Feb 20, 2019 - 04:14 PM
You should put your experience as a hacker on your resume if it's not illegal, and you tailor it in way that shows how your hacker skills can help an employer. Specifically, you want to be an "ethical hacker" – someone who specializes in gauging the vulnerability of a system so that malicious hackers are not successful in penetrating a business.
Ethical hackers, also known as "white hats," work with good intentions – to help, and not hurt, an organization. If you've hacked illegally, many organizations will avoid you. The key is showing that you've developed skills as a hacker that can help an employer, such as being computer savvy, having security certifications or being tenacious enough to find a bug in a system and then alerting the company (this last one is key). Many companies – and even the government – are looking for hackers to test their own systems and prevent future attacks, and may consider it a plus that you have such experience. Other companies may not specifically be looking for hackers, but your hacking skills could be beneficial for any number of jobs.
Aug 23, 2018 - 10:03 AM
Was the work you did legal? If you worked as an ethical hacker for a cybersecurity firm, then write that into your work experience. You can always use an alternate job title or explain the term in your cover letter.
Is the job obviously okay with it? The US Department of Defense has a few positions that actually require hacking experience in your application. You should read the description carefully, as some jobs are referencing ethical hacking only.
If your experience falls under the category of illegal hobby, do not include hacking in your resume. Instead, write the technical knowledge you gained as a hacker into your skills section. You can include your familiarity with common hacking applications, understanding of cybersecurity protocols, and awareness of techniques as they apply to the position. While this doesn't allow you to list your experience in years, it does demonstrate your abilities.
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