Why the Cybersecurity Job Market Isn’t Dying—It’s Pivoting
If you've been doomscrolling headlines and wondering whether a career in cybersecurity is still worth chasing—you're not alone. The market looks noisy, the layoffs are loud, and the job listings? Sparse at best.
But here’s the reality most people miss:
The cybersecurity job market isn’t dying—it’s pivoting.
And if you understand the pivot, you can still win.
💥 The Panic Is Loud—But It’s Misdirected
Yes, there have been layoffs. Yes, some orgs have cut their “cyber” budgets. But what most of those stories don’t tell you is which types of roles were affected, and more importantly, which ones weren’t.
The industry isn’t experiencing a contraction of need—it’s a reorganization of where and how that need is being filled.
Here’s what’s really happening:
🔄 Consolidation: Enterprises are moving from bloated, vendor-sprawl solutions to leaner, more integrated security stacks.
🧠 AI Reshuffling: Junior dev roles and rote analysis tasks are being evaluated for automation—but human oversight in SOCs is still mandatory.
📉 Cert-fatigue: HR and hiring managers are burned out on buzzword-stuffed resumes. They’re craving signal over noise.
This isn’t collapse—it’s course correction.
🛡️ The Rise of “Blue Team Realism”
For years, new learners were sold a pentester fantasy:
“Learn hacking. Get CEH. Land a $150K red team role.”
Now the pendulum is swinging back toward operational roles—Tier 1–2 Security Analysts, Helpdesk Security Support, SOC Apprenticeships. Roles that actually exist, actually hire, and actually pay.
Blue team is still the backbone of the modern security org.
And these roles require:
✳️ Log literacy
✳️ Basic alert triage
✳️ Working knowledge of Linux, networking, and a SIEM
✳️ The ability to follow process under pressure
They’re not glamorous, but they’re durable, remote-friendly, and pay $65–$90K out of the gate.
At BowTiedCyber, we don’t build our program around theory. We build it around what hiring managers actually want. That’s why we structure our roadmap around the Tier 1–3 SOC Analyst pipeline, not a fantasy land of bug bounties and YouTube hacking stunts.
🎯 Entry-Level Looks Different in 2025
Let’s clear up a myth:
❌ Entry-level ≠ No skills.
✅ Entry-level = Low risk to train, deploy, and trust.
The companies hiring now want job-ready operators. That means:
A candidate with Network+, Security+, AZ900, and Splunk Core User isn’t just cert-chasing—they’re vetted across core tech layers (network, security, cloud, SIEM).
A candidate with a live ePortfolio, GitHub scripts, and a resume showing “cybersecurity self-study” has proof of action, not just interest.
A candidate who can demonstrate log review, escalation logic, and python automation scripts has practical value—even with zero prior job experience.
The funnel hasn’t closed—it’s just demanding more real evidence.
The great news?
That’s exactly what our students are trained to produce.
📈 What Our Grads Are Seeing
We’re not here to speculate. We track results.
Our Zero to Hoodie Bootcamp grads are:
🧑💻 Landing $70–85K remote analyst jobs with only 90–120 days of prep
🛠️ Getting hired without degrees, without prior tech work, and often without traditional internships
🔄 Pivoting from retail, military, trades, and healthcare into cybersecurity in under 6 months
They’re not doing this with “luck.” They’re doing it with:
An optimized resume using our “soft signal” playbook
Certs mapped to actual job listings (not LinkedIn clout posts)
Portfolios hosted on WordPress + GitHub that showcase applied skills, not generic fluff
A strategy rooted in 1000 job applications, Quick Apply mechanics, and expected value math
When the market pivots, outcomes go to those who adapt fastest.
🔄 The Routing Problem
Here’s a brutal truth:
The majority of job seekers today are qualified… and invisible.
Not because they don’t know enough—but because their applications never reach human eyes. The bottleneck isn’t knowledge. It’s misalignment with the hiring funnel.
We call this the Routing Problem:
Applying to the wrong roles (e.g., CEH without experience → no callbacks)
Using bloated resumes that get filtered by ATS bots
Lacking a portfolio or GitHub that proves ability
Not having the right certs to match filtered job criteria
Applying manually instead of leveraging automation tools and quick apply systems
BowTiedCyber teaches every student how to route correctly.
That’s how you beat the system without needing to “game” it.
🧭 What the Pivot Rewards
Let’s summarize what this market is hungry for:
These aren’t secrets. They’re just being ignored by the status-chasers who want $120K red team jobs out of the gate.
That’s not our game.
We play for real jobs, right now.
🎓 Want In on the Pivot?
If you’ve been wondering whether cybersecurity is still a viable path—it is, if you align with the pivot.
And if you want to:
Skip the cert carousel
Build a portfolio that actually gets callbacks
Learn to play the hiring game like a strategist
Become job-ready in 90 days or less
Then the Zero to Hoodie program is built for you.
We’ve helped students from every background start real tech careers. You can be next.
Learn what the pivot rewards.
Build the skills that still hire.
Become the operator the market still needs.
⏳ One Week Left. Only a Few Seats Remaining.
If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to make your move into tech—this is it.
Cohort 0 of the BowTied Two-Step Bootcamp launches Monday, June 16th.
We’re down to the final few seats—and once they’re gone, they’re gone.
This isn’t just a bootcamp. It’s a complete two-phase career transformation system:
✅ Phase 1: Land your first tech job in just 30 days—no certs required
✅ Phase 2: Advance into a cybersecurity role by Day 90—with helpdesk experience, real tools, and certifications earned while you work
Whether you're coming from retail, the trades, or are just tired of the slow college grind—we’ve built this for you.
🚀 No tech background? Doesn’t matter.
💼 No certs? We’ll guide you.
💻 No job yet? You’ll get one.
We back our system with real stories, real job offers, and a 100% commitment to your success until you get hired.
🎯 Book Your Call Today
Cohort starts in 7 days.
Spots are limited.
Career transformation doesn’t wait.
🔗 Schedule your call now — we’ll walk you through the tracks, match you to the right path, and help you claim your seat.
Want to pursue self study instead?
Upgrade to unlock our entire substack archive and join our discord:
🧢 Evan Lutz
Founder, BowTiedCyber
90 Days to Hire-Readiness. 16 Weeks to Market Mastery.
twostep.bowtiedcyber.com