Cybersecurity is a rapidly growing field with many high-paying and rewarding career opportunities, yet it often remains less known to the general public compared to other STEM careers. While awareness of cybersecurity threats is increasing, understanding of the diverse roles within the profession is still lacking. It is important to promote cybersecurity careers to help fill the vast talent shortage facing the industry. Here are some effective strategies that organizations and educators can use to raise meaningful public awareness about cybersecurity career paths on a large scale.

Partner with local schools and universities. Developing cybersecurity curriculum and internship programs at the K-12 and college level is pivotal for inspiring and exposing young students to the field early on. Organizations can volunteer to give guest lectures, lead hackathons or coding clubs, and serve as judges for cyber competitions. They can also sponsor cyber camps, provide student scholarships and grants, and help develop curriculum. Partnering directly with educational institutions allows tapping into a large student audience and influencing career guidance.

Launch multimedia marketing campaigns. Well-developed marketing campaigns utilizing various traditional and new media platforms can significantly help normalize and promote cybersecurity as a viable career option. Television, radio, print, online, and social media ads portraying real professionals in diverse cyber roles and showcasing the rewarding elements of the work can capture widespread interest. Short informational videos shared on technology news sites and career platforms provide easily digestible overviews of the career landscape.

Host community workshops and talks. Interactive seminars, workshops and talks held in libraries, community colleges, and other public spaces help demystify cybersecurity career paths for those beyond traditional students. Presenting real-world applications, necessary skills and non-technical career paths can inspire more diverse demographics. Partnering with organizations already plugged into local communities makes workshops more accessible. Offering continuing education credits encourages participation.

Partner with employment services. Working with state and local workforce development boards, career centers, temp agencies, and career fairs expands the reach into demographics often outside traditional recruiting pipelines. Providing materials, hosting informational sessions, and participating in job seeker workshops introduces cybersecurity options to those looking to transition careers or gain new skills. Having career counselors knowledgeable about the field helps with matches.

Leverage professional associations. Partnering with groups like (ISC)2, ISACA, ISSA, etc. provides access to their large professional memberships and events infrastructure. Associations can help develop public seminars, distribute awareness materials, publish articles highlighting career paths less traced, and promote cyber competitions. Their credibility and diversity of members serving as ambassadors inspire more interest across demographics. Joint marketing efforts significantly multiply outreach.

Highlight stories of diverse professionals. Prominently featuring profiles of cybersecurity practitioners from various backgrounds, especially those traditionally underrepresented, on websites and profiles humanizes the field and shows opportunities are open to all. Stories of women, minorities and veterans in roles like forensics, governance, risk, and programming inspire by proving diverse career paths exist. Interview-style articles highlighting motivations and experiences making an impact makes careers more relatable and desirable.

Partner with media. Proactively pitching compelling career profiles and news angles about threats and how various professionals address them to local and regional media outlets expands awareness. Television, radio, and newspaper partnerships provide cost-effective promotion to large audiences and normalize coverage of the field beyond just threats. Developing ongoing relationships with journalists allows for regular promotion of open roles, events and new programs through reputable channels.

leverage employer brand. For companies already in the field, promoting their unique and fulfilling employer brand strengthens attraction. Highlighting competitive compensation and benefits, development opportunities, work-life balance philosophies, and talent programs inspires those interested in making societal impacts. Involving employees as advocates and hosting experiential events like site tours, “lunch and learns” and career fairs deepens engagement. Telling the emotional story behind the mission-driven work cultivates passion for the profession and specific employers.

While cybersecurity awareness is growing, these broad approaches can help shape perceptions of diverse and fulfilling careers available across the expanding landscape. Partnering across all stakeholder groups amplifies outreach and makes cybersecurity a respected and desired career choice for generations to come. A coordinated promotion of opportunities and stories demonstrating cybersecurity’s role in protecting individuals, businesses and nations can help address the urgent skills gap facing both companies and governments.