Covid highlights benefits of cybersecurity careers for female graduates
Two new pieces of research highlight the contrasting impact of Covid on the career prospects of female workers.
While women working in cybersecurity questioned by Tessian for its Opportunity Report in Cybersecurity 2020 feel secure in their jobs and feel the pandemic has been largely positive for their career prospects, research by Adzuna indicates a much bleaker outlook for those working in traditionally female-dominated industries.Nearly half (49%) of female cybersecurity professionals questioned for Tessian’s report say the Covid-19 pandemic has affected their career in a positive way, with just 9% saying it has had a negative effect.
Moreover, 94% of women in cybersecurity say they recruited new staff members to support their team in 2020, with 89% of female cybersecurity professionals feeling secure in their jobs.
In contrast, research from global job search engine Adzuna suggests that job openings in the top 20 female occupations have plummeted 40% year-on-year, compared to a fall of 11.8% within the top 20 occupations historically employing the most men.
Despite the benefits of a career in cybersecurity, when Tessian surveyed university graduates aged 18-25 years old, just 26% of female respondents said they would consider a job in cybersecurity, compared to 42% of men.
When female cybersecurity professionals were asked what would entice more women into cybersecurity roles, equal pay topped the list (cited by 47%), followed by more diverse role models (44%), a gender-balanced workforce (43%) and a greater emphasis on STEM subjects in schools (41%).
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