Security engineers are in high demand in recent years, and the number of projects is increasing. Due to high demand, there are many projects with high unit prices, and if you have the skills to be active as a security engineer, you can be active in various places.
However, to be active as a security engineer, it is important to know how to efficiently search for jobs and projects using job websites. This time, I will introduce you to how to search for jobs and projects and the services you use to acquire high-priced projects as a security engineer.
Appeal point at interview
If you want to get a high-priced project as a security engineer, it is important to prove that you are highly skilled during the interview. I will introduce what kind of parts you should specifically appeal to.
Specialty
First of all, let’s appeal to your specialty as a security engineer. Security engineers are often referred to collectively, but in reality, there are security engineers with specialized skills in each field.
There are differences in the classification of security engineers depending on the person, but for example, it would be good to emphasize the areas of expertise from the following perspectives.
- Infrastructure
- Security
- Network
- Back end
As can be seen from the above perspective, security measures must be implemented at various layers. Each person is good at different layers, so it is important to appeal to your area of expertise. This is an important point because if your area of expertise and the area your client wants is different, you will not be able to demonstrate your performance.
Also, during the interview, you can ask what kind of security engineer the client is looking for, rather than just highlighting your area of expertise. Again, security engineers have a finer-grained classification, so it should be exactly what the client is asking for.
Preferred language/framework
Some security engineers work with applications. Such people need to understand programming languages, so let’s appeal to which programming language they are good at. Also, depending on the programming language, some assume the use of a framework, so let’s appeal to this as well.
Security measures differ depending on the programming language. Because the design philosophy is different for each programming language, what security engineers should do is also different. If you do not search for jobs and projects based on this point, you may be assigned to projects that are difficult to work on due to mismatches.
In most cases, frameworks have vulnerability countermeasures, etc., but some companies may not use frameworks with countermeasures. In preparation for such times, it is also recommended to understand the security measures of the framework that can be handled.
Career/Achievements
Freelance engineers tend to be very important to what kind of experience they have had, career and achievements. It is important when working as a company employee, but it is even more important when working as a freelancer. Organize your career by creating a portfolio.
As a security engineer, what I would like to specifically show is the scale of the projects I have participated in and the development environment. I would also like to mention his experience as a security engineer in each project. If you are active as a security engineer, it would be ideal if you could explain specifically what you did.
If you do not consider this point when searching, you may not be able to apply for the job or project you find. It is an important point whether you can meet the conditions because there are things such as “having experience in ○○” and “more than ○ years of work experience”.
Experience in charge of upstream processes
If you have experience in being in charge of upstream processes such as requirements definition, let’s appeal to them as well. Security engineers are often involved in downstream processes, and some people do not appeal to them because they have little experience in upstream processes, but if they have even a little experience in upstream processes, it will be a sufficient appeal point.
Depending on the situation, security issues can be embedded upstream. By proceeding with the basic design without sufficient consideration, the system will be developed with risks. Security engineers can provide support to prevent such situations, so experience in upstream processes is emphasized.
Also, depending on the project, the security perspective is omitted at the stage of requirements definition in the first place. In such a situation, there is a security risk, so we can also think of ways to find security engineers who can meet the demand for support in the upstream process.
Past struggles and solutions
Let’s appeal not only to what you worked on as a security engineer but also to what you struggled with as an engineer and how you solved it. This will help determine whether you have problem-solving skills as an engineer.
Working as an engineer is a constant stream of problems, so clients focus on how you solve them. Let’s think that you are being watched whether you are trying to run away from the problem or whether you can solve the problem yourself.
Note that the solutions do not necessarily have to be smart. Ideally, you should be open and honest about your solution, as sometimes it can be solved in a gritty way.
Team development experience
You should appeal whether you have experience developing in a team, the number of people at that time, and the scale of development. Both small-scale and large-scale development have their characteristics, so it’s a good idea to specifically appeal to your experience.
It is not possible to generalize what kind of development experience a security engineer should have. Depending on the size of the project, what is required of him as a security engineer varies, so he doesn’t always have the experience that clients are looking for.
But be prepared to clearly explain your role within the team, as they may be asked about it. For example, “I repeated tests as a role to find vulnerabilities” and “I participated in the designer’s review to avoid security risks at the design stage”.
Consciousness when working on a project
Let’s appeal to what kind of awareness you had when you proceeded with the project. For example, “I was conscious of reading the design document many times because bugs were embedded due to my assumptions”, and “Because the project was a small number of people, I made it a mutual review among engineers”.
If you’ve never worked as a security engineer before, pick up the security-related parts. Since we are looking for a security engineer job this time, it should be considered that security awareness is being questioned.
However, you can’t see the other person’s thoughts unless you go to the interview, so be careful about how the other person perceives what you appealed to.
Advantageous qualifications for security engineers
Security engineers are a profession where ability and achievements are important, but if you have qualifications, it will be an appealing point of plus alpha. Since there are many security-related qualifications, we will pick up and introduce the qualifications that security engineers can efficiently prove their skills.
Information Processing Security Supporter Examination
In Japan, the Information Processing Safety Assurance Assistant Examination is recognized as a security-related qualification. It is a national qualification provided by the Information-technology Promotion Agency, and it is attractive that it is highly recognized and safe because it is a nationally recognized qualification. In some cases, this qualification is required.
Since it is a national qualification, it does not depend on a specific product, and a wide range of specialized knowledge about cybersecurity is required. Skills are required not only for system design and development but also for the processes before and after system development, such as planning and operation.
In addition to being on-site as a security engineer, you will also be required to have the skills to evaluate the results of security measures. Since the security engineer also has a role as a reviewer, let’s think of the exam as including that part.
CompTIA Security+
CompTIA Security+ is a global certification that validates your security credentials. The above information processing security support specialist exam is a qualification in Japan, but CompTIA Security+ is a global qualification, so it can be used overseas as well. Even in Japan, if you are a foreign-affiliated company, this is more well-known, so if you are looking for a foreign-affiliated company, there is no loss in acquiring it.
CompTIA offers multiple security certifications, among which it is classified as entry-level. However, a wide range of basic security knowledge is tested, and applied questions are also asked. As such, it may be difficult for inexperienced security engineers to pass.
3 Job Sites for Security Engineers
For security engineers to efficiently acquire projects with high unit prices, we will pick up and introduce what kind of services should be used specifically.
Recruitment agent
As it is a particularly famous job site in Japan, there are a large number of security engineer-related job openings. Considering that there are undisclosed job openings that are not published, you can think that there are many options far.
If there are many job options, it will be easier to find jobs and projects that make use of your skills as a security engineer. Since security engineers have specialized fields, they cannot be active unless they match what the client is looking for. If you look for a job on a site with a large number of job openings, such as Recruit Agent, it is recommended that you make it easier to use your skills.
Doda agent service
As with Recruit Agent, a large amount of information related to security engineers is published on major recruitment sites in Japan. Some aspects are not as good as recruiting agents, but it is recommended because it allows you to search with many options.
Since it is an agent, basically it is not a method of searching by yourself, but a method of being introduced by an agent. However, since there is also a function to apply for a job yourself, it is also possible to actively search for a job yourself. It is a recommended job site because you can use either method according to your policy.
Levitch Freelance
If you want to work as a freelance security engineer, Levatech Freelance is an option. This is also a recruitment site with a large number of projects for freelancers, and it is possible to find a way to make use of your skills.
However, even freelance projects deal with high unit prices, so it may be difficult for engineers who do not have sufficient skills to be active. You should self-analyze how much skill you have and decide whether to use it based on the results. However, there is also support from experts, so even if you have some concerns, let’s consult first.
Summary
We have explained how security engineers can efficiently find jobs and projects. Security engineers have specialized fields, so do a self-analysis, find a job that can make use of the analysis results, and appeal in interviews.
Security engineers are valued for their skills, but it is also important to have qualifications. In addition to objectively demonstrating your skills, you can also demonstrate your commitment to self-development, so aim to acquire qualifications such as the two qualifications introduced above.
