The Cyber Pipeline Myth: Why Entry-Level Cyber Jobs Are Broken | Jennifer Cutler-Scotti S1E7 скачать в хорошем качестве

The Cyber Pipeline Myth: Why Entry-Level Cyber Jobs Are Broken | Jennifer Cutler-Scotti S1E7

Everyone says cybersecurity has a talent shortage But what if the real problem isn’t the pipeline — it’s how we define “entry-level”? In this episode of The Cyber Mettle Podcast, Omar Sangurima and Alyson Laderman are joined by Jennifer Cutler-Scotti, Associate Director at the Texas A&M Institute of Data Science, to unpack one of the most persistent myths in cybersecurity: that we have a pipeline or skills shortage problem. Jennifer shares what she sees daily working with students across cybersecurity, data science, and AI, including why “entry-level” jobs demanding 2–3 years of experience are blocking capable talent, how unpaid and experiential work does count as experience, and why industry, academia, and government are often talking past each other. The conversation covers: Why internships aren’t the hard part, but alignment is How experiential learning, student clubs, and real-world projects change outcomes Why small and mid-sized businesses are critical to solving cyber resilience The growing intersection of cybersecurity, AI, and data science Why security must be taught first, not patched on later How burnout, hiring practices, and lack of training investment are connected This is a candid, practical discussion about rebuilding trust, redefining readiness, and bringing the human element back into cybersecurity education and hiring. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Introduction & guest overview 01:13 – Welcome to the Cyber Mettle Podcast 02:58 – Jennifer Cutler-Scotti’s background and role at Texas A&M 05:05 – “What do you want to be when you grow up?” framing cyber careers 06:34 – People roles vs technical roles in cybersecurity 08:25 – Why communication skills matter even for technical roles 09:09 – Experiential learning and the “other education” at Texas A&M 10:27 – Student clubs, certifications, and peer-led training 11:21 – Internships, apprenticeships, and hands-on exposure 12:38 – The entry-level job problem: 2–3 years required 14:26 – Translating unpaid experience into resume value 16:37 – Why career fairs don’t solve the problem 18:28 – Industry engagement beyond recruiting 20:14 – Where the disconnect between industry and academia happens 24:00 – Are entry-level cyber roles disappearing? 26:08 – Cyber readiness, cost barriers, and small businesses 27:43 – Real-world student cybersecurity assessments 31:03 – Risk prioritization, budget realities, and human behavior 33:52 – Why textbooks can’t keep up with cyber reality 40:37 – Why cybersecurity education must start earlier 42:35 – Teaching security before systems are built 45:58 – The future of cyber, AI, and data science careers 49:55 – Industry, academia, and government alignment gaps 54:16 – Training, retention, and investing in people 56:36 – Final reflections and call to engage students #Cybersecurity #CyberCareers #CyberEducation #EntryLevelJobs #CyberPipeline #WorkforceDevelopment #AIandCyber #DataScience #CyberMettlePodcast KEYWORDS cybersecurity jobs, entry level cyber roles, cyber talent pipeline, cybersecurity education, cyber internships, AI security, cyber workforce, data science careers, cyber resilience, cyber training