Cybersecurity Interviews - Interview the Interviewer

Tech interview - created with NightCafe Studio

Interviewing for a job in cybersecurity can be a stressful. It may be even more nerve wracking if the interview is for a job that would be a first job in cybersecurity, or the sort of role that would be a major step up. The whole process from an initial talk with a recruiter or hiring manager to the interview, or set of interviews, may also feel intimidating.

My experience in IT, sys admin, and cyber jobs covers over 20 years now. Of course that means I’ve gone through the whole interviewing process a whole lot over those years - including many times where I didn’t land the job. I feel grateful and fortunate that my success rate in getting roles I really wanted to get has improved over recent years.

So I’ll share a couple things here that have worked well for me in my pursuit of challenging and rewarding roles in cybersecurity, just in case they might help any of you who are in cyber job seeking or switching mode.

Mindset: We are interviewing the hiring company just as much as they are interviewing us. It’s easy to get caught up in thinking along the lines of “Do I have enough knowledge / experience to impress them?”, “Can I handle tough technical questions?”, “Can I make them like me?” and other ways of questioning or doubting ourselves. If we’re realistic in the roles we apply for then we can switch to a focus on all the things we bring to the table - all the ways we are a good fit for the role - and think along the lines of “the company will be lucky to have me in their team because …” as we prepare for the various interview stages.

Interview Questions: Take time to think on the things you want to ask the hiring company about as early in the process as you can. Knowing what those are might even be useful on the first contact call or exchange of messages with the recruiter or hiring manager, depending on how that first contact plays out. Here are a few questions that I like to ask in the first interview with the hiring company itself:

• What are some of the core technologies in use in the company’s environment, particularly the security tools?

• What does a “Day in the Life” of this job role look like? I preface this by saying I understand that unplanned for events happen and urgent requests from up high in the organization chart with little to zero notice happen, but on the days where those are not in play what does the day look like.

• How many people are in the team that I would be working in if I am hired? Who would I report to?

• Can you tell me about the team culture?

• Can you talk about support for work/life balance in the team and the organization?

Again, these are things that have worked for me, and a couple of those questions are especially important to me. Some of them might work well for you, others not at all, and some may not be as important to you. I think the key thing is do whatever helps you to get in your comfort zone during any job search period and job interview stages. And if your life, family, financial situation allows, adopt a “don’t settle” approach and interview the heck out of any company you are considering working with or for.