Can You Land Your Next Job Without Your Network?

This article was written on June 4, 2024, by The Cyber Why author Katie Teitler-Santullo.

Hi — I’ve been gone for a while, recalibrating and job hunting. Maybe you’ve noticed, maybe you haven’t. In either case, I had about two months away from work and even though I was much busier than I wanted to be, I had time to reflect and think about cybersecurity as a career. Not just my career, but cybersecurity as a career, in general.

Flashback to April

My former job was on shaky ground. Over the last year (plus) there were a number of major changes to my department as well as other organizational changes that directly and indirectly impacted my and my team’s work. As a result, I’d been thinking about making a move. But I’m usually not a quitter; I prefer to be shoved out the door for some sadistic reason. 

During the first week in April, it became readily apparent to me that I’d need to start looking for a new job ASAP. I was out of town, getting ready to speak at a conference. What I should have been doing that morning was prepping my talk. Instead, I had a bad gut feeling and started messaging trusted friends and colleagues. The gist of my messages: “I think I need to look for a new job. If you know anyone who is hiring, I’d appreciate an introduction.”

Within minutes, the first reply came back: “Call me. I might know someone.” Over the course of the day, I received several other responses with a similar tone. That was a Wednesday. On Friday, I had my first conversation with the person who would ultimately facilitate my new job (at an amazing company!!). The following Monday, I had three more conversations with companies that were hiring for my role. Several of those conversations turned into opportunities, meaning they weren’t fluff conversations scheduled simply because a friend of a friend of a friend asked for a favor. I was being ushered down the hiring pipeline solely because of the industry connections I’ve made. I have been incredibly fortunate throughout my career to work with some really good people who (for some odd reason) appreciate my work and me as a person. And, in this situation, they were willing to dedicate time and effort to help me find my next job.

Work your network

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