With the current global cybersecurity talent shortage just over three million, and the cybersecurity job market continuing to grow (31% in the U.S. by 2029), opportunities are plentiful for anyone interested in a career in cybersecurity. In support of this week’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month theme, “Cybersecurity Career Awareness,” I had an opportunity to speak with Dave Stromberg, ThreatQuotient’s Talent Acquisition Manager. For those of you looking for a new opportunity in the dynamic field of cybersecurity, we hope you find Dave’s recommendations helpful and insightful.

Q. Let’s start with the obvious…what job opportunities does ThreatQuotient have available right now?

We have several opportunities right now. All of our job openings are listed on the ThreatQuotient website here, including new roles that we’ve recently added to almost every department in the organization due to our growth and expansion. We are looking for software engineers, product managers, federal sales managers, threat intelligence engineers, marketing professionals, and more. We have openings in the U.S., but currently also have positions available in the U.K. and France, specifically in customer success and threat intelligence engineering.

Q. What do you look for in candidates?

Ideally, we look for candidates with security industry experience, and interest in the field of threat intelligence or a desire for more experience with an enterprise-level SaaS cybersecurity product. Culture is also really important to us. So, along with the right technical aptitude, we also look for a good cultural fit in every part of the interview process. Our values include respect for employees, respect for shareholders, respect for customers, and the assumption of good will. A good culture fit, in combination with the aptitude and desire to excel, are key indicators that we have a good overall match.

Q. What advice do you have for candidates when they are interviewing? 

As you navigate the job market, look for a great fit for you. The process is as much about you interviewing the company, as the company interviewing you. Candidates should look into the employer, but you’d be surprised how many don’t. It’s essential to spend time understanding the company – not just the standard corporate background, job description, and who you would potentially be working with. Focus on understanding the company’s mission, what values they portray and if those align with your personal values, goals and growth trajectory. For the interview, be prepared to talk about why you applied and what specifically makes you interested in joining the company or taking on the role. Come armed with good questions that show you’ve done the research and are interested. 

Q. What makes ThreatQuotient a great place to work? 

First and foremost, what makes ThreatQuotient a great place to work are the people and the culture they create. This comes from the top and permeates the organization. Our leadership team has worked together at several companies before ThreatQuotient and they know how to create a great environment. Many of the employees here, including myself, have worked with them at prior companies so that says a lot. Together with that, is the value the leadership team places on employee engagement and happiness and the support they provide to that end. There are lots of mechanisms and touchpoints in place for recognition and acknowledgement by peers and managers – daily, weekly, quarterly and annually. As an example, every employee gets five “tacos” a day to hand out to other employees on Slack that they want to recognize for a job well done or want to thank for going above and beyond. With tacos, you can buy ThreatQuotient swag or even donate to Helping Rhinos, an international rhino charity that ThreatQuotient helps support. There’s a general acknowledgement that any company is only as good as its people, and when you have great people you need to show your appreciation. 

Q. What 3 things most distinguish ThreatQuotient from other cybersecurity companies? 

I’ll focus on three different areas:

1. Professional growth opportunity. A recent study put threat intelligence in the top five fastest growing cybersecurity skills over the next five years. Working at ThreatQuotient you have an opportunity to be in a hot market segment, hone your skills in an area that will be integral to the future of cybersecurity and put yourself on a career path with a great trajectory. Our team knows the industry, knows what it takes to be successful and can help mentor you as you continue to grow.
2. Innovation that drives customer value. We have long believed that data is the lifeblood of security operations, and that integration is key to sharing and understanding data to drive faster, better decisions and actions to mitigate risk. We have over 200 API integrations with top security products in the world, so we are agnostic about the technology. We provide customers a uniform way to look at their threat and event data and a centralized place for different teams to access the data they need to get their jobs done – detection, investigation, response, prevention, you name it. Being a “Swiss army knife” within the security industry, allows us to increase utility, efficiency and time to value for our customers. 
3. Proven leadership team. It’s rare to find a seasoned group of leaders that already have several successful companies under their belts. This helps them instill confidence in employees, customers, partners, analysts and investors. Our leadership team knows how to build a team of A-players and has experience developing a vision of where we need to go, devising winning strategies and executing to ensure we get there.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to add? 

Just briefly, I also want to mention that our internship program is a great success and an effective way to test the waters. Individuals get a chance to explore careers in cybersecurity and do real and meaningful work, and we have found many wonderful employees who have proven to be a great fit. Over the years many interns have gone on to join us on a full-time permanent basis in engineering, customer support, marketing, and sales. For readers interested in internships, contact info@threatq.com or check out www.threatq.com/careers. If you’re interested in learning more about job opportunities available at ThreatQuotient, click here. We look forward to hearing from you!