According to credible statistics, many cybersecurity jobs require a university degree. Depending on where you live, demand for degreed cybersecurity specialists may vary. In some countries, it is a must, whereas in others, employers are more flexible.
With the current trend of quitting college in favor of getting full-time jobs, it would not come as a surprise to see lots of students opting for a job. The rationale for this is that you might want to start building hands-on, practical experience benefiting from on-the-job training, real-life challenges, and professional networking opportunities.
The above is important because some students feel like if they keep studying for four long years, they will be allowed a huge head start over their competitors. Also, their learning might be obsolete by the time they graduate. Let’s explore this further to see if your college degree really matters in the cybersecurity domain. The best way of doing this would be to look at the related pros and cons.
Does a degree mean more salary?
Conventional wisdom has it that with a degree, you are likely to get a better and higher paid salary when you embark on your professional career. Some studies corroborate this, claiming that with a bachelor’s degree, you increase the odds of getting your plum job 13 times.
But this is not as clear-cut as these sources suggest. It boils down to which country you put in your application. In some countries, tradition tends to define salary levels. In others, it is more arbitrary.
It also depends on how much you should invest in your college education in terms of both time and money investments. Some colleges make it really hard on students. That is the reason many students decide to pay for research paper writing. This enables them to hire professional writers to complete their college assignments and tasks on time, to the highest quality standards, and at reasonable rates.
What do employers think?
This is where it becomes a bit tricky. A lot depends on where you apply and which companies fall within your scope of interests. Some employers have more stringent requirements, while others are more flexible. Usually, more traditional and conservative groups would specify their education requirements in job adverts. This is handy because it gives you a clear idea of eligibility.
Some surveys suggest that more than 80 percent of employers think that more than half of applicants for cybersecurity jobs are generally qualified for the advertised jobs. They don’t always consider degrees as a plus.
Others don’t even look at your resume and credentials. They base their decisions on in-person interaction and on-the-spot tests. For them, your potential, familiarity with a broad range of gadgets and tools, ability to adapt to changes, learn new things, and resilience mean far more than your degree.
Better off without a degree?
A clear advantage of foregoing a degree program is that you dive into practical work immediately. No need to get a handle on theory and history. An array of real-life challenges and tasks hit you, and there is no way around them other than taking them on.
Thus, it becomes imperative to work and learn as you go. You gain experience through problem-solving. You might not always be able to structure your knowledge in an organized manner, but that should not be an insurmountable obstacle. There is always an opportunity to take online courses to formalize your hands-on experience. When push comes to shove, what matters is your ability to accomplish specific tasks rather than your formal degree, which may or may not be relevant to emerging priorities.
Work experience also seems to make you eligible for an increasing number of vacancies. When you rack up a minimum of 3 years of working experience, you become eligible for over 30,000 positions in the field.
Those who decide to stick to college studies must be prepared to deal with tight deadlines, recurring tasks and assignments, and a considerable workload. The good news is that you would not have to go it alone. Because there are lots of online writing companies with a proven track record in providing top-notch essay-writing services to thousands of college students.
So what?
With all the above considerations, you should do your due diligence to consider all options at your disposal and make an informed decision. It never hurts to talk to your peers, alumni, or potential employers. At the end of the day, your decision should be framed and made so as to pave the way for a successful career.
Final Thoughts
The demand for cybersecurity experts is very high these days. Given the rate and pace of digital transformation and the arrival of augmented reality, we will see the demand increasing further in the years to come. One big challenge that students face when contemplating their options is related to getting into a degree program or not.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to this dilemma. Depending on your location and the requirements of potential employers, you might be better off with a degree in some places, whereas it can put you at a disadvantage elsewhere. The bottom line is that you should carefully consider the pros and cons of both options, scrutinize them in the context of your educational goals and career aspirations, and make an informed decision.
