The IT security job market is booming -- but that doesn't mean everyone is automatically getting a job, or the right job. And just like the threat landscape is rapidly evolving, so are the qualifications and qualities needed for positions in the security profession.
There's a conundrum between supply and demand: Employers are looking for security candidates who can fill a specific need, such as incident response or risk management, while security pros on the job hunt want to build on their existing skills and advance their careers. "But employers don't want to hire someone to get experience on their dime," says Lee Kushner, president of LJ Kushner and Associates, an IT security recruitment firm.

"In general, there are more qualified people than jobs. And in specific terms, there are fewer qualified candidates for the jobs people are hiring for," says Kushner, who also co-founded InfoSecLeaders.com.

Getting the right person for the job is as difficult as getting the right job. According to a report by Booz Allen Hamilton last year, only 40 percent of government managers say they are satisfied with the quality of applicants they're seeing for federal IT security jobs, and only 30 percent are happy with the number of applicants.

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