The struggle to find Australian workers to fill six-figure jobs

THIS career choice ticks all the boxes – job growth, skill shortages and decent pay. Australian jobseekers are now being urged to give it a go.

DEMAND for skills? Check! Job growth? Check! Good pay? Check!

Jobseekers hoping to tick off all three criteria in the career trifecta are urged to consider a role in cybersecurity.

New research from software company McAfee reveals more than a quarter of cybersecurity professionals (78 per cent) believe there is a skill shortage and more than half (57 per cent) of managers have trouble finding appropriate staff.

These figures follow predictions from the Australian Cyber Security Growth Network that an extra 11,000 Australian professionals will be needed in this sector in the next decade.

Chatelle Lynch, chief HR officer at McAfee. Picture: Supplied

McAfee senior vice president and chief HR officer Chatelle Lynch says the number of organisations and individuals needing protection from cyber attacks continues to increase and this is creating a shortage of cyber security talent in Australia and across the globe.

“I think people are quite intrigued by this industry but it’s grown so quickly and I’m not sure if we were prepared for it to grow as quickly as it has,” she says.

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The demand for talent has pushed up pay packets for skilled staff, with SEEK revealing ads for security jobs offer an average salary of $122,753.

This is the third highest-paying information and communication technology (ICT) sub-sector on SEEK, after only ICT architects (averaging $138,144) and management ($132,307).

Lynch says there are many ways to establish a career in cybersecurity, whether via university, vocational education or interning.

While most cybersecurity professionals hold a tertiary qualification (84 per cent), it is not necessarily required.

Lynch says she does not discount a job applicant based on whether or not they hold a degree.

“People get their experience through different ways,” she says.

“(Given how quickly demand) is growing, we need to be thinking of different backgrounds and skills.”

The increasing volume of cyber attacks is creating demand for security professionals. Picture: iStock

The McAfee research reveals 40 per cent of surveyed professionals do not hold certification in cybersecurity specifically.

Lynch – who has a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in journalism and public relations, and a Bachelor of Science, majoring in environmental science – encourages people from all walks of life to apply for work in the sector as they may have transferable skills.

Although most cybersecurity professionals (49 per cent) hold a qualification in the traditional areas of engineering, IT, telecommunications or cybersecurity, 13 per cent are qualified in business or finance and 7 per cent hold an arts or humanities degree.

She stresses the importance of diversity for business performance.

“I love the idea of being more innovative and creative because we are working with people with new thoughts,” she says.

“We are trying to entice more women into the industry through a Return to Work program focused on encouraging mothers who have been out of the industry to get back in.”

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Originally published as The struggle to find Australian workers to fill six-figure jobs