Cyber Security
Best for senior and mid-level candidates
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As a cyber security expert, you’re the shield that guards networks and systems from dangerous threats. Your in-depth knowledge helps you prevent attacks before they’re even a blip on the radar, and thanks to your keen eye for detail, you monitor networks and respond to incidents promptly and effectively.
You’re no stranger to battling malware, DDoS attacks, or zero-day vulnerabilities—but creating a resume and writing an effective cover letter that highlights all of your strengths is a whole different ballgame.
Just like you’re an expert in your field, we know a thing or two about applying for jobs, and we’re here to help. Our cyber security resume examples and resume tips will help you land more interviews and advance your career.
Why this resume works
- In your cyber security resume, focus on your experience and skills in protecting digital assets.
- Detail specific threats you’ve addressed or security measures you’ve implemented.
- Make mention of the specific security frameworks and systems you’re familiar with and be clear about how they were used in your previous positions.
- If you hold any cyber security certifications, include these to highlight commitment to staying up-to-date with the latest in the field.
Why this resume works
- What can elevate your cyber security intern resume to success when you don’t have much of direct work experience? It’s your personal or school projects. If articulated well, such endeavors will set you apart from the rest.
- Look back to your practical projects that directly relate to the position you are applying for. From there, show what you learned, and you’re ready to use in real-work setting.
Why this resume works
- For an entry-level cyber security resume, highlight your education and any relevant projects or internships you’ve completed.
- Talk about the specific projects related to cyber security you’ve been a part of to demonstrate your knowledge and enthusiasm for the field.
- And include certifications. Even entry-level ones can help demonstrate your dedication and commitment to a career in cyber security.
Why this resume works
- One of the top things that your cyber security engineer resume should strive to do is establishing your competencies and letting recruiters know you’re the right candidate for the job.
- While quantified achievements will do you good here, adding a certification in your area of specialization will get you closer to be hired. See how Ezekiel successfully deploys his certificate in information systems security in his application.
Why this resume works
- Your cyber security analyst resume touts a lot of experience, such as decreasing malware, improving threat detection, and decreasing unauthorized access incidents, so you may want to forgo including a resume summary—just let your resume speak for itself.
- Most of the time, when people include a summary statement, they do so to their own detriment! Unless you’re gonna take the time to be specific to the job you want and speak to your greatest successes without repeating what you’ve already said in your resume, it’s best to just leave it out.
Related resume examples
Adjust Your Cyber Security Resume to Match the Job
Organizations depend on your skills to protect them from various threat actors, so you’ll have a lot to talk about in this part of your resume. The key is to be as specific as you can and stay far, far away from generic terms like “hard worker.”
Seeing as your job is entirely based in IT, zone in on those technical skills. List software, cyber security frameworks, and, of course, the programming languages you’ve mastered. Don’t forget to mention your knowledge of networks, malware, and various system vulnerabilities.
Unless you’re in a leadership position such as CISO, soft skills can be reserved for the “work experience” section
Need some ideas?
15 popular cyber security skills
- Python
- Security Auditing
- Splunk
- Wireshark
- C++
- Firewall Administration
- Nessus
- Metasploit
- Threat Intelligence
- Snort
- Burp Suite
- OpenVAS
- Java
- Okta
- Crisis Management
Your cyber security work experience bullet points
Between setting up new firewalls, responding to incidents, and carrying out cyber security audits to pinpoint potential vulnerabilities, it’s safe to say you’ve got your hands full. However, in a job like yours, it’s better to focus on the bigger achievements rather than on the daily grind.
Why? It’s simple—as a cyber security expert, your work is why your company can keep running seamlessly, with no risk of data leaks and the monetary losses that come with them. Your effectiveness is directly tied to the success of your organization.
Regardless of the extent of your experience, use this part of your resume to talk about the things you’re proud of, be it improving response readiness or minimizing impact. Rely on data to make your claims stand out as the stellar accomplishments they truly are.
- Highlight instances where your work decreased malware incidents and mitigated risks.
- Show that you know how to act quickly that by talking about cutting down response times.
- Threat modeling and risk assessment are crucial, so don’t forget to include those metrics in your resume: how many threat models have you created? What kind of an increase in threat prevention were you able to achieve?
- Make sure to refer to specific technologies where applicable; for example, say that you upgraded Cisco ASA firewalls and the throughput boost that this brought on.
See what we mean?
- Implemented a comprehensive log monitoring and analysis system, cutting incident response time by 32%
- Developed comprehensive antivirus and anti-malware strategies, decreasing malware incidents by 41%
- Conducted vulnerability assessments using Nessus, reducing risk exposure by 74%
- Spearheaded the implementation of a LogRhythm SIEM platform, enabling a 23% speed boost in detecting potential threats
9 active verbs to start your cyber security work experience bullet points
- Implemented
- Maintained
- Developed
- Conducted
- Provided
- Installed
- Documented
- Leveraged
- Led
3 Tips for Writing an Entry-Level Cyber Security Resume
- Every experience is important
- Even if you’re just starting out, it’s important to fill your resume with relevant skills and work experience bullet points. If this is your first job in cyber security, simply talk about the projects you’ve worked on during your education, such as leading a student group to create a comprehensive incident response plan.
- Pick the right skills
- Don’t list every cyber security-related skill you can think of—pick the things you know you’re good at. Stick to around 10 skills and swap them around based on the job description. For instance, if there’s an emphasis on monitoring traffic, discuss how you used Wireshark to troubleshoot networks in the past.
- Include extra credentials
- Aside from your education, be it in college or at a cyber security bootcamp, you may have obtained some extra certifications—throw them in! Adding certs like the CompTIA Security+, CFR, or CEH can enhance your resume.
3 Tips for Writing a Cyber Security Resume if You’re Experienced
- Discuss your specializations
- If you’re a pro in a specific area of cyber security, such as threat analysis, incident response, or penetration testing, make sure to emphasize that in your resume. This is especially helpful if the job you’re applying to is in the same field as your expertise.
- Show that you’re up to date
- Cyber security is in a constant state of flux, with new threats and methods cropping up all the time. Show that you’re always keeping up by mentioning recent certifications, contributing to open-source security projects, or attending events like the Black Hat USA.
- Express your teamwork
- While you shouldn’t put down “teamwork” as a skill, you should still mention instances of cross-departmental collaboration. Mention times when you worked with other experts, such as colleagues from the IT, legal, or software engineering departments, and highlight any impactful projects that resulted from these partnerships.
You can, but you don’t have to. The only way to benefit from it is to tailor it to the job, mentioning the company and role by name. Highlight your proficiencies, such as network monitoring or malware detection.
Spotlight the skills that are relevant to both careers as well as your education. For instance, if you previously worked as a nurse, you can highlight the attention to detail required when administering medication and compare it to needing to scan complex lines of code when programming in Python.
Take the time to give further explanation of any gaps and why changing careers is in the interest of the company when you write your cyber security cover letter.
The reverse-chronological format is the way to go. Start with your most recent cyber security job and then work your way back. Omit roles that aren’t relevant to the job and instead add a section for your projects to keep things related to the cyber security field.
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