Crafting a standout resume for a cybersecurity practitioner position not only involves showcasing your technical prowess and soft skills but also requires strategic use of keywords to ensure your application passes through automated screening systems. Here’s a restructured guide with an emphasis on leveraging keywords effectively to increase your chances of getting your resume in front of a human recruiter.

Moreover though, you have to game the system to even get a HUMAN to look at your resume. Here are a few of the key things I have learned in this odyssey of trying to get a job in 2024:

1. Game the system (the application system that’s doing the intake and milling your resume through filters of key words) What do I mean by gaming that system?
   • Buzzwords
   • More buzzwords
   • EVEN MOAR buzzwords.

You have to not only be buzzwordy, but you have to tailor your buzzwords per the job req you are looking at. So, say you are like me, you have been around a long time in the biz, and done a lot of things and stuff over say, 24 years but if you don’t have one or more of their buzzwords you ain’t getting a look. There is a high chance today, that if you do not have that companies buzzwords you may not even make it to the hiring manager because the system will negate you.

So what do you do?

Well, if you read the req and you see specific things, and you have used or done them, make sure that those words are in the resume and maybe not just once, to get the application to puke your resume out to a human to look at.

2) Used to be a time, when they wanted short and sweet resume’s, only a couple pages at best, I assume that that was a thing over using too much fax paper (I know, you are saying, what is this fax you speak of?) but now, nope, you gotta write a tome on you, a grimoire of your life. I had a recruiter give me advice recently and my 4 page resume (cuz, I have been around forever) turned into a 6-7 page resume after the paragraphs I had to generate for each job I had, using all the buzzwords, to give a real feel for what I have been doing all these years in each job, cuz, ya know, like they are not going to ask you on an interview, right?

Upshot kids, write a book.

3) Lose the “core competencies” section) and instead put all that stuff into the grimoire of your working life. …And be sure to use those buzzwords, and target them just to get past the new A.I. filtering. If you don’t the automated system won’t let you play.

Ugh, so much has changed and in this current layoff and cutting back in tech and security palooza, you gotta game it just to even get an interview.

Ok, on with the rest of the “best practices”….

Understanding What Recruiters Look For

Relevant Technical Skills:
Technical proficiencies are crucial, including knowledge in firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, encryption, network protocols, and cybersecurity frameworks (e.g., NIST, ISO/IEC 27001).

Certifications:
Highlighting certifications like CISSP, CEH, or CompTIA Security+ showcases recognized expertise and commitment.

Real-world Project Experience:
Demonstrate your practical experience in security operations, vulnerability assessments, or incident response with examples of successful threat mitigation.

Problem-solving Skills:
Cybersecurity challenges require adept problem-solving capabilities, which should be evident in your resume.

Continuous Learning:
With the ever-evolving nature of cybersecurity threats, a commitment to ongoing learning is essential.

Mastering Resume Format

Reverse-Chronological Format:
Preferred for its focus on recent job experiences, showing your career progression.

Functional Format:
This skills-focused format is ideal for those transitioning into cybersecurity.

Combination Format:
A hybrid approach that showcases both skills and a chronological work history.

Incorporating Keywords and Bypassing Automated Systems

Strategic Use of Keywords:
Automated Application Tracking Systems (ATS) scan resumes for specific keywords related to the job description. To enhance your resume’s visibility:

• Identify Keywords: Review the job listing and note the repeated technical skills, tools, certifications, and soft skills. These are your target keywords.
• Integrate Authentically: Incorporate the keywords naturally into your summary, skills section, and throughout your professional experiences. Avoid overstuffing, as ATS algorithms can flag it.
• Use Job Titles and Skills: Match your previous job titles and skills as closely as possible to those found in the job description, without misrepresenting your experience.

Essential Resume Content for Cybersecurity

Contact Information
Summary Statement
Technical Skills Section
Professional Experience
Education
Projects and Publications
Soft Skills (as if writing a resume effectively isn’t already a soft skill? I guess they mean public speaking and such….)

In each section, especially in your professional experience and skills, ensure the use of relevant keywords aligned with the job description.

Final Tips for Optimization

• Tailor Your Resume: Customize it for each application to reflect the job’s required skills and experiences.
• Conciseness is Key: Limit your resume to one page if possible, focusing on the most pertinent information.
• Proofreading: Eliminate errors to demonstrate your attention to detail, a critical trait in cybersecurity.

Lastly, I will say it now, use the LLM’s for this but make sure you are en effective copy editor. The LLM’s do know how to write pretty well, they are dry but no nonsense and if you work with the LLM, you can train it to even write more like you do. In the end, use the LLM to attempt to goose the resume and get yourself through that first hurdle of the automated system just giving your resume to a human in the first place.

May the odds ever be in your favor….

~K