SANS.edu Cybersecurity Career Center

Unlock Your Cybersecurity Career Potential with the SANS.edu Career Center

The SANS.edu Career Center empowers upper division undergraduate students in our Applied Cybersecurity Certificate and cybersecurity bachelor’s degree programs to leverage their SANS experience, GIAC certifications, and total skillsets to launch or advance their cybersecurity career.

Every student is paired with a dedicated Career Specialist, providing personalized support at every stage of your career journey. Cybersecurity is our only focus — and your career success is a key measure of our success.

Numbers at a Glance

We know the employment status of 99% of our upper division undergraduates — and the data you see here is sourced directly from student survey responses and pertains specifically to employment in cybersecurity roles.

$104K

Average starting salary of SANS.edu Applied Cybersecurity Certificate graduates

$110K

Average starting salary of SANS.edu cybersecurity bachelor's degree graduates

94%

Percentage of our job seeking bachelor’s degree graduates who gained employment in cybersecurity within 6 months.

56%

Percentage of our Applied Cybersecurity Certificate students who got their first new job before completing the program

Cybersecurity Career Services for Life

Our students are highly marketable, but we know it can feel daunting to prep for your first cybersecurity role or to move forward in your current career. While it’s possible for you land your dream job without our help, a dedicated Career Specialist is here for you when you need support. Our personalized services include:

Resume Review

We’ll help you fine-tune your resume to stand out from the crowd, ensuring it catches the eye of hiring managers and bypasses tracking systems.

Career Exploration

Explore the many paths within cybersecurity and carve out your career trajectory. We’ll help you explore options (including elective options) and chart a course tailored to your goals.

Encouragement and Confidence-Boosting

If you’re faced with Imposter Syndrome or other challenges along the way, we’re here to remind you of your qualifications and give you support to keep moving forward.

Job Search Consultation

We’ll help you navigate the job market and craft a personalized search strategy, equipping you with the necessary tools and support to reach your career goals.

Interview Preparation

Prepare for interviews with our specialized coaching — and develop insightful questions to impress potential employers and showcase your expertise.

Employer Partner Connections

SANS clients, alumni, and industry partners recognize our students as top technical candidates and actively recruit from our programs. You’ll gain access to exclusive employer webinars, job postings, and direct referrals to our partners.

Offer Negotiation Consultation

When it's time to seal the deal, we've got your back. From negotiating salary to evaluating relocation packages and benefits, we can help you make your best decision.

Take Your Next Step

Need more information? We’re happy to answer your questions. Join us for an info session, email info@sans.edu or call 301.241.7665.

Ready to apply? We look forward to learning about you and your cybersecurity career goals.

Request Info Apply Now

Connecting You to Employers

Employers seek cybersecurity talent from us because they know the quality of our programs and the proven skillsets of our GIAC-certified graduates. These are just a few of the companies we’ve partnered with to source candidates directly to their open positions.

Success Stories

Our students come from diverse backgrounds, reflecting the varied paths to a cybersecurity career.

Loveona Jones

Loveona Jones completed the Undergraduate Certificate in Applied Cybersecurity during her senior year at a different college. Learn how she got her start in cybersecurity and won prestigious internships with the U.S. Department of State and a Fortune 500 company.

Cody Williams

Cody Williams completed the Undergraduate Certificate in Applied Cybersecurity in just under a year and landed his first cybersecurity job before completing the program. See why Cody thinks there’s a place for everybody in cybersecurity, particularly for those who fear having a boring desk job.

Cathy Sowa

Cathy Sowa made a mid-career change to cybersecurity. Discover how this former middle school teacher and adjunct professor gained the skills and confidence to enter the cybersecurity field.

Will Green

Will Green's talent for cybersecurity capture the flag (CTF) competitions earned him a place on the US Cyber Team. Learn how he used the SANS.edu Income Share Agreement to earn a bachelor's degree, paying no tuition until he was employed full time.

Kaela Manger

Kaela Manger chose the bachelor’s degree program at SANS.edu to gain skills that would enhance her value as an information security professional and to secure highly valued GIAC certifications.

Jesse LaGrew

Between completing his bachelor’s degree at SANS.edu and starting the SANS master's degree program, Jesse LaGrew was named interim CISO of his organization and helped the SANS.edu Sentinels with the National Cyber League competition.

Our Grads Get Hired

Our graduates get hired by companies like Amazon, Deloitte, Dragos, Google, Northrup Grumman, Red Canary, Wells Fargo and Walmart. More than half our students received their first cybersecurity job offer before they finished the program.

Job Titles Earned

SOC Analyst	Cyber Threat Intel Associate
Information Security Analyst	Security Engineer
Security Consultant	Cyber Software Engineer
Penetration Tester	Detection & Response Analyst
Incident Handler	Cyber Risk Consultant
Intrusion Analyst	Cybersecurity Specialist
InfoSec Specialist	Security Administrator
Forensics Examiner	Vulnerability Management Engineer
Incident Response Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Which academic programs provide access to the Career Center?

The SANS.edu Career Center works with upper division undergraduate students in our Applied Cybersecurity Certificate and cybersecurity bachelor’s degree programs. Although the Career Center does not work with students in our 3-course Cybersecurity Fundamentals Certificate program, graduates of that program are primed to transition into our upper division undergraduate programs and gain access to the Career Center.

When do students gain access to the SANS.edu Career Center?

For most students, taking SANS courses and preparing for GIAC certification exams is a new experience that requires a high level of commitment. To ensure you can smoothly transition into a rigorous new academic environment, we offer you access to the Career Center after you have acclimated to your initial courses and begun the SANS course SEC401: Security Essentials - Network, Endpoint, and Cloud, which with the GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) certification exam compose the courses ACS 3401 and BACS 3401 in our Applied Cybersecurity Certificate and bachelor degree programs.

What services does the Career Center provide?

Each student is assigned their own Career Specialist, an expert in the cybersecurity job search process, who can provide personalized resume review, job search consultations, interview preparation, and support in negotiating offers.

Does the Career Center provide postings of available jobs?

Yes, the Career Center collaborates with a network of companies actively seeking to hire our graduates for their open cybersecurity positions. We offer a student-exclusive jobs board integrated into the Internet Storm Center to showcase opportunities from our employer partners.

Are the career stats of your upper division undergraduates real? How are they calculated?

We understand that our job placement and starting salary numbers may seem too good to be true, but they are real. Our data not only complies with NACE standards for colleges reporting, but goes further. While many institutions are only aware of the employment status of approximately 60% of their graduates, we maintain information on the employment status of approximately 99% of our undergraduates. The data we present is sourced directly from student survey responses and pertains specifically to employment in cybersecurity roles. The average starting salaries you see on our website are updated every spring and fall based on the most recent 2 years of data.