3 Reasons I’d Still Choose Cybersecurity If I Had to Start Over
Most beginners ask whether cybersecurity is too crowded. From the hiring side, I see the opposite problem: too few people with the right fundamentals and direction.
I became a Cybersecurity Manager at 26, and one of the reasons why I was able to achieve it is because I chose cybersecurity very early.
Even before I could have possibly known if it’s the right direction for me.
If you are considering cybersecurity right now, you might be asking yourself:
“Is it too late?”
“Is the field already too crowded?”
“Do I need to be deeply technical?”
“Which certification should I start with?”
Here is my honest answer after working in cybersecurity, earning a Master’s degree in the field, and sitting on both sides of the hiring table:
Cybersecurity is still one of the best career choices you can make.
But only if you stop learning randomly and choose the right path for your background.
The good news? I will help you with that!
1. The Demand Is Real - And the Bar Is Lower Than You Think
Everyone says cybersecurity has millions of unfilled jobs. You have probably seen that statistic so many times it stopped meaning anything.
So let me tell you what I actually see from the hiring side.
Cybersecurity is still a very new field.
Until a couple of years ago, most people only specialized in cybersecurity because someone forced them.
A company needed a security team and moved people across from IT. A developer got assigned to a security project. A compliance person ended up owning risk management by accident.
Very few people on the job market today started their career intentionally as a cybersecurity specialist.
And that changes everything.
For almost any cybersecurity role, it is genuinely difficult to find a candidate with even a minimum skill set. Not an expert. A minimum skill set.
The bar is not as high as the job postings make it look.
Many companies are willing to hire someone and train them. Senior cybersecurity professionals are either too expensive or simply impossible to find. Organizations would rather invest in someone with potential and foundational knowledge than leave a critical role empty for six months.
I have a Master’s degree in cybersecurity, and I am still telling you this.
Not because the degree does not matter. But because the field is so undersupplied, people with the right fundamentals and the right direction are genuinely competitive right now.
If you have the fundamentals, you are already ahead of most candidates applying for the same role.
Did this surprise you? Give me a like so I know I am not alone!
2. The Complexity Is the Point
Most cybersecurity content tries to reassure you that it is not as complicated as it looks.
I am going to tell you the opposite.
It is complex. And that is exactly why it is worth it.
The most important mindset shift you go through when you enter this field is realizing how broad it actually is.
Cybersecurity goes from physical security to software development. From network security to supply chain management. From technical vulnerability assessments to overall business risk management.
Every level of every company is affected by this field.
The person designing the office floor plan needs to think about tailgating attacks.
The developer writing the API needs to think about authentication.
The CFO approving the budget needs to understand what a ransomware attack would cost the business.
That breadth is not a burden. It is a career advantage.
It means you never stop learning. It means your knowledge stays relevant because the field keeps evolving. It means you can move between technical and business roles in a way that almost no other career allows.
Most fields reward specialists who go very deep in one direction.
Cybersecurity rewards people who understand how everything connects.
And once you see it that way, the complexity stops being intimidating.
It becomes the reason you chose this field in the first place.
3. There Is a Path for Every Background
When most people think about cybersecurity careers, they picture one thing.
Someone in a dark room finding vulnerabilities. A penetration tester. A hacker.
That is one path out of five.
And right now, from where I sit, the most underrated and fastest growing paths are GRC and privacy protection.
Here is why.
Everyone is talking about AI.
And yes, AI tools are transforming how security teams work. But the biggest actual increase in demand I am seeing is regulatory. The number of compliance requirements placed on companies from a cybersecurity perspective has grown dramatically. GDPR. NIS2. DORA. AI Act. The list keeps growing.
And AI has made privacy protection significantly harder than it used to be. Organizations are collecting more data. Processing it in more places. Sharing it with more vendors. Ensuring that data is handled correctly is now a genuinely complex operational challenge.
The budgets often do not reflect this yet. But the demand does.
And that gap creates opportunity for people who position themselves in this space now rather than in two years when everyone else catches up.
Here is the full picture of the five paths available to you:
The most important decision you make early in a cybersecurity career is not which certification to get.
It is the path that fits your background.
Get that right and everything else - certifications, skills, entry roles, timeline - becomes much clearer.
Which of the five paths resonates most with you? Comment below - I read every response.
Or better yet: take the free diagnostic and find out which path actually fits your background in just couple of minutes.
Where Should You Start?
I am not saying cybersecurity is for everyone. It is a demanding field, and if you’re not going to take it seriously, it won’t work.
However, if you are convinced cybersecurity is for you but unsure where to begin, Decoded Security is here to help!
Step 1: Find your path
First, I prepared a quiz to help you figure out which cybersecurity area suits you best. Based on your goals, your interests, and your background.
It will take you about 10 minutes, and as a bonus, you will get a personalized study plan that will help you get started. There is no sign-up, no email required.
You just click the button and take the quiz.
Step 2: Build your foundation
This is something I am really proud of. Over the years, I put together the top 10 Cybersecurity concepts that you need to know regardless of the area of cybersecurity you choose.
And to make it even better for you, I prepare countless quizzes and challenges for you, which can help you actually apply the concepts rather than just read them!
So, if you will read only one guide from Decoded Security, choose that one.
1200+ downloads, 5-star rating! Numbers that I am actually proud of! If this guide helped you too, let me know in the comments and help me share it to more people.
Step 3: Read the roadmap
And if you’ve already covered the basics and you have at least some idea what area of cybersecurity is interesting for you, it’s time for you to work on your goals!
The Roadmap page tells you how to use the Decoded Security resources and what the whole environment offers.
Articles, community, and, of course, training for specific certification exams.
Final Thought
If I had to start over, I would choose cybersecurity again.
Not because it is easy.
Not because jobs magically appear after one certification.
And not because every beginner should follow the same path.
I would choose it again because the field is still growing, the demand is real, and there are more ways to build a cybersecurity career than most beginners realize.
The opportunity is real.
The only thing that separates the people who break in from the people who stay stuck is having a clear starting point.
This is yours, and I am here to help you start your career!
Talk to you soon,
Erich
Decoded Security!
💬 Which of the three reasons resonates most with you? Comment below - I read every response.
Let’s Connect
If you want to collaborate, discuss, or just geek out over networking and cybersecurity, reach out:
Email: erich.winkler@decodedsecurity.com
LinkedIn: Erich Winkler
Gumroad community: Decoded Security
Start Here: Decoded Security Roadmap
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