IT Security Experience and New Technologies

Jeff Snyder says the value of the length of an IT security pro's career and the impact of whether or not he or she has often changed jobs all depends on who is doing the recruiting.

Mikhael:  Is a year too few or 30 years too much experience?  Is there a range that is the sweet spot?  For candidates with too few or too many years, what are some suggestions to improve their position.

Jeff:

• The answer to your question is completely dependent upon the position that needs to be filled.  General recruiters may be called on to fill positions that require 1-5 or maybe 1-10 years of experience.
• Executive level recruiters are more commonly called on to fill positions that require 10-20 or 20+ years of experience.
• There is no right or wrong answer to this question.  The answer depends on the circumstances of the job to be filled.

Mikhael:  Job hopping.  In Silicon Valley it isn’t unusual for people to switch jobs every one to two years. That, however, is not an industry norm.  What is a reasonable number of years for tenure at a position?  Is there a number that’s too long (i.e. 20 years).

Jeff:

• On the East and West coasts, technology professionals tend to change jobs more frequently than technology professionals in the Midwest.
• Employers that post jobs and do not use search firms tend to be more lenient when it comes to hiring technology professionals who have changed jobs “too frequently.” 
• Employers that are paying a search fee to hire a technology professional tend to not want to see candidates who have changed jobs “too frequently.”  They want to know that if they make an investment in a candidate by paying a search fee, they’re going to have the services of the candidate long enough to get solid return on investment.
• One hiring manager’s idea of what “too frequently” means is likely to be different than the next hiring manager.  This is a tough question.
• On the other end of the spectrum, one can stay with a company “too long”.  A Human Resources Director once told me that when he interviews someone who has been with a company for 10-20 or more years, he appreciates the tenure and dedication.  At the same time, he wants to understand how the candidate progressed during their tenure.  Doing the same job for 20 straight years is not attractive to another employer but having multiple responsibilities and showing evidence of progression over 20 years is very attractive to employers. 

Mikhael:  What impact has Cloud, Mobile, Wireless and Social technologies had on information security recruiting?

Jeff:

• I’ve seen much written about these topics but I’ve only had a couple of searches on my desk that have required me to deliver people who have had Cloud, Mobile or Wireless experience in their past.