This workbook was created with you in mind — the career counselors, academic advisors, and educators who sit across the table from students every day, helping them find their footing and their future.
ExploreCyber is a Cybersecurity Career Awareness and Exploration Initiative (CCAEI) funded by the National Science Foundation. We built this toolkit and workbook because we know that cybersecurity is one of the most in-demand, impactful, and accessible career fields available today — and yet it remains one of the most misunderstood.
You are the bridge. When a student says “that’s not for me,” you’re the one who can reframe the conversation. When a student doesn’t know where to start, you’re the one with the map. This workbook is designed to be that map.
Download Toolkit v2 (draft)
How to Use This Workbook
This workbook is a companion to the ExploreCyber Cybersecurity Careers Toolkit. While the toolkit provides the knowledge, this workbook puts it into practice. Use it to:
- Guide one-on-one advising sessions with students exploring cybersecurity careers
- Facilitate classroom or group discussions around career pathways, credentials, and goals
- Help students self-assess their interests, strengths, and next steps
- Document and track student progress along their cybersecurity pathway
- Connect students to scholarships, certifications, competitions, and real-world opportunities
There is no single right way to use it. Some advisors will work through it section by section. Others will jump to the tools most relevant to their students. Both approaches are right. What matters most is the conversation it starts.
A Note on Who This Is For
Whether you work with high schoolers just discovering the field, community college students weighing their options, or university students planning their first steps into the workforce — this workbook meets students where they are. Cybersecurity has an on-ramp for everyone. Your job is helping them find theirs.
We Want to Hear From You
This workbook — like the field of cybersecurity itself — is always evolving. We compiled it with real advisors and counselors in mind, and we want your experience to shape what comes next.
After using this workbook with your students, we’d love to know:
- What worked well in your advising sessions?
- Which sections sparked the most student engagement or conversation?
- What resources, activities, or guidance would you like to see added?
- What barriers are your students facing that we haven’t addressed?
- What would make this workbook more useful in your specific context?
Your feedback directly informs future versions of the Explore Cyber toolkit and workbook. You are not just a user of this resource — you are a contributor to it.