Many of us who are studying and interested in cybersecurity, share the same concern. It is easy to find information regarding hacking and other cybersecurity topics. It is made easy to learn the subjects and become good at what you do. But how do you get a job in this field? There are several ways, but one key point is to be extremely interested in cybersecurity and start networking with people.

Who am I?

My name is Lari Harjunen and I started my cybersecurity studies in August 2019. I had some background in the subject and good knowledge of IT in general. I planned to finish my university studies and then apply for a job. Luckily, I did not have to wait that long. Previously I have been working in several companies. They were not related to IT or cybersecurity so the past work you have done should not matter. What matters is the attitude.

My experience at Oivan

Oivan is a multinational company that believes in young talent and through their training hope to gain successful cybersecurity personnel. My journey to being a part of Oivan Group started from an OWASP meeting in Helsinki that I did not even attend. It was a good friend of mine who happened to join the meeting and during the meeting, she started talking with the Head of Cybersecurity of Oivan. Although eventually, my friend did not take this trainee position, she has referred to me and this was the perfect time for me to introduce myself. With my friend’s blessing, I contacted the same person as she did and applied for the position as a trainee. For a few months through assignments, I proved my interest in the field and company and was enlisted as a cybersecurity trainee in the company.

I worked in the company and learned a lot about cybersecurity during the initial 4 months as a trainee, and up until the point when we decided to continue my agreement. Thus, now I am working as a Cybersecurity Enthusiast in the company full-time. This work goes alongside my studies and both parties benefit from each other. During the months that I have been working for Oivan, I have participated in several security assessments for clients and I learned and worked with system administration, also I took part in the security and other cybersecurity-related tasks. I fully encourage anyone with a passion for cybersecurity, to apply to Oivan or any other good security company.

My advice to find a dream career in the world of cybersecurity  

I had some help from the team to start to get a foothold in this company, but who says you could not? My advice is to stay active, attend different cybersecurity happenings like OWASP, HelSec and just be nice to others and try to bond with different people who are somewhat connected to other people. Through the connections and active engagement, you will surely find a company to work in. And as we know, at least in Finland it seems that companies often ask for many things and this can become overwhelming, but just try to stay positive and apply for the positions. It is the enthusiasm that counts. I am not an expert in this field yet, but I am becoming one with the help of my colleagues at Oivan. This is just the start of an exciting new career. You make the decision to become the next cybersecurity expert.