Security search firms are frequently contacted by job seekers who reach out to request the recruitment company assist them in finding a new job. Inquiries come from professionals and executives in various stages of their public or private sector careers.

We have previously talked about many aspects of how to advance your security career. This includes having a thorough understanding of both soft and operational skills sought after by organizations. The ability to execute on these attributes is valued when companies look for top talent for senior level security roles.

Unfortunately, diversity is still underrepresented in security. Our profession continues to struggle to attract and/or advance diverse candidates into leadership ranks in numbers that accurately represent a cross section of the working population.

Barring winning a major lottery or inheritance, during a 40+ year working life in the security profession, security leaders will likely make a dozen or more job changes. While some of these may be significant responsibility shifts within a single organization, in today’s environment it is likely that a person will be changing organizations and even the type and/or responsibilities of various roles. One of those changes may include self-employment. Here’s what you need to know to ponder the transition.

As what has been a unique and difficult year for many finally comes to a close, I find I have been engaging in a significant number of conversations regarding what the future holds for security careers in these challenging market conditions.

The close of 2020 is fast approaching, and many security professionals have experienced a wide swing in career highs and lows during this challenging year. Many shifts were obviously pandemic-related. Organizations were either forced to consider business realignment or utilized the upheaval to move in a direction that may have been already under consideration. Regardless of the circumstance, the result was a reduction in opportunities in the security profession for some, and career advancement for others.

In past articles, I have written about behaviors and style characteristics that tend not to be valued by organizations and that have proven often to be the underpinnings of why some security leaders fail in their roles. The counterbalance to that are leadership attributes and behaviors that are essential for success.

During your security career, it is highly likely at some point that you will come across someone in a leadership role whose personality and style characteristics create an environment that is toxic and stressful. If you are in the unfortunate position of working for that individual while you are seeking new career opportunities, it may be time to reflect on any early warning indicators you may have missed.