How to Get Into Cyber Security With No Experience: 5 Tips They Don’t Teach You in Courses

Career PathwaysSkills & TrainingIndustry InsightsPractical ExperienceCyber Rookie Updates
Written By Hyplon Security .

Illustration of professionals climbing steps with mentorship and support, symbolising cybersecurity career growth.

Everywhere you look, “entry-level” cyber jobs ask for years of experience. Seems crazy right!

You’ve done a course, maybe even earned a certification, but invitations to interviews and offers from employers never come.

Here’s what we at Cyber Rookie learnt from working in the industry: breaking into cyber security isn’t about ticking every box on a job post.

  1. Get a Certification That Signals Potential

Sounds familiar! Certifications don’t guarantee a cyber security job, but they do help you get noticed.

According to our research:

So, start with something employers recognise, like CompTIA Security+. Certifications could be the ticket that get you through the HR automated filtering platforms, but to be honest, they’re not a guarantee of getting a job.

2. Build Real Projects, Even Without a Job

Courses teach concepts and knowledge, but jobs require you to think and apply the concepts and knowledge to real world problems The team at Cyber Rookie know from completing our own university degrees that employers want proof of your understanding and ability to apply what you learned. Did you know that just like people that want to get into something like graphic design, you can build that proof on your own to get into the cyber security industry.

Ideas you can start today:

  • For those that want to get heavily into the technical side of cyber security, why not set up a home lab with free tools such as Wireshark. Here are two others that maybe of interest too - VirtualBox, Security Onion.

  • Volunteer to help a non-profit organisation with their security best practices.

  • Build a security awareness mini campaign by creating a short guide and share it with friends, family or even post on one of your social media accounts like how to avoid phishing scams.

  • Create a simple Incident Response Plan (IRP) for your own devices, a small “mock company'“ or for a real micro-sized business for free. When creating an IRP include who to contact, how to isolate affected systems, and steps to recovery. This will show employers you can think in processes, not just tools.

    Here are some weblinks to help get you started - NIST: Incident Response and NIST Incident Response: Framework and Key Recommendations. Hint. Don’t overcomplicate the IRP, think of it like a Fire Emergency Exit or Fire extinguisher Guide you see on walls, and search for examples on the net or get your AI friend to help you out.

3. Create a Portfolio That Proves Your Skills

Instead of just stating “I understand security”, show it:

A cybersecurity portfolio doesn’t need to be fancy. A simple GitHub repo, Notion page, or PDF will do. Include:

  • Lab walkthroughs with screenshots.

  • Show off that mini incident response plan and do a walk through on how you developed it.

  • Write-ups from competitions or capture-the-flags (CTF) events.

This transforms you from “just another resume” into someone who can demonstrate competence.

4. Develop the Soft Skills Employers Actually Want

To be upfront, technical skills and knowledge is just part of getting into cyber security. Yes, it will open doors, but soft skills are hugely important to getting hired. According to ISACA, 51% of employers say communication, problem-solving, and teamwork are the biggest gaps they see in candidates.

What this means in practice and from our experience in the industry:

  • Can you explain a risk to a non-technical manager in plain simple language?

  • Can you write a clear, concise report that a board member or a business executive could actually understand?

  • Can you work with IT and non-IT people without speaking “tech only”?

Cyber security is really a team sport, not working in a silo. If you can build trust, relationships, be part of a team to better the business, and translate compliance complexity into clarity, you will stand out, where smaller teams often rely on generalists who can wear multiple hats.

5. Set Realistic Expectations (and Find Mentorship)

Employers don’t expect you to know everything on day one as that is impossible and if they do they’re not the right employer for you!

  • 56% of hiring managers say it takes 4 to 8 months to train an entry-level hire to handle tasks independently. From our own Cyber Rookie teams experience we back this statistics up but would lean more towards 8 - 12 months in reality.

  • 91% of companies provide professional development (PD) to help junior staff grow, and again from our Cyber Rookie teams experience this is true. If a company doesn’t offer a PD allowance for you in their annual budget then they’re also not the right employer for you!

Translation: Companies will invest in you as long as you show them initiative.

Mentorship or structured programs can shorten this learning curve dramatically, and even attending cyber security networking events and conferences such as what ISACA offers. They help you avoid dead ends, polish your portfolio, and practice the real-world skills that certifications and courses don’t cover.

The Bottom Line

Cyber Security isn’t just about technology or technical skills, it’s much broader than what most believe or have been told. You don’t need years of experience to start.

That’s how you move from “no experience” to “job-ready” or to “changing careers'“ or to “upskilling in your current role”.

Where Cyber Rookie Comes In

Most courses stop at theory with a bit of lab work, but how do you meet employers expectation of proof.

The Cyber Rookie Experience Program helps you bridge that gap with real simulated projects, soft skills practice, and mentorship so you can show employers you’re job-ready.

Reach out to us if you want to have a career-focused chat or learn more about our Cyber Rookie Experience Program from people who are in the industry.

Hyplon Security .