4 Common Mistakes to Avoid on Your Cybersecurity Job Application

You've completed your classes and have a cybersecurity certification or two under your belt — congratulations! Or, perhaps you've been in the industry for a while and are simply wondering how you can improve your odds of getting noticed as you look to move up in the ranks. No matter how much experience you have or how advanced your career, there are probably some things you could improve on your job applications. Here are four of the most common job application mistakes, and how you can avoid them in your cybersecurity job search.

Mistake 1: Forgetting the Basics

First things first: Let's throw out the old, yet persistent job-hunting advice that your resume shouldn't be more than a page long. While this makes sense for entry-level cybersecurity job seekers, those with varied experience or a long career may need two pages. However, three is typically too many, even for experienced candidates. Here are a few tips and techniques for job seekers who need to cut down resume length:

• Use a career summary at the top if your relevant skills are spread out over time. This way, employers are sure to see your most important points.
• Skip old certifications — for example, do this if you're certified in an old version of a software, but not the latest. If you have many years of experience, you can most likely also skip old jobs, unless they are directly relevant to the job you want.
• Moving to cybersecurity from a transition job? Don't remove unrelated jobs if this will create gaps, but do cut down on what you say about them — just list two to three applicable bullets.

When you're putting your resume together, make your information easy and pleasant to find. Use simple fonts like Times New Roman or Century Gothic, leave about an inch of white space around the edges, and always use bullet points. And as an eye-catching extra, easy-to-read formatting will help you beat applicant tracking systems (ATS), too, which we'll discuss next.

Mistake 2: Not Using Keywords or Following Instructions

It's nice to think that the CEO of the company is personally perusing every resume, but the truth is, it may be a robot. The information technology (IT) industry was one of the first to use ATS, especially in staffing and recruitment firms. ATS is a software that "reads" your resume for certain keywords to see if you are a good match for the job. To raise your odds of getting to the next phase of the process, you have to use keywords. This means using lingo similar to that used in the job description, and matching specific words exactly, especially certifications, skills, and software.

Make sure you read the job posting thoroughly and follow all instructions. If your prospective employer isn't using an ATS, throwing out those resumes that didn't follow instructions is an easy way to cull candidates. Does that ridiculous subject line they requested seem silly? Chances are it's a way to easily narrow down applicants. Similarly, don't give your salary history if it isn't requested — that's an easy way to turn off potential employers.

Mistake 3: Being Too General

While it may seem like a good thing to be a Jack or Jill of all trades, this is actually one of the most common job-hunting mistakes, especially in the cybersecurity industry. But having a range of skills proves that you're prepared for any sort of breach or loss, right? Sort of. You can set yourself apart by showing off your specializations and using specific, measurable accomplishments, especially for soft skills. Don't just say you have "great communication skills" — give a concrete example, like the time you influenced management to make a change in company processes.

This is one of the best tips for getting a job with no experience, too. Even if you're entry-level and haven't chosen a specialization yet, you should still highlight some specific things you have studied or accomplished that you're interested in or that are related to the position you're applying for. Even entry-level candidates can find things to brag about — thoughtfully. Don't be arrogant. This industry changes quickly, and you never know what you don't know.

Mistake 4: Highlighting the Wrong Things

When you're highlighting your impressive accomplishments, make sure you're highlighting the right ones. Employers are going to be most interested in the skills that relate specifically to the job posting; anything else will be extra. In other words, target, target, target. Think about how you can add value to the company, and tailor your application to the position and the industry. While cybersecurity is generally thought of as the same across industries, adding some terms that indicate your knowledge of a specific industry is still a great job-hunting strategy.

Finally, don't simply list your everyday tasks or skills that most of your competitors will have (e.g., Microsoft Word). Think big: What have you done that no one thought could be done? What was the hardest thing you've ever done? Don't forget about soft skills. Knowledge of technology is great, but if you can't communicate what you know, what's the point? Especially in advanced cybersecurity jobs, you'll be dealing with executives and presentations, and you need to prove you can succeed in these situations.

These do's and don'ts for job applications could apply to any industry, but they are especially important in the always-competitive, and fast-moving field of cybersecurity. Now that you know what to do when you're filling out a cybersecurity job application — and what not to do — it's time to get started!