Building Next Generation of Security Leaders and Subject Matter Experts

Problem:

October has been declared as CyberSecurity Awareness Month since 2004 to raise awareness about Cybersecurity. But the cybersecurity industry itself is facing an unprecedented challenge with 3.5 million open jobs out of which  750,000 are in the USA. This has been a very well-documented concern, and skill-gap is the largest attributed reason, as companies are looking for experts in respective cybersecurity domains, and only a fraction of companies are investing in their employees to address this issue..This October, at Tejas Cybersecurity Network, a group of cybersecurity professionals with a combined experience of hundreds of years in the domain, came together to address this problem and bridge this gap by building an innovative and best-in-class mentorship program.

Mentorship: The Path to bridging Skill gaps

Cybersecurity is vast and ever-changing. Professionals must protect critical infrastructure, data or specialized domains like cyber espionage, requiring broad knowledge. While traditional education and certifications lay the groundwork, they often miss real-world challenges and the balance between security and business. This is where our mentorship program excels.

What is the right time to get a Mentor?

There is no right age to get a mentor. One can get a mentor when they are 7 years old or 70 years old. In practice, we have seen professionals looking for mentors when they have at least a decade of experience, as at that time they know what they want in their career, and what they are lacking. We still advocate getting a mentor as early as possible, as they will be able to help you navigate your career challenges effectively, and cut down the time you spend on problems and challenges by more than 50 percent.

Project M: The Tejas Mentorship Program

People typically find mentors through their work relationships, be it their boss, manager, or someone with deep technical expertise with whom they foster a relationship over time. This is a great way to find a mentor and learn from them. Our goal is not to replace these relationships but to provide an additional avenue for folks who either don't have these relationships or need a mentor outside of their work.

Our Mission & Vision

We want to build a world-class, data-driven, and metrics-based mentorship program that drives meaningful change in the personal and professional careers of its members.

This is an ambitious mission, requiring a lot of hard work and dedication from both mentors and mentees, therefore we have created a transparent and open framework within which we would run this program. 

There would be a lot of learning throughout the program for both mentees, mentors, and for us, who are running this program. So, to ensure we are balancing good overall experience, being agile, and incorporate feedback, we will be launching a pilot program in mid-November, with a limited number of people.

Pilot Program

The pilot program is available to only paid members of Tejas Cyber Network. If you are interested in joining the mentorship program or being part of a growing community of cybersecurity professionals with a diverse background, feel free to reach out to me or sign up on our website.