How can I get into this cybersecurity field?

[Bobachii]

Hi Everyone,
To give some background, I have finished Google's cybersecurity certification as well as my post-graduate degree in cybersecurity in Canada
How can I move forward to attaining a job in this field in either the US or in Canada?
is it worth pursuing CC as well? 
all advice is welcome, thank you!

[nkeaton]

@Bobachii Congratulations on your degree. Since I do this for our cybersecurity workforce, I hope that you don’t mind some honesty. The Google certification is not recognized by anyone; some say that Google does not even recognize it. The marketing with it came with what I call the big lie: get a job with it with high pay, remote work, lots of jobs, pick own hours, etc. None of that is true for entry level. The marketing also had a discount for Security+ which is at least interesting as CompTIA has their own entry level certification. CompTIA was recently sold and is no longer not for profit. Security+ went up another $21 to $425. They do brag at over 700K certified which has flooded the job market with this and is the competition. The CC is recognized and is a great stepping stone along with the SSCP on the journey to a CISSP. Right now the price is right with the self-study training and exam voucher being no cost for most. The AMF (Annual Maintenance Fee) keeps it in force, and there are lots of ISC2 resources that come with that. As far as next steps, I would encourage you to look for active cybersecurity chapters such as ISC2, ISSA, ISACA, and some others in your area. The people attending those are cybersecurity professionals and would have better local advice on the job market there and might be willing to mentor you some. Best wishes on your journey. Please feel free to ask me questions as have been doing this with our workforce since 2008 and am very enthusiastic about it. I do hold all of the certifications mentioned except for Google and have helped hundreds at work with earning their Security+, CISSP, and CISM.

[ottoMatic1]

Thanks for the information! I'm new to the cybersecurity field as well (career change) and currently studying to pass the CC exam. Glad to know the CC is recognized and will actually help me moving forward. 

[emb021]

@Bobachii I agree with everything that @nkeaton said.  I will just add a few items.

"entry level" cybersecurity jobs are NOT entry level IT jobs.  This is why even if they are "entry level", there is an expectation the person has some experience, which they would have from OTHER IT roles, such as network engineer/admin, system administrator, help desk, systems analyst, et al.

When it comes to certifications, they should best be viewed as credentials you need to get past the HR gatekeepers.  Once you get past them and get an interview, you won't be asked about that, but your knowledge, skills, experiences, etc.

Networking to find jobs is critical.  ALL the major jobs I've had are due to networking.  Hence the advise of getting involved with local groups.

In addition to local groups, ALSO look for local infosec conferences, such as BSides.  Many of these will have career tracks with presentations, resume sessions, and more.