Becoming A CISO

Summary

This video emphasizes the importance of transitioning from a technical security engineer to a strategic CISO role. It advises professionals to focus on their leadership and business acumen rather than technical skills in their CV and interviews. Key strategies include aligning your CV with strategic experience, speaking the language of executives, understanding company financials, and showing strong conviction in your new CISO identity. By adopting this mindset and approach, individuals can enhance their chances of securing a CISO role and advancing in their careers.

Takeaways

• 😀 Your CV should highlight strategic experience (20%) rather than technical skills (80%) when transitioning to a CISO role.
• 😀 If you’ve performed strategic work even once, include it on your CV as it adds value and shows you’ve been in leadership situations.
• 😀 The main purpose of your CV is to get you an interview, not to secure the job. HR uses it to decide who to exclude based on fit for the CISO role.
• 😀 Avoid listing technical skills or certifications on your CV if you're aiming for a CISO position. These scream 'security engineer,' not 'business leader.'
• 😀 To succeed in a CISO interview, focus on business language—revenue, growth, profitability—rather than talking about technical security details.
• 😀 Research the company's financials, growth, and profitability before the interview. Use these details in your answers to demonstrate business acumen.
• 😀 During an interview, fit company revenue and growth into your responses to show you're thinking in terms of the company’s bottom line, not just security.
• 😀 CISO candidates must exhibit strong leadership, business communication skills, and the ability to integrate with executive teams, not just technical expertise.
• 😀 Your mindset is key to your success. You must believe you are a CISO before you can convincingly present yourself as one to others.
• 😀 When redesigning your CV for a CISO role, remove all technical jargon and certifications, and focus on strategic leadership, governance, and risk management.

Q & A

Why is it important to focus on the 20% of strategic work when transitioning to a CISO role?

Focusing on the 20% of strategic work is essential because it aligns your experience with the CISO role, which is more about leadership, business acumen, and strategic thinking than technical skills. The 80% technical focus that security engineers have can be limiting when pursuing a CISO position.

What is the primary purpose of a CV when applying for a CISO role?

The primary purpose of a CV is to get an interview. It should highlight your strategic and business-oriented experience, not your technical skills. HR uses it to determine whether to exclude or consider you for the position, and a CV that screams 'security engineer' can lead to immediate exclusion.

What mistakes do people often make when drafting their CV for a CISO position?

One common mistake is including too many technical skills or certifications on the CV, such as 'firewall configuration' or 'forensic investigation.' This portrays the candidate as a security engineer rather than a strategic leader and can reduce the chances of getting noticed for a CISO role.

What does the speaker suggest about the role of technical expertise for a CISO?

The speaker emphasizes that while technical expertise is important, it should not dominate the CISO role. A CISO must be able to communicate effectively with the executive team, speak the language of business, and focus on strategy, not just technical security details.

How should a CISO candidate approach an interview?

A CISO candidate should approach an interview with confidence in their strategic business knowledge. They should avoid technical discussions and instead focus on the company’s revenue, growth, and profitability. Understanding the business and showing how security strategies align with those goals is crucial.

Why is it important to understand a company's revenue and growth during an interview?

Understanding the company's revenue, growth, and profitability allows the candidate to speak business and align security strategies with organizational goals. It demonstrates to the interviewers that the candidate is thinking beyond technical security and is ready to contribute to the business's success.

What does the speaker mean by the phrase 'you are a CISO until you have the conviction with zero doubt'?

This means that in order to transition into the CISO role successfully, you must fully believe in yourself as a leader in the field. If you don't have complete conviction that you are a CISO, your CV and interview performance will not reflect that confidence, making it difficult to succeed.

What strategy should candidates use when reworking their CV for a CISO role?

Candidates should start from scratch when rewriting their CV, focusing on the strategic aspects of their experience. They should remove all technical jargon and certifications and instead highlight any business-focused or leadership work they’ve done, such as working with executives or contributing to company growth.

How does presenting yourself as a CISO in an interview differ from being a security engineer?

Presenting yourself as a CISO in an interview means focusing on business, strategy, and leadership rather than technical details. A security engineer may talk about technical solutions, but a CISO talks about how those solutions align with business goals, improving revenue, and driving company success.

What is the key takeaway for anyone wanting to become a CISO, according to the speaker?

The key takeaway is that to become a CISO, you must fully embrace the role and believe in your ability to lead at a strategic level. Your CV should reflect this shift, and in interviews, you must speak business, not tech. Align your actions, mindset, and communications to the role of a CISO to make a successful transition.