This blog is based off a YouTube video I made on the topic. Check it out!

Today, I want to share three quick tips on how to stand out in the tech industry, whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned professional. I like to use a little mnemonic to remember these tips: read, write, execute – I got the idea from the Linux file permissions. Let’s dive into it!

These tips are mainly for cybersecurity professionals, but they should be general enough to help other tech professionals as well.

Tip 1 - Consume Content (read)

The tech industry, whether it’s IT, cybersecurity, or software engineering, thrives on continual learning.

In this fast-paced field, staying up-to-date is crucial. Whether you prefer blog posts, articles, newsletters, YouTube, Udemy courses, university education, or attending workshops and conferences, the key is to keep consuming content. Local conferences like B-sides or larger ones such as Black Hat and Defcon can offer invaluable insights and networking opportunities.

Tip 2 - Document Your Journey (write)

As you learn and consume content, document your journey.

Take notes and turn them into blog posts, YouTube videos, or social media threads. Platforms like GitHub or GitLab offer easy ways to share cheat sheets, code snippets, and notes from certification courses. Documenting your knowledge not only reinforces your learning but also opens doors to new opportunities. Just look at the success story of “Darknet Diaries” podcast creator, Jack Rhysider, who started with blogging before launching his ultra successful podcast.

Tip 3 - Hone Your Technical Skills (execute)

Practice makes perfect.

Get your hands on the keyboard, play some music, grab a coffee, and start practicing. Platforms like TryHackMe and HackTheBox offer environments for cybersecurity enthusiasts, while programmers can explore Leet Code to prep for technical interviews.

Participating in capture the flag events, like those on OverTheWire or CTFtime, provide practical challenges to enhance your skills. For the more adventurous, bug bounty programs offer monetary rewards for finding vulnerabilities in products.

Walking Through an Example

Let’s take an example to tie these tips together. Suppose you’re learning about buffer overflows, a common topic in entry-level binary exploitation. Consume content by watching videos from creators like Live Overflow, document your findings on platforms like GitHub, and then put your newfound knowledge to the test by participating in capture the flag events like Pico CTF or OverTheWire.

Tips Feed Into Each Other

These three tips are not necessarily sequential; they feed into each other. Whether you’re stuck in a capture the flag challenge or need to enhance your knowledge, you can loop back to consuming content or documenting your journey. The flexibility allows you to adapt to your learning style and needs.

Bonus Tip – Enjoy the Journey

And here’s a bonus tip – enjoy the journey. The path into cybersecurity or software engineering might be long, but having fun, making friends, solving challenges, and creating content are all part of the ride. Develop a true passion for what you do, and it will take you far in your career.

Conclusion

So, there you have it – three practical tips, plus a bonus, to help you stand out in the tech industry. These strategies, rooted in reading, writing, and executing, have personally helped me land my current job and will continue to open doors in the future.

Remember to enjoy the journey, and feel free to connect with me on my socials – Twitter, LinkedIn, and Discord Channel. Stay hungry, keep learning, and embrace the opportunities that come your way!

~happy hacking :)