My experience breaking into computer forensics

Hello everybody,

I’ve been meaning to write a post of my experience in finding a job within the Computer Forensic arena. Lying in bed with the flu and tonsillitis, I thought this would be the perfect time! Hopefully this post will help those looking to break into Computer Forensics.

I like many first time job seekers was completely dumb founded just how difficult it was. I had 16 months experience as a desktop support technician and a computer engineering degree. During my search I opted to quit my job and study an MSc full time in Computer Forensics.

Through sheer persistence and never say die attitude I managed to succeed. Below is list of steps I undertook to help secure my first job

1. Contact a recruiter(s) – Rather then send an email, my preferred method was to contact recruiters by phone. This provides both you and the recruiter an opportunity to gauge one another’s personalities and just how professional the recruiter is. I’m not going to bash some of the recruiters I spoke to, who at times just angered me. Instead I will mention David Sullivan’s name. He was the first I spoke to. He explained to me how difficult the market was to break into, but most importantly offered advice on how I could be successful. Personally David set the standard of how recruiters should operate. In my experience only one who came close to this was Ravi Bans.

During the 12 month spell looking for the elusive job, I made sure I was in regular contact with David. I would pick his brains at very opportunity. Good recruiters have a wealth of information. For example, if I found a company called "Joe Corp", I would ask David his thoughts on the company, if he had any experience with them and most importantly who was the best person to speak to directly.

2. Goggle search - Rather then relying solely on the recruiter I took it upon myself to find computer forensic companies. A simple search in Goggle produced a vast amount of results. My search also included finding forensic roles within large public and private sector organisations, e.g. NHS, Barclays, Vodafone and even the BBC.

3. Create a spreadsheet – By creating a spreadsheet I was able to document my findings. Within the spreadsheet there were two worksheets. The first listed public sector organisations and the second listed private sector companies. The spreadsheet also allowed me to insert various comments and individual names, which I could refer back to.

4. Find a relevant contact - The next object was to find a relevant contact associated to the company/organisation, which was then added to my spreadsheet. I believe it is too easy to send an email to a general inbox or HR. I’m not discarding the method, but do strongly believe you increase your chance by contacting a manager or director directly. It presents the opportunity to show your personality and enthusiasm. I generally found contacts by

• Search associated website – Often websites have a key figureheads advertised
• Search LinkedIn – Discussed further below
• Speak to the recruiter - On many occasions David pointed me in the right direction. I would call him, discuss my findings and whether I had the best contact for the company
• Ask the switchboard – For example, all the big four have a switchboard which directly connects you to the relevant individual

5. LinkedIn – David recommended one of the first things I do is join LinkedIn. I found LinkedIn to be an extremely powerful tool. You’ll be amazed by the number results returned searching for forensic companies. I also expanded my search results by adding people I spoke to. Note, I do not advise sending random connection requests. Instead I would ask permission at the end of the telephone conversation if it were ok to add them. Majority were happy to accept.

6. Make contact – Whenever I did speak to someone, I tried my best not plan my conversation and instead just be myself. I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t get knocked back. Infact this happened more often then not. However it’s a numbers game. As somebody once said, “you gotta be in it, to win it!” Cheesy I know 8).

During my job search I was invited by managers and directors to meet for an informal chat, be it a coffee or tour of the department. These included a “Big Four” company and a Law Enforcement organisation. Eventually I got lucky and managed to get an interview.

7. Preparation for interview – My preparation involved asking advice from contacts I had made during my search. I felt these were the best people to ask, especially those whose had worked in the industry before. During the interview I described my efforts and all those I had spoken to, especially past and present employees of the organisation.

In the end I got lucky and am now working within the Law Enforcement sector. To be honest I’m dreamland and long may it continue. I love the job and still look at my ID card with great pride and amazement. I hope I didn’t bore anyone reading this. My aim was to show that anything is possible if you really put your mind to it. It’s not easy, having a bachelors or masters degree does not guarantee anything. It may open a door though, but it’s up to you as an individual to stand out from the crowd.

A massive thanks those who helped me during my journey, especially those who took the time and effort to speak to me. I'm sure you all know who you are.

Regards