As a budding security engineer, employers would be looking at your ability to tackle security threats. Hence, in the experience section, include specific achievements where you proactively handled security threats or issues, or improved security infrastructure. If you can, quantify these experiences to show measurable impact.

If you have different kinds of experiences, prioritize those that are more relevant to the job you're applying for. For example, if you managed network security in a previous job and the new role involves network security, bump that experience up on the list.

If you're looking to break into the field of security engineering, besides the standard qualifications and relevant technical skills, showcasing your problem-solving abilities can work to your advantage. Many employers value a demonstrated ability to identify and deal with security issues, so include specific examples where you've troubleshooted problems.

Also, if you have them, certifications like Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or CompTIA Security+ can significantly boost your resume. These show your commitment and expertise in the field of security engineering.

When you apply for a job in security, make sure your resume shows you have the right skills. You should talk about the systems and tools you know. List your experience that shows you can keep information safe. It's important to show you understand what this job needs.

• Under skills, list the security tools you have used, like firewalls and intrusion detection systems.
• Show how you have led. If you have led a team, say how many people were in it and what security projects you worked on.
• If you're coming from another job, say what skills you have that are also needed for security work. If you've worked in IT, mention your experience with network security.

As a hiring manager, I suggest you choose action verbs that show your direct involvement in securing systems and resolving issues. The verbs you pick should reflect the precision and proactive nature of your work. Remember, the right verbs can help you stand out in a sea of applicants.

Start with verbs that demonstrate your skills in analysis, problem-solving, and system enhancement. These words will help convey your experience effectively to hiring managers. Consider the following list as a guide:

• To display your ability to assess and fortify security measures, use verbs like analyzed, fortified, assessed, upgraded, and implemented.
• Showcase your proactive incident response skills with responded, neutralized, investigated, remediated, and resolved.
• Highlight your development of security strategies using designed, engineered, developed, established, and integrated.
• To illustrate your maintenance and continuous improvement efforts, include verbs such as maintained, enhanced, optimized, monitored, and reviewed.
• If you've led teams or projects, demonstrate your leadership with led, coordinated, managed, directed, and oversaw.

Want inspiration for other action verbs you can use? Check out synonyms to commonly used action verbs like Contributed, Maintain, Serve, Perform, Develop.

When crafting your resume, it's crucial to highlight your technical expertise. Here's a list of important skills you should consider including if they match your experience and the role you're after:

• Network security
• Encryption algorithms
• Firewall administration
• Security protocols
• Penetration testing
• Vulnerability assessment
• Incident response
• Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
• Identity and Access Management (IAM)
• Cloud security

You don't need to include all these skills, just the ones that best match your experience. Place them in a dedicated 'Skills' section for clarity. This helps with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) which employers use to filter resumes based on keyword matches. If you have certifications like a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), make sure to list it; certifications can be a key requirement for security engineering roles.

Remember, your resume should show what you can do for the company. So, use real project examples to demonstrate your expertise with these skills. For instance, how you managed a network security upgrade or implemented new security protocols can set you apart.

When you apply for a security engineer role, showing growth in leadership is key. You want to make it clear that you can take charge and lead a team. If you've had a promotion, this is a strong sign of trust from your previous employer.

Think about your past jobs. Did you ever get a new title? Did you start leading more people? Here are some ways to show this on your resume:

• Led a team of junior engineers in developing robust security protocols, reducing system vulnerabilities by 30%.
• Promoted from junior to senior security engineer after successfully implementing a company-wide encryption strategy.

Even if you were not formally promoted, you might have taken on leadership tasks. Reflect on projects where you guided others. Here are examples:

• Tasked with mentoring new staff in security best practices, improving team performance.
• Chosen to represent the security team in cross-departmental projects, showcasing leadership abilities.

When you write your resume, showing your impact with numbers can help us see your value. Numbers catch our eye and tell us how you made things better or solved problems. In your role as a security engineer, think about how you helped. Maybe you made systems safer or found ways to spot dangers faster. Here are some ways you can show this:

• How much did you reduce security incidents? Use a percentage to show the decrease. For example, 'Reduced security breaches by 20% year-over-year.'
• Did you speed up the time to fix security issues? Give us the time saved. You could say, 'Cut down threat response time from 24 hours to 3 hours.'

Even if you are not sure of the exact numbers, you can estimate. Think about:

• The size of the systems you protected. How many users or devices were there? You might say, 'Managed security for a network with over 10,000 users.'
• The money you saved the company. If you helped avoid a security issue, what would that issue have cost? You could write, 'Implemented a new firewall that prevented potential losses of over $1 million.'

Use numbers to show your skills and how you make a difference. This will help us see why you would be good for the job.

If you are applying to small companies or startups, like Duo Security or Bitglass, emphasize your hands-on experience and ability to wear multiple hats. Highlight any specific projects where you were responsible for multiple aspects of security, from network defense to incident response. Use phrases like "Led end-to-end implementation of security protocols" or "Managed comprehensive security audits."

For larger corporations such as Cisco or IBM, focus on your expertise in specialized areas of security engineering. Highlight your experience with large-scale security systems and compliance with industry standards. Use phrases like "Developed enterprise-level security solutions" or "Ensured compliance with ISO/IEC 27001 standards."