From large corporations to startups to consumers, digital privacy and security is top of mind these days. It seems every week there’s yet another company in the news announcing a data breach. With the urgent need for better detection and correction of security threats, cybersecurity companies are racing to keep up with the bad guys and use technology to get a few steps ahead. That means it’s a great time to be looking for a job in that field.
What does it take to work at a security technology company? We have the inside scoop from Chatelle Lynch, senior VP and Chief Human Resources officer at McAfee, which employs about 7,000 people in 40 locations.
You’re a cyber security company. Does working in that field require more tech background or hard skills?
Running a company of our size requires a range of job skills and competencies. Each role is of course different: some of our security roles require significant technical understanding and years of experience, whereas others require a foundational level of IT or networking experience, coupled with the right education and training.
For every role though, possessing the right aptitude and mindset is key. For example, some of our SOC analysts don’t have what you might call a typical background. Some previously held developer roles but were able to demonstrate their enthusiasm and capacity for problem solving and analysis, so we invested in training and job shadowing to help them reach their full potential in a new role.
What do you look for in a candidate?
We’ve found some of our best hires and top contributors have personalities and work ethics that align to our values, culture, and performance expectations from the get-go. To identify them early, we’ve mapped our desired employee behaviors against our core values so that during the interview process we can quickly assess how a potential new hire would perform in certain situations. This process, known as values-based behavioral interviewing, allows those who align to move quickly through the hiring process. This approach to hiring continues to be validated by the hired candidates’ ultimate longevity with our company.
What specific skills do candidates need to have/know in order to work for you?
In the cyber threat era that we’re all living in, a security-first mindset is a requirement for every job candidate from engineering to finance to marketing. At McAfee, we believe in creating a culture of security, that embeds security throughout our vision and values. Each McAfee employee is tasked with playing their part to protect the security of our company.
What’s your interview process like?
Typically, a recruiter will be the first person you engage with to provide an overview of the role, the company, and how we differentiate and stand out from the competition. For every role, the hiring manager then sets up a panel of interviewers and it’s usually a shortlist of 3-4 applicants that go through to the hiring panel. Diversity is also embedded in our processes to make sure we’re striving for the innovation and creativity that comes from diversity of thought.
So, on every interview panel we’ll make sure to have a diverse employee on the panel. This means, for example, a female engineer will always be interviewed by another female. This helps us to make sure that we don’t have an interview panel solely made up of people too alike in gender, race, education, background etc. so that different perspectives and viewpoints all play a role in how we hire.
How do you keep your employees happy and wanting to grow with you?
To keep employees happy, you need to think not just of one benefit or experience but look at all aspects of their role and ensure you’re giving them the best possible experience at every point. McAfee has an ongoing commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where employees have the freedom to bring their full, authentic selves to work.
Making sure employees feel rewarded at work and are provided real-time feedback is important not only to how we drive a fast-moving culture that is agile and allows us to course correct where needed, but also ensures employees feel recognized and rewarded in the moment.
Employees also need to see that they have an opportunity to grow while staying at the company. Career path planning is a big focus for us, and we also offer schemes like tuition reimbursement and skills training to allow employees to energize their careers to reach their own goals. And finally, we work hard to make sure that we listen to all those ‘little things’– from practical offerings like unlimited vacation, to fun offerings like our weekly Pups at Work program, and office goodies such as free fruit, spa water, and donut Fridays. We know these small extra steps add up to really make a difference.
Any tips on how to nail your cover letter?
Taking the time to personalize and tailor your cover letter is key. Do your homework too and make sure you’ve articulated what it is about the role that excites you and how you believe you’ll be able to contribute to the company. I also like to see a bit of personality and passion in the cover letter, that really catches my eye!
Any advice for candidates looking to get into the tech field?
Tech, and particularly cybersecurity, is one of the fastest-moving industries out there right now. Passion, enthusiasm and an inquisitive mind are qualities you can’t teach, so make sure this comes through in your resume and the interview process as they’re incredibly valuable. Internships and graduate programs are also great ways for you to gain exposure to a career in technology. We run a rotational program for graduates for example, where interns move between Customer Support, Marketing, Sales, IT and more to get a fully rounded view on where their skills best align to truly prepare them for their chosen career.
