RECRUITING FOR CYBERSECURITY AND DIGITAL TRUST

Marketing your organization and opportunities to students is a critical step in any recruiting process. Below are some suggestions for increasing your visibility among Ohio State’s talented students and creating a successful recruitment plan at the university.

CREATE YOUR JOB POSTING

Create a job posting that entices students. Students and recent graduates respond more often to job descriptions that are direct and transparent, so be detailed and specific. Avoid unclear language, and spell out acronyms. Consider using Textio.com to analyze and optimize your job description to get students’ attentions.

Include these types of information:

Who You Are:

• Brief overview of your organization, with differentiating points such as company culture, flexible work schedule, multiple locations.
• Type of position being filled: seasonal or permanent, full- or part-time, paid or unpaid, type of shift
• Goals and expected outcomes for the position, and an outline of the position’s daily duties and responsibilities
• Work environment – individual or group – specifically of the team hiring for the position
• Location, amount of travel required, and housing (if any provided)

Who You’re Seeking:

• Don’t confuse general IT skills (e.g. Networking, Helpdesk) with specific Cybersecurity/Trust skills (e.g. Digital Protection, Incident Response, Privacy, etc.).  “Cyber” is not “Cybersecurity”.
• Required vs. preferred skills and qualifications. 
• Focus on the core requirements of the job – don’t over-specify.
• Look for foundational (e.g. Networking, Software Development) and professional (e.g. communications, teamwork) skills first, and prepare to train cyber skills on the job.
• Focus on required skills/knowledge, not titles or certifications.  Consider using https://niccs.us-cert.gov/workforce-development/cyber-career-pathways to identify the appropriate tasks, knowledge and skills.
• Types of majors and degrees; be inclusive as possible here.  Any major can have students with the skills and interests you’re looking for.
• Visa and work permit requirements; do you accept OPT or CPT students (see guide below)?

How To Apply:

• Our students utilize Handshake.osu.edu, so we ask you post the position on the Handshake platform. You may also include links to your website, application site, etc. Be sure to provide links to important information about the opportunity so students can easily access it.
• Process for applying and desired materials, e.g., resume, cover letter, portfolio, etc.

REACH YOUR IDEAL CANDIDATES

Consider your target audience and the size of the net you cast. Students with cybersecurity and trust skills can be found in a variety of majors including computer science, data analytics, international studies, policy, ethics, psychology, law, etc. If your ideal candidates can hail from various backgrounds, it may be good to reach out to several college career services offices as well as Buckeye Careers to access the widest audience possible. Consider carefully whether to indicate undergraduate vs. graduate majors or a specific rank, as doing so may exclude students with skills you want.

Distinguish the Role. 

Instead of “Cybersecurity position”: consider alternatives such as:

• Security Engineer
• Security Analyst
• Policy and Governance
• Training and Awareness
• Assessments
• Scientist
• Defender (Blue Team)
• Ethical Hacker (Red Team)

Plan to post summer positions in the fall.

Students are most active with job or internship searches during autumn and spring semesters, and top companies recruit for summer positions in the fall. During the summer, students are often away participating in study abroad, working at summer internships, etc. When creating your university recruiting strategy, keep this timeframe in mind to be most competitive for top students.

Be patient.

It can take up to 48 business hours for your position to be reviewed and approved by career services staff. Once approved, it can take another few days for students to see the post and start applying.

Leverage Ohio State’s network of student organizations.

This can be particularly useful if you are seeking a specific skillset or experience. At Ohio State, cybersecurity student organizations are dedicated to cybersecurity and diversity and regularly post information on internships, jobs, and part-time work to their network of undergraduate and graduate members. Information on student organizations can be found at icdt.osu.edu and https://activities.osu.edu/involvement/student_organizations/find_a_student_org/.

Follow Equitable Hiring Practices.

Post your resume in Handshake for all to see – use keywords to focus on specific skills or interests.  Once you have received your pool of resumes, you may ask your OSU career contacts who they may recommend.

GET INVOLVED

Developing relationships with students is key to promoting your brand and the opportunities it offers.  Get involved in career development, even if you do not have current job openings.  Contact icdt.osu.edu for opportunities.

• Serve on an employer panel
• Participate in mock interviews
• Conduct resume reviews
• Attend career and internship fairs https://careers.osu.edu/employers/career-fairs
• Speak at ICDT events
• Engage with student events such as the Hackathon (hack.osu.edu) or Capture The Flag (CTFs:https://ctf.osucyber.club/)

Utilize Ohio State resources for conducting interviews. On-campus interviews are an easy, accessible way to find student talent. Ohio State offers a wide range of on-campus resources to employers.