COLORADO SPRINGS — Each first Friday of the month, the Colorado Springs tech and cybersecurity community comes together for Cybersecurity First Friday, a unique event designed to connect job seekers with industry professionals.
WATCH: Cyber First Friday takes place in Colorado Springs
With five military bases in Colorado Springs, there's a significant demand for cybersecurity jobs. Shawn Murray, the founder of Cybersecurity First Friday, shared that the event, which started six years ago with just around 100 people, has now grown to accommodate 400 attendees.
Murray explained that for job seekers, it's an excellent opportunity to make connections and get noticed by companies hiring in the cybersecurity space.
"We're helping people get jobs. When you check in, if you want, you can put a little green dot. That says I'm looking for a job. And if you're a hiring manager at a company or you can put a blue sticker on that says I'm hiring. We want green stickers to meet blue stickers and that's what's really helped grow with. There's red stickers as well. So because we're a big defense industrial based community, the red sticker means I'm cleared. So if you're looking for a job with the government, it's another opportunity to let people know who you are,” he said.
In addition to helping those in the general workforce, Cybersecurity First Friday also partners with local organizations to assist veterans and individuals transitioning out of the military. These partnerships provide resources and access to job opportunities specifically tailored to the veteran community.
Murray shares with News5 a success story that came from the event.
"This gal was trying to break into the industry and she was super overwhelmed. But one of our ambassadors caught her before she got out the door and said, 'hey, you know what are you here for? What are you doing?' she said she liked to write policies. And and these kinds of things. 'Well, you should take this course with this organization,' a volunteer told her.
"Then she got certified. And so through the the networking of the cybersecurity First Friday event. We recognized her once she got her certification. Had her come up, and now she's looking for a job. Later that evening, after the cyber security First Friday event, somebody interviewed for her for a job and the next first Friday she got a job,” Murray tells us.
The event provides information on how to get certified in cybersecurity and offers guidance on where to take relevant cybersecurity classes.
The event is free to attend, but registration is required on their website. It’s held at the National Cybersecurity Center off Nevada Avenue in Colorado Springs (3650 N Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80907) at 4 p.m.
Click here to register.
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