INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Security Director positions are at a 33% growth rate, which is much faster than average. With that said, there are currently 141,200 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 47,100 to 188,300 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Security Director jobs was $103,590 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $60,060, and the highest 10% more than $163,300.
Our conclusion? The Security Director job market is wide open for candidates.
Top security director sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a security director resume experience section
Security director resume experience: checklist
- Use either chronological or reverse-chronological format when listing your previous jobs;
- Mention only relevant positions that add value to your resume;
- Briefly state the challenges you’ve faced and how you’ve overcome them;
- Highlight the results from your efforts (for bonus points, add numbers, percentage rates, etc.);
- Forget about buzzwords! Use power verbs instead.
Use the examples below to build your own experience section!
- Responsible for monitoring network threats
- Manage IT Departments security programs
- Provide leadership, training opportunities, and guidance on cybersecurity matters
- See project list
- Responsible for monitoring network threats
- Manage IT Departments security programs
- Provide leadership, training opportunities and guidance to school on cybersecurity
- See project list
- Valuebale experiences to be familiar with ISMS,SOC,Penteration-test and CERT(computer emergency response team ).
- Run an audit to get a ISMS certificate in a large scope.
- Team Building activities.
PRO TIP
Show off real numbers that display your accomplishments in past roles. Instead of listing out your responsibilities as Security Director, talk about the measurable impact you made to their business. Did you boost their revenue? Increase customer retention? Mention your proudest points on your resume.
Action verbs for your security director resume
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Security director resume: The skills section!
How to write a strong security director resume skills section?
- Make sure to include all types of skills - soft, hard, technical;
- Focus on skills that show your expertise in the field;
- Check the job description for keywords and make sure to add them to your resume – this will help you pass ATS;
- Leave room for discussion – elaborate on some of your strongest skills in other sections of your resume
Top skills for your security director resume
Python
Java
Javascript
SQL
GIT
HTML
MySQL
CSS
Jira
C++
Communication
Organisation
Analytical thinking
Creativity and innovation
Accountability
Flexibility
Eager to learn
Perseverance
Problem solving
resourcefulness
PRO TIP
When picking skills to feature in your resume, make sure they'll be relevant to the position you’re applying to. The point of listing skills is for you to stand out from the competition. Stay away from repetitive, meaningless skills that everyone uses in their resumes. Or else, they’ll backfire and make you look like an average candidate.
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Security director resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your security director resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Security Director resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
A career summary for your security director resume
Things to include in your security director resume summary:
- Your total years of experience in the industry;
- 2-3 of your most remarkable achievements so far;
- How your experience relates to the position you’re applying for;
- A very brief description of your strengths.
Resume Summary Formula:
PRO TIP
Highlight specific past projects that you’re most proud of in your summary. It sets an excellent tone for the rest of your resume. You can talk about all of your former jobs in your work experience section later on.
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Security director resume: the education section
Things to include in your resume's education section:
- Your highest education degree – including course, year of graduation, institution;
- Awards received as part of your education;
- Extracurricular activities that have helped you gain relevant skills;
- Certifications that have helped you master new skills and increase your expertise;
- Entry-level applicants only: relevant courses and projects.
Top certifications for your security director resume
The Complete Cyber Security Course : Hackers Exposed!
Volume 1 : Become a Cyber Security Specialist, Learn How to Stop Hackers, Prevent Hacking, Learn IT Security & INFOSEC
Security Awareness Training, Internet Security for Employees
Basic security awareness guide on Internet security and privacy to help keep you, your home, and your employer safe.
Information Security A-Z™: Complete Cyber Security Bootcamp
Become an expert in ISO/IEC 27001, Risk Management, Cryptography, Cyber Forensics, Malware & clear your "Interview"!
The Complete Cyber Security Course : Network Security!
Volume 2 : Network Security, WiFi Security, WiFi Hackers, Firewalls, Wireshark, Secure Networking. + Password Managers
The Absolute Beginners Guide to Cyber Security 2022 - Part 1
Learn Cyber Security concepts such as hacking, malware, firewalls, worms, phishing, encryption, biometrics, BYOD & more
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PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Choosing the right format for your security director resume
In general, there are three basic formats for your resume:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Some things to consider when choosing the right format for your Security Director resume include the stage of your career, whether you have all the right skills required for the job or are looking for an industry change, and what field you’re looking to grow in.
The reverse-chronological resume format is the most common one. It lets you describe your most recent job and then move backward. This makes it great for people who have around or less than 10 years of experience and are looking to highlight only their work-related skills and qualities.
If you’re just starting your career journey and reverse-chronological resumes sound too demanding, go for the functional resume format. It’s ideal for showcasing your strengths, personal qualities, skills, education, and the courses you’ve taken, without putting too much pressure on experience and expertise.
Don’t worry if neither of these sounds suitable for you – the hybrid or combination resume format will surely match your needs. It’s similar to the reverse-chronological, but with a catchy twist. Combination or hybrid resumes are great for showcasing both your experience and work-related skills and your personal qualities. Add a “What my day looks like” section for enhancing the jaw-dropping experience!
Here are some more things worth remembering when it comes to formatting your Security Director resume:
- Choose standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Go for traditional resume fonts sized 10-12p;
- Match the length of your Security Director resume with your experience – choose a one-page template if you have less than 10 years of experience, and be careful with two-page templates – use them only when applying for executive positions;
- Save your resume in PDF to avoid formatting issues and potential unauthorized editing.
Tired of getting rejected? Check out this article on how to craft a resume that stands out!
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PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Security Director resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
Other sections suitable for your security director resume
Depending on the position and the industry, you can spice your resume up by adding some more sections. They will help the recruiter get a glimpse of who you are as a person, besides all your job-related skills and qualities.
Here are some examples:
How to add creativity to your security director resume
Gone are the days when creative resumes were frowned upon by recruiters!
What’s more, the right amount of creativity will make recruiters remember you and want to learn more about who you are – both as an individual and as a professional.
There are two ways to build a creative resume - add creative sections or go for a more creative design approach in general. Go for whatever suits you, the position, and the industry most!
What makes a great security director resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
