If you’re reading this blog post, there’s a good chance that you’re considering a career switch, and we happen to think that you’d be a great fit for a job in cyber security...
Now, we know what you’re thinking: cyber is only for super techy people who know how to code, right? You need a degree or years of experience to work in cyber, don’t you? Cyber is all about hacking, isn’t it?
If you are thinking any of these things, then it’s hardly surprising. Due to a number of industry stereotypes that are echoed by the media, people have a lot of preconceived ideas about cyber security careers, and they’re often not accurate.
As an industry, cyber security encompasses a huge diversity of people, roles, skills and opportunities. Rather than imagining the common ‘hacker in a hoodie’ caricature, cyber security is actually an ever-evolving network of creative, curious, and skilled professionals from all walks of life.
There are many attractive aspects about cyber security as an industry. Across the vast spectrum of jobs available, cyber roles offer appealing rates of pay, lots of opportunity for growth, and the chance to make the world a safer place. These elements are attractive to many people looking for a new career, and that’s why we’re trying to help more people see cyber in a more positive light.
Here are just some of the reasons why we think cyber might surprise you...
1. People who reskill in cyber see an average salary increase of 54%*
One of the many attractive elements about starting a career in cyber security is the high earning potential.
When looking at the UK’s cyber security industry as a whole, you can find entry-level cyber security salaries ranging from around £23,000 to around £30,000, depending on the role.
There is a huge diversity of entry-level cyber security jobs out there, and there’s a lot of scope for rapid career progression and higher salaries.
Employers are more inclined to pay higher salaries to those who have transferable skills which relate to the type of roles that they are applying for within the industry. So, for example, someone with experience as a project manager in the hospitality industry could well be a good fit for project management roles in cyber, once they’d reskilled into this exciting field.
At CAPSLOCK, learners reskill in cyber security with our online bootcamps, combining our cyber curriculum with their existing transferable skills.
As of summer 2023, the average salary of a CAPSLOCK learner before joining the course is £23,300. The average salary of a CAPSLOCK learner after landing their first cyber role is £34,400 – representing a 54% salary increase after reskilling.
Currently around 61% of our hired learners begin their cyber careers in entry level roles, 33% have gone straight into mid-level roles and a small percentage have landed senior roles earning over £50K per year.
So, the sky is really the limit when it comes to cyber salaries.
2. You don't have to know how to code or be super "techy" to work in cyber
Despite what you might think, you absolutely do not need to be super “techy”, know how to code or have a background in IT to get into cyber.
Cyber roles can be highly technical, not very technical at all, or most often, somewhere in between. Many cyber roles, such as those which involve consultancy or training and awareness, are more focused on how cyber concepts can be communicated to a diverse audience.
What all cyber roles *do* have in common is that they all require the kind of transferable skills that you probably already have, such as good communication skills, critical thinking, problem-solving and attention to detail, among other things.
We know this is true because many of our learners have no cyber or IT experience at all when they join us. People come to us from all kinds of industries and backgrounds. We've seen dancers, teachers, chefs, marketing consultants, military veterans, driving instructors, police officers, full-time parents, DJs, midwives, people out of work, jewellers, baristas and many, many more people of all kinds of professions reskill and launch careers in cyber.
No matter your background, you will already have lots of transferable skills which will carry you far in this industry, and you can learn the cyber skills you need to launch an exciting new career.
Cyber is a far more holistic and varied discipline than a lot of people think - it isn't all about tech!
3. The cyber job market has never been healthier
There is currently a cyber security workforce shortage, with recent research suggesting there is a worldwide deficit of up to 3.4 million cyber security workers. If you review job boards and sites like LinkedIn, you’ll see thousands of cyber security job vacancies in the UK being posted every week, and more are added daily.
Given this massive demand for cyber security talent, hiring approaches are now changing. Many companies are no longer solely seeking those with years of experience and are instead adopting the more open-minded approach of nurturing and teaching untapped talent. This is a great development and will ensure an increase in diversity in the sector.
This means it’s a really good time to consider reskilling and switching careers to cyber to help fill the UK’s cyber skills gap. There is an abundance of opportunity apparent within the cyber industry and the job market overall has never been healthier.
Final thoughts
If you’ve made it this far, then we hope we’ve given you some food for thought about switching careers to cyber. With attractive salary potential, a huge variety of job specialisms and roles, and an ever-increasing pool of opportunities, maybe a career in cyber is exactly what you're looking for...
You don't need any tech experience to reskill in cyber with CAPSLOCK, and you can find out more about our bootcamps at https://capslock.ac/cyber-might-surprise-you
*CAPSLOCK data, 2023. Based on before and after salary figures of hired CAPSLOCK learners.
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