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

Описание: 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

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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