Career Connections
Linking Activities to Real Cybersecurity Careers
Overview
Each activity connects directly to authentic cybersecurity work roles defined in the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity. These one-page handouts help students recognize how classroom activities relate to actual professional pathways in the field.
Career Connection Handouts
Activity 1: Security Detective Teams
Primary Work Role: Defensive Cybersecurity
Students investigate security incidents by analyzing login patterns, password weaknesses, and suspicious activity, performing exactly the kind of analysis that Defensive Cybersecurity professionals conduct daily. Related careers include SOC Analyst, Digital Forensics Analyst, Vulnerability Analyst, and Threat Intelligence Analyst.
Activity 2: AI-Assisted Incident Response
Primary Work Role: Incident Response
Students coordinate response to security incidents in team roles, making time-critical decisions with AI support, directly mirroring the workflow of Security Operations Center professionals. Related careers include Incident Commander, Threat Intelligence Specialist, Security Engineer, and Security Communications.
Activity 3: Ethics in Automated Security
Primary Work Role: Cybersecurity Policy and Planning
Students design governance policies for AI security systems, balancing competing concerns in ways that reflect the core work of security governance professionals. Related careers include Security Governance Specialist, Risk Analyst, Compliance Manager, and Privacy Officer.
Using Career Connections
During Activities
Reference NICE work roles explicitly during activity introductions. Use career language when describing tasks, and point out moments when students are “doing what professional analysts do” in their investigations.
During Debrief
Connect specific tasks to professional practices during debrief discussions. Discuss how AI collaboration appears in real cybersecurity work and encourage students to ask questions about career pathways.
For Interested Students
Direct students seeking further exploration to the NICE Framework Resource Center, CyberSeek Career Pathways, and local cybersecurity competitions such as CyberPatriot, NCL, and picoCTF.
NICE Framework Alignment (v2.0.0)
| Activity | Primary Work Roles | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Security Detective Teams | Defensive Cybersecurity | Protection and Defense (PD) |
| AI-Assisted Incident Response | Incident Response | Protection and Defense (PD) |
| Ethics in Automated Security | Cybersecurity Policy and Planning | Oversight and Governance (OG) |
Industry research consistently shows hundreds of thousands of unfilled cybersecurity positions. Human-AI collaboration skills are increasingly valued by employers—the (ISC)² Cybersecurity Workforce Study documents how AI is reshaping job requirements while the core need for human judgment remains constant.