DHS to hire up to 1,000 Cyber-Security Pros

With the unemployment rate at 9.8% nationally and higher in a lot of other cities, it’s good to be an information technology professional, especially if you have network security, information assurance, or cyber-security experience. The DHS wants to hire you.

October 1, Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano announces the start of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. However, that is not the biggest news to information technology professionals with expertise in information assurance and network security.

The DHS Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budge announced that it will recruit up to 1,000 new IT professional over the next 3 years. The DHS is in dire need of cyber-security professionals to protect country’s network and cyber infrastructure.

Some of the key areas the DHS needs are IT pros with experience in:
• Risk and strategic analysis
• Incident response
• Vulnerability detection
• Investigation
• Network and systems engineering

Now DHS says it will not fill all 1,000 positions, but with unemployment at 9.8%, this is still a bright spot for information technology professionals. In addition, the government has a good benefit package, job security, and an excellent retirement benefits.

Another bright spot with this announcement is that if the government is in desperate need of security pros, then the private sector is also in need of security pros, creating a win-win situation for IT professionals with a cyber-security background.

Here’s the downside of this announcement, I personally don’t believe the hiring is going to begin today. In fact, I believe the hiring will start over the next few months, possibly once a national cyber-coordinator is hired and on the job for a few months. This is one of the reasons; I believe the DHS is giving a 3-year hiring timeline.

If you are a cyber-security professional, the government wants to hire you, so get your IT resume ready.

To your IT career success,
Ivan Hurt
Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Former IT Hiring Manager