Jonathan Ayodele

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The Difference Between Having 5 Years of Experience and Having 1 Year of Experience 5 Times

I recently spoke with a professional who was frustrated.

He had been in cybersecurity for over six years but was still in the same junior-level role.

He couldn't understand why.

I have the experience," he told me.

But when we looked closer, we found the problem.

He didn't have six years of experience.

He had one year of experience that he had repeated six times.

There is a massive difference.

One leads to growth, leadership, and higher pay.

The other leads to stagnation and feeling stuck.

1️⃣ You stop feeling uncomfortable

If your daily tasks feel easy every single day, you aren't growing.

Growth lives in the "I'm not quite sure how to do this yet" zone.

Once you master a tool or a process, you must look for the next challenge.

2️⃣ You focus on "How" but never "Why"

Anyone can follow a manual to run a vulnerability scan.

That is a task.

Understanding how that scan impacts the business's bottom line is a career.

The top 1% connect their technical work to business risk.

3️⃣ Your network is invisible

If the only people who know you are good at your job are your immediate teammates, you are at risk.

Visibility is not about bragging.

It is about ensuring that stakeholders and leadership understand the value you bring.

4️⃣ You are waiting for a "Clear Path"

In cybersecurity, no one is going to hand you a map.

You have to build the map while you are walking on it.

Waiting for your manager to tell you what to learn next is a recipe for staying exactly where you are.

Experience is not just time spent in a chair.

It is the accumulation of solved problems, expanded responsibilities, and increased visibility.

If you feel stuck, stop looking at your years of service.

Start looking at your rate of learning.

Follow Jonathan Ayodele for more Cybersecurity career insights.

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