Current market conditions make it difficult to make a job switch. There are fewer open positions than in previous years, and hiring managers and internal teams take time to navigate this unique talent market.
Here are tips from IANS and Artico Search to help CISOs and security leadership improve their current compensation and position themselves strongly for new opportunities.
Vocalize the risk to the security posture of underpaying staff
A security executive is inherently a risk executive. Vocalizing the increased challenges in a leaning out of staff, or an over-extended staff, comes with risk. In an increasingly complex threat environment, CISOs should articulate ROI for security budgets, particularly as it relates to people and succession-planning.
Elevate Your Personal Brand
To do this, CISOs should optimize their LinkedIn profiles with compelling narratives of skills, experiences and achievements and engage in speaking engagements to showcase their personal story, their unique background and expertise. CISOs should identify areas where they are particularly strong to become an established expert on those industry topics.
Diversify Your Internal and External Network
Within their organizations, CISOs should actively seek opportunities to collaborate with colleagues on the business side. Specifically, make connections in legal, privacy and risk teams, as links between security and those groups are only increasing. Beyond that, they should diversify their network with professionals from different industries, backgrounds and regions.
Round Out Your CISO Skillset
Increasingly, companies look for CISOs with strong business acumen skills, including financial literacy and a solid understanding of the corporate strategy, competitive differentiation, the product portfolio and customer experiences offered by the company. CISOs who score lower in these areas should work on skill building.
Build an Executive Presence
Two-thirds of top-25% CISOs present to their board at least quarterly. To be effective in the board room requires strong executive presence—a set of soft skills that CISOs can learn and train in an executive development program, typically paid for by employers.
Access In-Depth Budget, Career and Comp Insights - Take the 2024-2025 CISO Compensation and Budget Survey
Want more career development tips?
Make data-driven decisions around your security project budget, compensation and your career development to meet the needs of your organization. Be the first to receive real time compensation and career data. Join hundreds of your fellow CISOs and InfoSec peers across the U.S. and Canada and take this year’s benchmark survey:
Take the Survey: CISO Compensation and Budget Benchmark Survey
As a participant, in our survey you’ll be the first to receive a series of in-depth reports featuring current data sets, takeaways, and market-based insights to help you fine-tune your current role, security budget, function, and career path.
Although reasonable efforts will be made to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the information contained in our blog posts, no liability can be accepted by IANS or our Faculty members for the results of any actions taken by individuals or firms in connection with such information, opinions, or advice.