http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/news/home-office-adopts-flawed-eu-cyber-crime-directive-20045

Does this strike anyone else as overkill and backlash after wikileaks.


So where do we stand with things like Backtrack, metasploit and all those other tools needed to be a pen tester/ ethical hacker?

Take a supply of bussiness cards with your details on the front and your key skills/qualifications on the back.  Speak with as many people as you can, especially on any trade stands.  It's amazing the info you can pick up to tap into the 'hidden' job market.
Offering to buy a event speaker a drink after his/her talk so you can ask further 'intelligent' questions about their talk can help to get your face known!

millwall, just done a 3 day course that included CV writing.  We were shown that when you are taking a change in direction of your career then you should start your CV with a one paragraph 'career objective' statement.  This should state the direction you want to go, and if you are doing anything about it (ie courses/ working with mentor etc)

Next should be a personal profile listing 2-3 personal qualities, 2 key strenghts and a key qualification.  Work on this last after getting all the rest done and tailor it to the advert you are applying for as best as possible.

Then in your next section you list your key skills/experience as they relate to the job your applying for, not forgetting your soft skills (communication, management, any other IT skills/qualifications).  You should try to match at least 70% of your key skills to the ones listed in the job description where possible.  This can be a little difficult when you do a change in direction.

You next need a paragraph on achievements/competancies.  Try use ones that emphasise your personal qualities/ key strengths where possible.

Should put a para in about your experience in the field at this point.  Also expand on your reasons for wanting to enter your chosen field.

Career summary comes next, only need the last 10 years.

Education and Training, Looks good if you've got something to put in there already thats trade related, especially if you've done it as a distance learning package.

If you want to add hobbies and interests at the bottom then be wary of what you put in.  If you're a passionate sports fan, don't mention specific teams, just put 'enjoys watching rugby' or something along those lines.  You can guarantee that the guy who 1st reads your CV will support an opposing team who you thrashed a few days before and your CV will get filed in the bin!

You may want to start writing a 'generic' CV and list everything you can think of under each of the above headings.  Ask friends and colleagues for their thoughts and comments (if you can).  You should hopefully be able to fill a few pages then you can pick the most appropriate bits out for the CV you send out to a potential employer.  Keep it to 2 pages, no more, unless it's asking for details of competencies

I'm working on my CV at the moment and hope to get it sorted within the next week or two.  Will send you a link to it to give you some ideas as I'm in a similar boat to you 

This is uncanny as I was just about to post on the forums with a few questions about armitage and to ask if anyone had a good source of info!!

OSCP may not be know by HR yet but people in the trade over here seem to know of it and respect it.
Seen a couple of job adds that mention it over the last few weeks

I was supposed to be going but got gazumped by my boss who's off instead.  As work were paying....!

Thanks for responding guys.

My situation is that i'm coming to the end of my current contract in the UK late 2012 and am looking at moving from my current role in Administration into the Security side of things.  I'm also looking at the possiblility of relocating to Ontario or Alberta in Canada.

I'm trying to get a little insider knowledge of how 'buoyant' the job market is in the UK and Canada for Security/ Pen Testing etc.  I'm also trying to find out which of the array of Certs available are the most favoured by the employers in the UK and Canada.

Thanks for that hint (point taken on that one) and the link.  Yet more certifications to read up on!
Will have to badger my boss tomorrow and see if there's any spare money in the training budget 

I'd like to thank everyone who's posted in this thread and congratulate jOrDY and the rest who have passed the exam.  It has been a great read and an eye opener.

This cert is definitely on my ToDo list after reading Ryan Linn's article but after reading about your experiences j0rDy, I think I'll wait a few months whilst I brush up on my skills and programming.

Whilst I know i'd learn a lot on the course, the exam would be beyond me at the moment!  I've got some serious studying to do over the next few months (and pearl or python to learn)

New member saying hello.  I've been looking for something like this for a while and managed to stumble on your site by accident during a splurge of boredom relief yesterday (I can only stand so long staring at a series of progress bars).

I'm currently a data manager but over the last 15 or so years i've done a bit of everything though i'm weak on the programming side of things (done some html and php only).  

Been playing with various flavours of linux over the last few years and discovered Backtrack just over a year ago.  Still exploring the features of that!

Managed to talk work into sending me on a few courses but the skinflints wouldn't let me do the exams   though i've managed to sneak of and get my N+ and hope to pass my CCNA soon

The security side has always facinated me but i've not been in a position to take the plunge.  Within the next 2 years I will be in a good position to go for it (with my 6 months emergency fund as well).

I am likely to have a lot of questions once i've finished going through the offerings on this site and I hope you guys will be able to point me in the right direction for the answers?

My first question is are there any UK and canadian members out there as I need advice about those countries?