I took my CISSP in 2016. It was nerve-wracking for me because I’m not particularly eager to sit down for exams. I learned about the CISSP certification and how hard it was to get when I was about 17 years old. Getting my CISSP certification became a dream that I had to work hard to achieve. After finishing my bachelor’s in Information Systems, I got my master’s degree in Computer Technology and Internet Security and acquired several years of on-the-job experience. I decided it was ready for me to prepare for the exam, and to my surprise, I passed on my first attempt. I read books and material for one or two hours a day for a year or so. I feel that my job experience and my practical skills contributed a lot to my success during the exam.
After a few months of receiving my certificate, I started to look for new opportunities. During the job search, I received numerous positive responses on my job applications, and the salaries were higher. The number of companies sending me offers was very high, and I could essentially pick and choose where I wanted to work. When I took the exam, I worked for a Cloud company, and I left that job to take a position as a security manager in NYC that offered me 50K more than what I was making plus substanially better benefits/PTO overall. Getting a salary increase when switching jobs and having having so may options to choose from is a nice perk. Smart employers will understand the value that this cert has to the organization.
Those who want to study and get the CISSP certification and wonder if the time spent is worth it, I can guarantee that you will not regret it. The CISSP certification will provide you with a salary increase and give you a significant number of job opportunities that you will be able to apply for. Last but not least you will be a contributor to help improve the Cyber Security for organizations all over the world!