Imagine you're getting ready to play a video game. Before you start, you want to know what skills you're good at and which ones you need to work on, right? That's just like preparing for a career in cybersecurity. You need to know what you're good at and what you need to improve.
There are two common ways to figure this out: SWOT and SOAR.
Think of it like making a list of your character's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the game.
Strengths are things you're really good at, like having strong armor or powerful attacks.
Weaknesses are things you're not so good at, like maybe you're not great at dodging attacks.
Opportunities are chances for you to get better or learn new things, like finding a new weapon.
Threats are things that could make it harder for you, like strong enemies or limited health potions.
You make a list of these things and then figure out how to match your strengths with opportunities, or how to turn weaknesses into strengths.
This one's a bit like planning out your game strategy for the future.
You focus on your strengths and look for opportunities to use them, like finding a new level where your special skills can shine.
You also think about what you want to achieve in the game, like reaching a higher level or defeating a big boss.
Then, you figure out how you'll know when you've achieved your goals and what steps you need to take to get there.
So, just like in a video game, preparing for a career in cybersecurity involves knowing your strengths and weaknesses, finding opportunities to grow, setting goals, and figuring out how to achieve them. And just like in a game, it's important to keep checking your progress and adjusting your plans if needed.