About this guide
I'm Victoria Shepherd. I'm a search person, not a security person. I've spent 15+ years helping organizations get found by search engines and AI, and I write about it for Search Engine Land and Search Engine Journal. LinkedIn Recruiter is a search engine too, and applicant tracking systems filter what you send before a person reads it. You bring the technical skills. This guide shows you how to put them in the terms recruiters search for.
Part 1: How recruiters actually find you
- LinkedIn Recruiter is keyword search. Recruiters filter by title, skills, location and certifications, then add Boolean strings on top. If a term isn't on your profile, you don't appear in their results.
- Applicant tracking systems parse before a person reads. Tables, columns, text boxes and graphics can scramble your resume. A single-column layout with standard section headings is the safe choice.
- Certifications are searched both ways. Some recruiters type "Security+", others "CompTIA Security+". Write both on your resume and profile.
- Try it yourself: search LinkedIn for a job title you want plus a cert you hold. See whose profiles appear, and compare their headlines to yours.
Part 2: 8 mistakes that keep good security people invisible, and the fix for each
- 1
Certifications written only one way. Fix: use the full name and the acronym once each, e.g. "CompTIA Security+ (Sec+)".
- 2
Vague clearance line. Fix: level, status and investigation year only, e.g. "Active TS/SCI, investigation 2024." Nothing else.
- 3
Missing DoD 8140 / DCWF terms for federal and contractor roles. Fix: read the postings you're targeting and use their work-role terms word for word, where they're true for you.
- 4
Outdated NICE role names. Fix: use the current NICE Framework term with the common job title beside it.
- 5
Tool lists with no outcome. Fix: turn "Splunk, Wireshark, Nmap" into what you did and what it achieved.
- 6
Proof hidden on GitHub. Fix: add homelab, CTF, CVE and bug-bounty work to the resume and to LinkedIn Featured.
- 7
An "Aspiring cybersecurity professional" headline. Fix: use the formula target title | certs | 2–3 core skills | proof | location/remote.
- 8
A thin, unordered Skills section, and Open to Work shown to everyone. Fix: list the skills recruiters search for first, and consider setting Open to Work to "recruiters only" if you're currently employed.
Part 3: Before → after
Illustrative, a fictional SOC analyst
Headline
Before: Cybersecurity enthusiast | Always learning
After: SOC Analyst (Tier 1) | CompTIA Security+ · CySA+ | SIEM (Splunk) · Incident Response · Threat Hunting | Homelab + CTF | Open to Orlando/Tampa & Remote
Resume bullet
Before: Monitored alerts in Splunk.
After: Triaged and escalated SIEM (Splunk) alerts across [X] endpoints; wrote [N] correlation searches that cut false positives by [__%], mapping detections to MITRE ATT&CK.
Only use numbers you can back up in an interview. If you don't know one, estimate honestly or leave it out.
Part 4: If you're changing careers
Your old job is probably more relevant than your resume makes it look. Help desk is incident triage. The military is often operations security and access control. Healthcare IT is HIPAA compliance and risk. Describe what you did in security terms, but only where it's true, and lead with the part that matches the job you want.
Free download
Free: the Cyber Recruiter Keyword Checklist
One page. You get:
- →the full-name and acronym version of every common cert
- →a clearance wording template
- →5 Boolean strings of the kind recruiters use for SOC, GRC, pentest and cloud roles
- →a NICE/DCWF role-name crosswalk
- →LinkedIn field limits
Want a second set of eyes after you've run it? Connect with me on LinkedIn and tell me what you changed.
Want me to do it for you?
Most people can make these fixes themselves using the guide above. If you'd rather hand it off, or you want a second set of eyes, these are the three ways I work. Prices are listed so you know before you reach out.
LinkedIn Search Audit
$49
Your headline, About section and Skills list, rewritten, plus a short list of keyword gaps against 2 job postings you choose. No call; delivered in 3 business days. This is the easiest place to start.
Your $49 is credited toward the Bundle if you upgrade within 30 days.
Resume + LinkedIn Bundle
$249
One ATS-safe resume (DOCX + PDF) tailored to your target role family; your LinkedIn headline, About section and Skills list; and a keyword map showing which common recruiter strings your resume and profile now contain. 5 business days, 1 revision round.
Full Career Package
$750
Everything in the bundle, plus:
- →a 60-minute strategy call
- →resume versions for up to 2 role families
- →a full LinkedIn rebuild, including banner design
- →a proof-of-work section built from your homelab, CTF, bug-bounty and GitHub work
- →a cover letter template
- →a 30-day tune-up
10 business days, 2 revision rounds. Starts with a call.
How to start any of these: connect with me on LinkedIn and send a note about what you're aiming for. I'll look at your profile and recommend the right option, and sometimes that's "you don't need to pay for this." Once we agree, I send a QuickBooks invoice; the timeline starts when it's paid and I have your materials.
Connect with me on LinkedInData handling applies to all three options:
- AI: Any AI drafting runs on a model installed on my own computer. Your documents are never sent to ChatGPT, Claude or any other cloud AI service.
- Tools: Invoicing: QuickBooks. Drafting: a local AI model on my own computer (nothing is uploaded to an AI company).
- Deletion: working files are deleted 30 days after delivery.
- No login: I never log in to your LinkedIn.
- Clearance: clearance wording is limited to level, status and year.
No guarantees: entry-level security hiring is tight, and no resume changes that. What I do is make sure the experience you already have is found and understood.
FAQ
- Is this affiliated with BSides Orlando?
- No. BSides Orlando is a volunteer-run community event, and this page is independent. If you're attending, visit the Career Village. It's free and it's good.
- Can't I just use ChatGPT?
- Yes, for a first draft. Use this guide to check its output: does it include the terms recruiters search for, written both ways? Does it state results you can actually back up?
- How should I list a security clearance?
- Level, status and investigation year only. No program names, locations or classified details. If you're unsure, ask your FSO.
- I'm a student with a cert and no experience. Where do I start?
- Start with Part 2, mistakes 6 and 7. Proof-of-work projects and a strong headline will do more for you than anything you could pay for right now.