An Investment in Your Education Is an Investment in Yourself

The rate of inflation has steadily increased throughout the years, but it was recently expedited by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prices across the country have been steadily rising: childcare costs have risen over 40%, and housing and rent expenses have soared at an alarming rate.

Having concerns about your career and, ultimately, your future is entirely understandable in the face of all of this. In fact, according to Willis Towers Watson’s 2022 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey, 44% of current employees are seeking new job opportunities. These changes aren’t just happening in one industry either; in the last year, over 50% of Americans who left their career switched job fields. 

The primary contributing factor?

The amount of potential work-from-home positions that offer a flexible work schedule and higher salary. If this scenario sounds attractive to you, then we have good news!

You can be a part of this change and achieve a fulfilling career in a booming industry and, ultimately, a better future. 

We understand if this notion is intimidating! Education costs are similarly on the rise, but don’t let that discourage you. We have a cost-effective option that can prepare you to break into a career in tech in less than a year. The Nexus at University of Michigan Engineering Cybersecurity Professional Bootcamp.

Our bootcamp is designed for learners of all skill levels, so whether you’re looking to refine your current skills or learn some new ones, we’re ready to help you invest in yourself.

Cybersecurity: A Solid Career Choice in a Skyrocketing Industry

The pandemic led to several significant changes in the U.S. job market, most notable was the Great Resignation, which led to 4.3 million Americans quitting their jobs. The primary contributing factor for these staggering numbers? Among those surveyed the majority claimed their pay was just too low.. 

Seeing how most salary rates are not keeping up with the rate of inflation, it’s understandable why this switch is taking place. If your salary is not rising at the same inflation rate, then your dollar simply does not go as far. 

Individuals want more than just a higher payout of their careers. They’re looking for job security and opportunities for personal and professional growth. They want to know that they are engaging in work worth doing.

The cybersecurity field can offer these benefits, plus it has a significant demand for new talent. In the last year alone, the rate of open source cyberattacks rose by 650%. The simple truth is our data is more vulnerable than ever, and there is a tremendous need for skilled personnel to help defend our vital information.

Due to their importance, cybersecurity positions currently have an unemployment rate of 0%, and, to meet the current global demand for cybersecurity professionals, the workforce would have to grow by 145%. In the U.S., the current number of qualified cybersecurity professionals would need to grow by over 60%. 

Because of this high demand, current salaries for these professionals are, on average, higher than those found in other sectors. Additionally, with years spent in the industry, current trends illustrate that cybersecurity salaries will continue to increase. In 2020 analysts saw an average salary growth of about 16%, whereas in other major industries, the salary increases averaged about 2%. 

A career switch to cybersecurity is not only a wise choice but also a realistic one. The first step is ensuring you receive the right training. 

Finding the Right Path Towards a New Career 

Breaking into an industry that you may have no experience in can be difficult but it’s not impossible. There are many options available to learners hungry for new opportunities, you just have to ask yourself which is right for you.

For a long time, a four-year degree was viewed as the primary way to land a good job, and while it is certainly still a viable option, the time commitment and pricing doesn’t work for everyone. 

Another option is to train yourself. There are a variety of programs available online, and you could potentially receive enough training to apply for popular industry certifications. However, with this approach, you would miss out on the support system of a professional program as well as valuable networking opportunities and the chance to learn from current industry professionals. Additionally, you’ll need to devote an extensive amount of time to researching these online programs to ensure they are providing you with the right skills.  

If you do decide to self-train, there is still more work to be done before you can land a successful career. Learning the skills is only half the battle; you first have to ensure that your resume stands out among others. While you could hire a professional resume writer, these commissions can often cost upwards of $400. You’ll also need qualified career coaching and counseling. Costs for these services can potentially be $150 per session or more. 

If these options aren’t for you, we offer a third: an accelerated career prep bootcamp backed by a university you can trust. Nexus’ Cybersecurity Professional Bootcamp includes the benefits that self-training doesn’t with hands-on, online courses that are ideal for those with busy schedules. With our bootcamp, you can receive the cutting-edge skills employers are hiring for from current cybersecurity experts.  

The Value of Our Professional Bootcamp 

As we said, the four-year degree was traditionally seen as the only option to land a career with top companies for a long time. While this is still a completely viable option to receive the training you’ll need, It’s not as much of a necessity in the current job market. Companies nowadays such as Apple, IBM, and Google aren’t listing a traditional degree as a requirement on their job postings.  

Our cost-effective bootcamp not only provides you with hands-on training but also boasts several other benefits to help you on your path.

• No Prior Experience is Required

You don’t have to worry about having previous work experience or prerequisite courses in cybersecurity for our bootcamp. Our goal is to take the learner, no matter their experience level, and provide them with all the skills and knowledge they’ll need to break into the industry.

• Dedicated Career Services

Our bootcamp also offers a career support experience that is tailored to the needs of the individuals. If you recall those individual prices for career coaching and resume writing, they were quite high on their own. With our bootcamp, these services are included along with job placement assistance, networking opportunities, LinkedIn profile optimization, and more.

The best part? All of these services are available to you for up to 6 months after you’ve completed the bootcamp.

• Online Courses for Busy Schedules

We all have busy schedules, with family, current work or volunteer obligations, and more, we wanted to ensure that our bootcamp provides a flexible, remote classroom experience with classes in the evenings and on weekends.

The current spikes we’re seeing in education costs can be intimidating barriers to face; however, by investing in yourself with Nexus’ Cybersecurity Professional Bootcamp, you’ll stand to see greater opportunities for a brighter future.

The Potential ROI in an Investment in Yourself

Return on investment (ROI) is a term used in finances to explain or quantify the gains an individual can potentially make on an investment. The truth is, to make money, you sometimes have to spend money, and the ROI can determine how helpful a potential investment could be.

Investing can be scary, especially if you’re unsure if you’ll even see any benefits, let alone if they’ll even be helpful. This is why we want to break down some of the numbers for you to illustrate that, by participating in Nexus’ Cybersecurity Professional Bootcamp, you could be making an investment that would potentially net you a high ROI in less than a year. 

Let’s take a look at a hypothetical situation.

Let’s say you are currently making an average salary of $50,000 a year. You then invest $16,000 in yourself with the Nexus’ Cybersecurity Professional Bootcamp and, in that same year, get a job as an Information Security Specialist. The potential starting salary for this position is about $86,000 a year. This means that in your first year, your ROI could be $20,000 and would only increase with time spent working in the industry. 

There are many potential careers within cybersecurity that commonly boast higher annual salaries than average, listed below.

• Information Security Specialist
  • These specialists monitor an organization’s security system and ensure measures are taken to protect them from potential future cyberattacks. 

Average salary: $85k a year

• IT Auditor
  • In this position, you would perform audits of existing security systems, identify potential weaknesses or exploits, and strategically create countermeasures to prevent breaches. 

Average salary: $75k a year

• Security Analyst
  • These analysts research and install new software to protect a company’s valuable data. They also keep records on security breaches their software identifies to help lessen the damage from future cyberattacks.

Average salary: $75k a year

These are a fraction of the entry-level salaries available to you in the world of cybersecurity, all of which could net you a positive ROI in your first year. This is what makes investing in yourself with Nexus’ Cybersecurity Professional Bootcamp a wise choice that could potentially help you see more significant financial gains in the future.

*This scenario is hypothetical. Salaries vary based on a number of factors, including position, location, experience level, skills, as well as work, and personal history.

How to Finance Your Investment

We provide you with a few different options to finance your investment.

1. Step one: Participate in our bootcamp’s 30-hour Introductory Course to see if our program is right for you. 
2. Step two: When you feel ready for the complete program you can choose any of the three payment options:

Have a few questions about your payment options?

An admissions advisor will be able to walk you through your options so you can make the best decision for your future. 

Start Your Path Towards a Fulfilling Career in Cybersecurity

You not only deserve the brighter future a career in cybersecurity could bring, but we are confident that you can achieve it! With the right dedication, you can complete the program in just ten months with the cutting-edge cybersecurity skills employers want.

The best part? We have your back. At the Nexus at University of Michigan Engineering Cybersecurity Professional Bootcamp, you’ll receive our tailored career support throughout the program and for up to 6 months after completion.

Get excited! This investment in yourself brings about a new adventure with the potential for a fulfilling career in a skyrocketing industry.

If you have any questions, you can contact our admissions advisors at (734)-707-9985 or by filling out the form below.