We wanted to know what participants actually took away from the course. So a few months after the course ended, we reached out to the participants with a survey – and the feedback was a pleasant surprise.
Most graduates do not only take away a certificate from the Cybercourse, but above all a lot of new knowledge and with it a clearer idea of where they want to go professionally. Thanks to the course, many have confirmed that cybersecurity is an area they want to pursue fully. Others especially appreciated the fact that the course was able to quickly and clearly introduce a wide range of topics – from technical tools, to the mindset of an attacker, to the procedural and organisational side of security.
Participants also mention the atmosphere and the community that stands and falls on them, our participants, as a strong motivator. For many people, the course was the impetus that made them stop hesitating and start actively looking for a job – or start to purposefully supplement their knowledge, for example through online courses, professional articles or consultations. One graduate, for example, said, “I gained technical insight, but most importantly the motivation to pursue it to the full.” Another participant adds: “The course kick-started me. I stopped slacking off, found my direction, and today I work as a junior security analyst.”
Of course, criticism was also voiced – and it is at least as valuable to us. Most often it concerns the lack of practical exercises and realistic scenarios. Some would have liked more contact with companies during the course, perhaps in the form of presentations, panels or speed-dating. However, we don’t see the connection with recruitment as realistic, the Cybercourse is not a useful tool to get a new job, and some participants would be bothered by the inclusion of hiring companies – many of our participants already have a job and are just broadening their horizons with us. The purpose of the CyberCourse is to introduce participants to the cybersecurity industry, and we are succeeding in doing that (as the survey shows, by the way). A recurring theme is also the difficulty of finding a first job – especially outside of the large county towns where the market is significantly less dynamic.
What we take away from the answers is a clear signal: we need to continue and not let up. Cybersecurity specialists are still a scarce commodity, and with the upcoming NIS2 decree, the hunger for experts will increase. As the end of the subsidy, thanks to which most of the participants took the Cybercourse “for free” (paid for by the state), is approaching, we also have to consider what to do next. Create a new course that accommodates more practice, adds connections to reality, but retains what people value – clarity, readability, and strong community support. The course is not a magic key, but for many people it has been an important start or impetus for change. And that’s certainly no small thing.