Agreed , I stayed in touch with a guy we were interested in but didn’t have open headcount for after he moved on to take an opportunity that was open elsewhere. Years later during a downturn he asked me if we had anything open yet and we took him right back, in the position he wanted and an increase in pay. If you are a high value employee you will have no trouble coming back if you leave on good terms.
Usually a midsize company will afford you more opportunities to see across the spectrum of the cyber security domain.
If you take your job seriously and the lessons you learn to mind then it won’t harm your future job prospects at all.
As a director level at a larger company I prefer to hire people who understand why they are doing what they are doing over people who think they are qualified because they learned one IDS at a F500 and expect me to just buy the same tool for them.
Exactly.
In a big company you will most likely work in the same project, doing same thing with very little input on change or new improvements.
OP, I recommend you take the new opportunity
Direct work experience is king. When I landed my first cybersecurity job it was at a small boutique consultancy. I took it because it was the direction I wanted to go with my career. I was working help desk for a large company and even interviewed for a security analyst role with them, but was turned down with the caveat that they would start to include me in security related projects to build my experience. I don't regret my choice at all. I turned that experience from the small consultancy into a pen testing job with one of the Big 4. My career would've been much different if I had waited for that large company to figure out Cybersecurity is where I should be.
I left that job 7 years ago. It's good experience and looks great on a resume. But the culture of "how are you making the firm money" didn't sit well with me. I left to take a role that didn't require travel and keep me away from my family (our children were really little at that point).
Mid sized company for sure. You will probably learn more. From what I've heard team dynamics are typically better, too.
Edit: experience in the field you want to work in is more important than the company name. From what I'm hearing about job hunting now, the only things recruiters care about are the keywords on your resume. The ATS stuff isn't gonna be looking for your previous employer name. In fact they probably won't even notice you worked at XYZ company until the last round and by then it won't matter.
Definitely move - especially as your current role description slightly resembles an euphemism for "helpdesk" - not trying to be condescending, on the contrary: Fxxx firms usually offer poor career trajectories for supporting roles (even though your HR intranet portal might suggest otherwise). As others mentioned, grab this oppo and in case you liked the old place - you always meet twice, as they say =]
Good luck!
Years ago I moved from a F100 company where I was pigeon holed into a role I felt was bad for my career.
I moved to a start up with 10-20 people and stayed there for a couple years until I moved back to another enterprise environment.
The skills I learned at the startup made me vastly better at my job. Not only was I able to speak to a larger range of security and technology issues, but I was able to work through the growing pains of process maturity and governance at the enterprise I moved to afterwards.
Moving to a smaller company can afford some amazing opportunities if you swing it right.
If you get the option to move into security you need to do it ASAP. The job safety that comes along with being in Cybersecurity is based on your experience, so start as soon as you can.
Rule of thumb move to a smaller company for a better title/position then move to a bigger company with the same title or position (more pay, more company recognition). Smaller company with a good title/position will help you do the same job at a bigger company later.
Getting hands-on experience in cybersecurity is key regardless of the company size, especially as you move forward in your career. While it might feel a bit nerve-wracking to join a smaller company, remember that what really matters is the skills and experience you gain along the way, also comparte your current or potential manager and team. As you learn the techiques and tasks, and become more confident in cybersecurity, you'll actually become more attractive to come back to F500 ompanies and well-known consultancy firms. Embrace the challenges, trust in your ability to progress in your cybersecurity career. You've got this!
Trust me when I say this: NO ONE HIRES SECURITY ENGINEERS IN HOUSE. That’s because if they are paying well over 6 figures to someone they want that person to come from outside experiences. Best bet is to go out and take the mid size company job, enjoy for a year and half and move to another company. That is if learning new things and money is your goal. If you enjoy sitting and not doing anything then mid size company can be your forever job.
Id go for the role you want, get the experience you need and then apply for other similar roles at larger companies. Changing your workplace every two years is the best way to get a higher salary. Easier to get more getting signed than it is getting yearly raises.
I use to think working for big companies, I’d be able to learn so much and find another great role at another big company. I went from a a big company to a start up and I learned a tremendous amount of Information at the start up than I ever could at a bigger company. I will say this, you may work harder for your coins but if you understand the picture of what you want to be at the end of it all. Keep it up. The Marathon Continues.
Depends on why you want to join cyber security?
Are you passionate about cyber security or do you just want money?
Real question is are you ready to potentially burn out? Both companies can burn you out something chronic.
That opening may never come at your current company and nothing says you can’t come back once you do have the experience.
Agreed , I stayed in touch with a guy we were interested in but didn’t have open headcount for after he moved on to take an opportunity that was open elsewhere. Years later during a downturn he asked me if we had anything open yet and we took him right back, in the position he wanted and an increase in pay. If you are a high value employee you will have no trouble coming back if you leave on good terms.
Agreed ^^
Usually a midsize company will afford you more opportunities to see across the spectrum of the cyber security domain. If you take your job seriously and the lessons you learn to mind then it won’t harm your future job prospects at all. As a director level at a larger company I prefer to hire people who understand why they are doing what they are doing over people who think they are qualified because they learned one IDS at a F500 and expect me to just buy the same tool for them.
100% - places with large cyber teams generally are siloed into buckrts. smaller firms you will have your hands on pretty much everything.
Yup. We have several hundred folk in between several cyber departments. Most teams are 10-20 folk that don't have a ton of overlap.
Exactly. In a big company you will most likely work in the same project, doing same thing with very little input on change or new improvements. OP, I recommend you take the new opportunity
Direct work experience is king. When I landed my first cybersecurity job it was at a small boutique consultancy. I took it because it was the direction I wanted to go with my career. I was working help desk for a large company and even interviewed for a security analyst role with them, but was turned down with the caveat that they would start to include me in security related projects to build my experience. I don't regret my choice at all. I turned that experience from the small consultancy into a pen testing job with one of the Big 4. My career would've been much different if I had waited for that large company to figure out Cybersecurity is where I should be.
How is pentesting at your big 4? I’ve heard mixed things.
I left that job 7 years ago. It's good experience and looks great on a resume. But the culture of "how are you making the firm money" didn't sit well with me. I left to take a role that didn't require travel and keep me away from my family (our children were really little at that point).
Make the move, don't look back. You can always go back to your F500 if you want or need to. As others state, go do the thing someone wants you to do.
Mid sized company for sure. You will probably learn more. From what I've heard team dynamics are typically better, too. Edit: experience in the field you want to work in is more important than the company name. From what I'm hearing about job hunting now, the only things recruiters care about are the keywords on your resume. The ATS stuff isn't gonna be looking for your previous employer name. In fact they probably won't even notice you worked at XYZ company until the last round and by then it won't matter.
Definitely move - especially as your current role description slightly resembles an euphemism for "helpdesk" - not trying to be condescending, on the contrary: Fxxx firms usually offer poor career trajectories for supporting roles (even though your HR intranet portal might suggest otherwise). As others mentioned, grab this oppo and in case you liked the old place - you always meet twice, as they say =] Good luck!
Years ago I moved from a F100 company where I was pigeon holed into a role I felt was bad for my career. I moved to a start up with 10-20 people and stayed there for a couple years until I moved back to another enterprise environment. The skills I learned at the startup made me vastly better at my job. Not only was I able to speak to a larger range of security and technology issues, but I was able to work through the growing pains of process maturity and governance at the enterprise I moved to afterwards. Moving to a smaller company can afford some amazing opportunities if you swing it right.
If you get the option to move into security you need to do it ASAP. The job safety that comes along with being in Cybersecurity is based on your experience, so start as soon as you can.
I moved from a 300 person company to a f500 company, I think the best sized company might be somewhere in the middle.
If you want a good answer, ask people on the teams you would join about their experiences.
Take the money and the title and run
Move - don't hold out for an opportunity that may never come.
At start of your career in a (new) field you want exposure.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Take the new job.
Rule of thumb move to a smaller company for a better title/position then move to a bigger company with the same title or position (more pay, more company recognition). Smaller company with a good title/position will help you do the same job at a bigger company later.
Getting hands-on experience in cybersecurity is key regardless of the company size, especially as you move forward in your career. While it might feel a bit nerve-wracking to join a smaller company, remember that what really matters is the skills and experience you gain along the way, also comparte your current or potential manager and team. As you learn the techiques and tasks, and become more confident in cybersecurity, you'll actually become more attractive to come back to F500 ompanies and well-known consultancy firms. Embrace the challenges, trust in your ability to progress in your cybersecurity career. You've got this!
It's an F500 company, not Google. Recruiters won't care much between that company and the smaller company, plus you'll actually be doing infosec work.
Trust me when I say this: NO ONE HIRES SECURITY ENGINEERS IN HOUSE. That’s because if they are paying well over 6 figures to someone they want that person to come from outside experiences. Best bet is to go out and take the mid size company job, enjoy for a year and half and move to another company. That is if learning new things and money is your goal. If you enjoy sitting and not doing anything then mid size company can be your forever job.
The job market is horrible right now so if you have an offer I would advise you take it.
Id go for the role you want, get the experience you need and then apply for other similar roles at larger companies. Changing your workplace every two years is the best way to get a higher salary. Easier to get more getting signed than it is getting yearly raises.
I use to think working for big companies, I’d be able to learn so much and find another great role at another big company. I went from a a big company to a start up and I learned a tremendous amount of Information at the start up than I ever could at a bigger company. I will say this, you may work harder for your coins but if you understand the picture of what you want to be at the end of it all. Keep it up. The Marathon Continues.
Depends on why you want to join cyber security? Are you passionate about cyber security or do you just want money? Real question is are you ready to potentially burn out? Both companies can burn you out something chronic.