The #1 Mistake Career Changers Make (Marcus's Story)
Most people are chasing the wrong cybersecurity job.Boot camps keep saying the “easiest entry point” into cybersecurity is a SOC analyst role—even as AI quietly eliminates much of the entry-level work. Meanwhile, **Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) analyst roles quietly grew 35%+** and pay **$70K–$150K**, with 60%+ remote work and near-zero AI risk. Your non-technical background isn’t a weakness. In GRC, it’s your **competitive advantage**. |
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Welcome to this week's newsletter. Today I am sharing with you **Marcus's story**, a perfect illustration of the single biggest mistake career changers make when trying to break into cybersecurity.
Marcus was frustrated.
He'd spent $400 on Security+ certification. Updated his LinkedIn. Applied to 100+ cybersecurity jobs.
**Zero interviews.**
He emailed me: "Dr. Shumba, I don't understand. I have the certification. Why won't anyone hire me?"
The first thing I asked him to do was take my free **Career Fit Assessment**. Within 5 minutes, we discovered the problem.
I looked at his results alongside his background:
- Project manager at a healthcare company
- Excellent at documentation
- Loved creating processes and standards
- Great at stakeholder communication
Then I looked at the jobs he was applying to:
- Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst
- Threat Intelligence Analyst
- Incident Response Analyst
All technical roles. All requiring 24/7 shift work. All focused on monitoring security alerts and responding to active cyber attacks.
My assessment revealed something important: Marcus's strengths were aligned with **GRC Analyst**—not SOC Analyst.
I asked him: "Marcus, do you want to work night shifts monitoring security alerts?"
He said: "Honestly? No. That sounds exhausting."
Here's the problem: Marcus was applying to the **WRONG roles**.
Marcus isn't alone. **48% of new cybersecurity professionals are now entering the field at age 39 or older**—career changers just like him.¹ But most are making the same mistake: applying to technical roles when they should target GRC.
What is GRC?
GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) is completely different from technical cybersecurity roles:
- ✓ No coding required
- ✓ No night shifts (standard business hours)
- ✓ No 24/7 on-call rotations
- ✓ Focuses on writing policies, conducting risk assessments, preparing for audits
- ✓ Values communication, documentation, and strategic thinking
- ✓ Perfect for career changers with professional experience
Right now, there are over **5,000 GRC analyst positions open on LinkedIn alone**² Here's what they're paying:
- Entry-level GRC Analysts: **$75,000–$120,000**³
- Mid-level (3-5 years): **$97,000–$144,000**³
- Senior GRC roles: **$140,000–$245,000**³
And here's the best part: **35-40% of these positions now offer remote work**—a 200% increase from pre-pandemic rates.⁴
Why GRC Is Perfect for Career Changers
"No degree, certifications, coding, or ANY technical knowledge required. GRC is ideal for individuals with no prior technical experience."⁵
The work itself breaks down like this:
- **70-80%:** Policy writing, documentation, compliance reports, audit preparation
- **20-30%:** Technical understanding (no coding required)
In fact, **72% of GRC job postings require management skills**, and **67% require business process skills**⁶—exactly what project managers, HR professionals, and teachers already have.
Your professional background isn't a liability. It's your **competitive advantage**.
Real Success Stories
Marcus isn't the only one who made this transition:
**Ian Mountford** was a recruitment consultant with no cybersecurity background. He learned the GRC frameworks, built a portfolio showcasing his transferable skills, and transitioned into a GRC professional role. His advice to career changers: focus on translating your existing professional experience into the language of governance, risk, and compliance.⁷
**Helen Patton** started her career with a humanities degree—not computer science, not engineering. Today, she's the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Cisco, one of the world's largest technology companies. Her path proves that cybersecurity leadership doesn't require a technical degree. It requires strategic thinking, communication skills, and the ability to manage risk—exactly what career changers bring.⁸
These aren't exceptions. **51% of hiring managers now accept more applications from non-cybersecurity backgrounds** because companies are desperate for GRC professionals with business acumen.⁹
Marcus's Transformation
After seeing his assessment results, Marcus enrolled in my AI-Proof GRC Professional: GRC Foundations course. The very first thing he did in the course was complete a deeper GRC Career Fit confirmation.
It confirmed what the initial assessment showed: GRC was his path.
With that clarity, he stopped applying to SOC roles. He repositioned his resume to highlight his policy writing, stakeholder communication, and process improvement experience.
Within **6 weeks**, he landed a GRC Analyst role at a healthcare company—making **$92,000**.
He emails me every few months: "Dr. Shumba, I love this work. I'm writing policies, conducting risk assessments, preparing for HIPAA audits. This is exactly what I'm good at."
Today, Marcus is advancing to AI Governance—because he sees where the industry is heading. But that's a story for another newsletter.
That's the power of taking the assessment, confirming your fit, and applying to the **RIGHT roles**.
Don't Make Marcus's Mistake
The #1 mistake career changers make? Applying to technical cybersecurity roles when they should be targeting GRC.
If you're a teacher, nurse, HR professional, project manager, or anyone with strong communication and documentation skills—GRC is your entry point into cybersecurity.
STEP 1: Find out if GRC is right for you.👉 Take my FREE Career Fit Assessment (5 Minutes) |
It takes 5 minutes. It's the same assessment Marcus took. And it will show you which cybersecurity path aligns with your strengths.
Step 2: Join me at my FREE Virtual Open House
I'm hosting a **FREE Virtual Open House** on December 6th and 14th where I'll walk you through:
- ✓ The 3 cybersecurity roles that are actually hiring career changers
- ✓ How to position your transferable skills for GRC roles
- ✓ The exact framework that helped 500+ people break into cybersecurity
Plus, everyone who attends gets **20% off** my $100K Cyber Career Challenge (normally $97, you'll pay just $77.60).
👉 Register here for the Virtual Open HouseDon't make Marcus's mistake. Take the assessment. Apply to the right roles.
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To your success, Dr. Rose ShumbaCreator, Tech Switch Success System Featured in The New York Times |
**P.S.** Marcus went from zero interviews to a **$92,000 job offer in 6 weeks**. It started with a 5-minute assessment. Take yours now.
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