Hiring tips for early-career cybersecurity roles

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Use a Clear Job Title

Employers sometimes create a unique job title for positions they want to fill, including early-career roles. However, those job titles may not accurately convey where the job fits on the employer’s organizational chart.

Clear job titles help everyone understand what the position is and where it fits in the organization’s HR hierarchy. Job seekers entering the cybersecurity job market can quickly identify which roles are right for them and which are for more experienced candidates.

The full job posting then provides the role’s responsibilities and required qualifications, such as education and experience, such as internships or co-op experiences.

Include O*NET job codes

Employers can use the table on this page to identify the appropriate job title for roles they’re seeking to fill. The job codes in the table are from O*NET OnLine (opens in a new tab), which offers detailed descriptions of the world of work for use by job seekers, workforce development and HR professionals, students and more.

Where Do O*NET Codes Come From?

O*NET is a national resource that provides information about different occupations, including the skills, knowledge, experience, and responsibilities associated with each role.

O*NET codes are based on the federal Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system, which organizes occupations by the type of work performed. O*NET builds on this system by providing more detailed information about what each occupation involves.

Standardized Job Titles

Job Description Checklist

Follow these steps for creating a clear, effective job posting that makes the hiring process more efficient for both employers and job seekers.

• Use a standardized job title (e.g., “SOC Analyst I”). Don’t create highly specific titles. Avoid overly specific, creative or organization-specific titles that job seekers may not recognize.
• Include the O*NET-SOC job title and code in the job posting. This reference helps candidates understand the type of cybersecurity work the position involves, even when employers use different job titles.
  Note: The NICE work role or role ID do not apply to feeder roles.
• Describe the job’s actual tasks and responsibilities. Don’t rely on the job title alone. Cybersecurity titles vary significantly between employers, so it’s important to clearly list what your company expects the person to do.
• Focus on demonstrated competencies and transferable experience for the role rather than rigid requirements for degrees, certifications or years of experience.
• Identify relevant feeder roles (such as Help Desk, IT support, systems administrator, or network administrator, business analyst), so candidates with related experience understand they may be qualified to apply.
• Map the job posting to the appropriate Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code, when applicable. Use the SOC for classifying occupations and analyzing the labor market, but don’t use it in place of a clear job title or NICE Work Role.
• Separate required qualifications from preferred qualifications. Only list a qualification as “required” if a candidate truly needs it to do the job from their first day. Put credentials, certifications, tools or experience that can be learned once hired under “preferred qualifications.”

See sample job postings on this page: