Passed CISSP....Journey Continues

[Lamont29]

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@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???

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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.

[Shannon]

Divya,

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

1. Your educational qualifications
2. Your professional experience
3. Your professional certifications
4. Your skill set specific to the post
5. Your expectations from them
6. 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.

[Bertikus]

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.

[DivyaNangia]

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......

[DivyaNangia]

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......

[Lamont29]

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@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......

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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.

[Baechle]

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.

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@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.

[CISOScott]

@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.