topic Re: Passed CISSP but cant get a job on the basis of CISSP -- disappointed in Member Support

Passed CISSP....Journey Continues

DivyaNangia — Mon, 07 May 2018 15:22:31 GMT

Re: Passed CISSP but cant get a job on the basis of CISSP -- disappointed

CISOScott — Fri, 04 May 2018 16:05:14 GMT

A cert alone will not get you a job. You have to have experience. You also have to have good interview skills. I have applied to many jobs over the course of my career. Sometimes it took many applications just to get to the interview stage. Once I got to the interview stage I was usually able to sell myself enough to get the job. In the beginning though, I struggled, How good are your interview skills? Most people do not practice them and it shows when they get interviewed. As a hiring manager I have seen many people with good skills, interview poorly and not get offered the job. I have also seen many people applying for jobs which were a reach based on their skills, and some were not even qualified for entry level positions but applied anyway.

Is your resume strong in other skills? It seems like college students who are graduating have the same problem, lots of knowledge but little practical experience. What have you done to gain experience?

Re: Passed CISSP but cant get a job on the basis of CISSP -- disappointed

Baechle — Fri, 04 May 2018 16:09:08 GMT

Ken,

Divya passed and has the CISSP and therefore at least 4 years of experience to account for. It certainly sounds as though its a problem with skills/requirements matching in the resume or interviewing.

Eric B.

Re: Passed CISSP but cant get a job on the basis of CISSP -- disappointed

canLG0501 — Fri, 04 May 2018 17:25:11 GMT

Most certainly I would say that the CISSP is enough. I would encourage you to not give up on the field entirely. Keep in mind that positions become available in seasons in certain areas. Try to determine the best hiring months for your area and make sure that your resume and application letter are updated. Include other management related courses that you have taken on your resume and focus on a specific industry where you interested in working. I am sure you will find something soon.

Re: Passed CISSP but cant get a job on the basis of CISSP -- disappointed

vt100 — Fri, 04 May 2018 18:37:46 GMT

Divya,

Some of the traits of good security professional are, in my opinion, persistence and perseverance.

It's a trying occupation and should you eventually succeed in landing a job in this field, these qualities will be absolutely indispensable.

The motto for the OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional), for instance, is "Try Harder" and their certification challenge lasts 24 hours.

CISSPs may not need to prove themselves within same time-frame to qualify, but the challenges that we are facing are oftentimes tougher and are not limited in time.

If you like this field of work, make a splash: participate in professional forums, write articles, share knowledge and advise when you are certain in its value.

Certification, while important, is seldom sufficient by itself, but the knowledge you have acquired in pursuing it and the experience that led you to it, are.

In the end, all of us have a choice of trying harder or walking away.

Decide what you want to do.

Re: Passed CISSP but cant get a job on the basis of CISSP -- disappointed

murthib — Fri, 04 May 2018 18:42:48 GMT

Hi Divya,

Which location you are in?

We are looking for security professionals in Chennai / Banglore.

thanks,

Murthi

Re: Passed CISSP but cant get a job on the basis of CISSP -- disappointed

DivyaNangia — Fri, 04 May 2018 18:47:53 GMT

I have 5 years of exp in Network security just that I am off work for 4 years now taking care of kids...and trying to get back to work hence chose CISSP to return

Re: Passed CISSP but cant get a job on the basis of CISSP -- disappointed

DivyaNangia — Fri, 04 May 2018 18:48:50 GMT

Iam in New jersey, US

Re: Passed CISSP but cant get a job on the basis of CISSP -- disappointed

DivyaNangia — Fri, 04 May 2018 18:50:03 GMT

I have 5 years of exp in Network security just that I am off work for 4 years now taking care of kids...and trying to get back to work hence chose CISSP to return

Re: Passed CISSP but cant get a job on the basis of CISSP -- disappointed

Baechle — Fri, 04 May 2018 22:00:04 GMT

Divya,

@DivyaNangiawrote:
I have 5 years of exp in Network security just that I am off work for 4 years now taking care of kids...and trying to get back to work hence chose CISSP to return

Where are you getting stuck?

Are you not even getting invited to an interview? Or are you not getting the offer after an interview?

Re: Passed CISSP but cant get a job on the basis of CISSP -- disappointed

Lamont29 — Sat, 05 May 2018 21:09:12 GMT

@DivyaNangiawrote:
CISSP is not enough but isn't it good enough to land up an entry level position also?

I worked hard to pass the minimum criteria of the recruiters but I guess I have to end my IT security career here and move on to something else.

is ISC2 CISSP not enough???

Hold on... there's a lot missing here. If you have passed the CISSP and have been vetted for your experience, you WILL get a job offer - just try going to the East coast and last 20 seconds on the job market having that credential. Going unemployed with the CISSP is next to impossible on the East coast. If you told someone that you are an unemployed CISSP, no learned professional in the DC,MD, VA area would ever believe you.

I don't know where you are looking; what your requirements are; what your experience in the field; or any other myriad of factors.

While in the military, I volunteered for a position that got me further along later in my career. But had that not happened, I would have taken a position to get me started in the field. CISSP's can make a lot of money, but it's not automatic. You still have to seek out the jobs and develop the specialized skills. You are going to be fine so long as you drop your fatalistic outlook. As an independent contractor, I will normally entertain most any security related positions that pay north of $45 per hour, particularly when those positions can lead to more hands on experience with technologies that I am not familiar with. I am always building my skill set.

You should take the same approach.

Re: Passed CISSP but cant get a job on the basis of CISSP -- disappointed

Shannon — Sun, 06 May 2018 07:20:32 GMT

Divya,

When you apply for a particular post, a potential recruiter or employer will look factor multiple things, including the following: -

Your educational qualifications
Your professional experience
Your professional certifications
Your skill set specific to the post
Your expectations from them
Your communication skills

Items 1, 2, 3, and 4 are often taken from your resume for an initial screening process, and when you make it to the interviews, these may involve multiple rounds to assess items 4, 5, and 6.

An employer isn't likely to modify a post to accommodate you --- so it's up to you to tailor your profile to meet the post's requirements. Even if you have garnered the experience to obtain a CISSP, if that experience isn't specific to their requirements, it may not have any effect.

Let's take a scenario where an employer has an entry-level opening relevant to system security, dealing with AV and APT protection solutions. If you apply for this along with someone else who has had experience with such solutions and is also certified in them, he / she may get preference --- with the employer also noting the fact that since you're CISSP certified, your expectations in terms of benefits are likely to be higher.

Last but not least, you should make a very good impression with your communication skills during interviews, as this is often a deciding factor at the end. All the best.

Re: Passed CISSP but cant get a job on the basis of CISSP -- disappointed

Bertikus — Sun, 06 May 2018 15:49:51 GMT

Passing the test does not mean you are fully certified. Do you have the years experience verified? Did you get your Cert or are you an Associate? Maybe you said you had the cert when you only had the associate and when they checked they noticed it. I don't know all the in's and out's of your question but you can never rely on just a piece of paper. Interview skills, resume, and position descriptions (yes, verify your resume matches the PD) all have a hand to play. And most importantly, if you give up after one attempt, maybe they employer was right, you are not the one. Keep getting up on that horse and eventually you will ride it.

Re: Passed CISSP but cant get a job on the basis of CISSP -- disappointed

DivyaNangia — Mon, 07 May 2018 15:03:37 GMT

Hi , I am not even getting interviews..... I am full time mother . I took a break to look after my kids ...and trying get back to work. So to pass the minimum criteria of HRs I decided to pursue CISSP ....Trust me with 2 kids and household chores ...somehow I journeyed and passed the exam but still they say that I don't have what it takes to be there......

Re: Passed CISSP but cant get a job on the basis of CISSP -- disappointed

DivyaNangia — Mon, 07 May 2018 15:14:43 GMT

I am full time mother . I took a break to look after my kids ...and trying get back to work. So to pass the minimum criteria of HRs I decided to pursue CISSP ....Trust me with 2 kids and household chores ...somehow I journeyed and passed the exam but still they say that I don't have what it takes to be there......

Re: Passed CISSP but cant get a job on the basis of CISSP -- disappointed

Lamont29 — Mon, 07 May 2018 15:15:51 GMT

@DivyaNangiawrote:
Hi , I am not even getting interviews..... I am full time mother . I took a break to look after my kids ...and trying get back to work. So to pass the minimum criteria of HRs I decided to pursue CISSP ....Trust me with 2 kids and household chores ...somehow I journeyed and passed the exam but still they say that I don't have what it takes to be there......

Well now that I know a little bit more about your situation, now I can actually offer you some advice that you can actually use:

Take a 'lesser job' in order to get yourself back on the map. You evidently have some prior experience, but these days, employers have metrics by which they will hire into key positions. A position that requires the CISSP credential often times is a senior-level position. If you are aiming appropriately, then you should be fine.

Folks who have earned the CISSP credential are knowledge professionals. You have a lot to bring to the table if you have passed the exam. Now if you bring that negative attitude into your resume, your phone interview or any other avenue, then yes, you are as useless as 'road kill' in my opinion. Drop that and push forward. You have children that you need to set a great example for.

Re: Passed CISSP but cant get a job on the basis of CISSP -- disappointed

Baechle — Mon, 07 May 2018 15:33:32 GMT

Divya,

Hang in with us here. You passed the CISSP exam, and that’s no small feat. You’re obviously qualified to work in this field.

@DivyaNangiawrote:
Hi , I am not even getting interviews..... I am full time mother . I took a break to look after my kids ...and trying get back to work. So to pass the minimum criteria of HRs I decided to pursue CISSP ....Trust me with 2 kids and household chores ...somehow I journeyed and passed the exam but still they say that I don't have what it takes to be there......

Your predicament is not unique, and not necessarily unusual. One of my wife’s friends withdrew from University and then took several (about 7) years off of work to deal with cancer. She recently applied for and was accepted into a senior position well above what she was working at when she left the job market as her first job since then.

Here are some of the lessons learned from that experience.

First, she applied for a lower position than what she was qualified for by knowledge and experience (even though it may have been a little older experience) in order to refresh her currency on best practice with the intent on working back up. It was still within her confidence level, so she knew she could completely pass the interview stage within her target work roles and skill requirements. This got her the interview with the HR/recruiter.

Once she got the interview with HR, she toed the line. She explained that she was experienced but needed to refresh her currency and that was the reason she was applying for the target position. She also researched her target employers and spoke to HR about why she wanted to work for that particular organization over the long term, working back up to a leadership position within the organization after taking time off. She looked like a long-term investment to the HR people. She didn’t mention anything about her illness except that she had taken time off for personal reasons.

When she got to the interview with the hiring manager, she let them have it. She answered technical questions, scenario questions, and even gave them some alternate perspectives on problems they were experiencing that day. In addition to being that long-term investment by HR standards, she now fit-in personality-wise and knowledge-wise with the team. They also had a team leader position open, so they recommended to HR to change her target position to that team lead. She started work about two or three weeks ago.

So, that is to say that, what you are seeking to do is possible. You may have to make some concessions about working your way back up in the tech field, accounting for the currency of your experience. You may also have to tailor your personal brand in the form of your resume to ensure that it speaks to the position you’re applying for rather than the one you ultimately want.

Sincerely,

Eric B.

Re: Passed CISSP but cant get a job on the basis of CISSP -- disappointed

CISOScott — Mon, 07 May 2018 17:10:31 GMT

@Baechle has some good advice.

@DivyaNangia you may be suffering from recentcy bias, which means if you have been out of Information Security for 4 years, employers may worry that you are not up to speed on the latest threats. Show that you are staying abreast of the current trends in InfoSec by listening to podcasts, setting up a virtual lab in your home and by constant Internet research. Also I have seen some people, when trying to re-enter the job market, set their bar too high and turn down lesser jobs because they can't find a high paying one. Maybe your situation demands a certain level of pay or it is not feasible to take it. I understand that.

Since you said you are in the US have you tried these sites?

Indeed.com - Led me to my current position in state government.

USAJOBS.gov - I was a federal employee for over 25 years. Applying to government jobs can take a toll on you. They are very slow, may not respond or respond very slowly and take over 6 months to fill. Also short resumes usually do not show enough experience to get you through the HR people. Apply and forget. If you do get called for an interview you are among the people that can be used to hire from and it is a good sign, but you are probably between 2-8 people being interviewed for the job. Keep trying

Dice.com - Never applied here myself but used them to see what is out there.

Monster.com - Got a few interviews through the jobs posted here.

The key with any job search is to not get discouraged and keep trying.