Penetration Testing Skills: Example Usage on Resumes, Skill Set & Top Keywords in 2023

Volen Vulkov

4 minute read

Updated on 2021-07-26

More businesses are getting into the digital world every day. The demand for security and privacy is at its peak.

Recruiters want to hire candidates with superb penetration testing skills.

Here’s how to showcase your expertise:

Penetration Testing skills list and examples for your resume:

Experience

Penetration TesterKewSquare

Jan/2014 - Feb/2019

Pioneered a vendor management program to annually assess and validate the security controls of 3rd party providers.

Actively participated in business development to grew business revenue from $0 to $1.15/year in 3.5 years

Designed and implemented AppSec programs for 7 organizations.

Managed end-to-end delivery of 80+ application security assessments

Performed 50+ application penetration tests for finance and software product companies

Performed 20+ code reviews

Developed security policies and test plans based on PCI DSS, GSD 330

These Penetration Testing skills are always in high demand:

Building virtual hacking environments
Web development knowledge
Programming languages: PHP, Java, Javascript, SQL
Web server hacking
Understanding of web vulnerabilities: code execution, file upload, SQL, XSS
Keyloggers
Exploitation: password cracking, brute force, dictionary attacks
Signal jamming and DDoS: attacks and defenses

PRO TIPThere are hundreds of penetration testing subskills you can feature on your resume. But when it comes to crafting job-winning resumes, more is less. You don’t want to bore the recruiter with excruciating details. Be sure only to list your strongest, most relevant skills.

How to demonstrate Penetration Testing skills on your resume

Analyzed and secured company network servers from hackers and loss of data
Performed security tests on servers, web-based applications, and computer systems
Generated detailed security reports and discussed solutions with IT professionals and management

What jobs require Penetration Testing skills:

Penetration Tester
Adjunct Professor
Senior Director Of Information Security
Security Engineer
Visiting Scholar
Cyber Security Solutions Architect (pre-sales)
Sr Regional System Engineer (pre-sales)
Web Developer
Group Manager For Cyber Security & Telecom
Security Researcher

Read our article on how to add language skills on resume for additional tips and tricks.

Penetration Testing skills courses and certificates:

Learn Ethical Hacking in 2023: Beginner to Advanced!
Learn ethical hacking, penetration testing and network security skills with the most comprehensive course for 2023!
IT Security and Ethical Hacking
Learn the basics of IT Security, Ethical Hacking and its various concepts. Work on your certification!
The Definitive Ethical Hacking Course - Learn From Scratch
Learn the Basics Of Ethical Hacking, Penetration Testing, Wifi Hacking
The Complete Penetration Testing Bootcamp
Learn Penetration Testing The Right Way! Learn All The Ethical Hacking & Penetration Testing Techniques Used By Hackers

Here are the top related skills to Penetration Testing:

Python
Linux
Vulnerability Assessment
Java
Javascript
Networking
Information Security
Php
Metasploit
Siem
Bash
C
Compliance
Ethical Hacking
Incident Response

Penetration Testing popularity over time:

Courtesy of Google Trends

Read our comprehensive guide on how long a resume should be.

About this report:

Data reflects analysis made on over 1M resume profiles and examples over the last 2 years from Enhancv.com.

While those skills are most commonly met on resumes, you should only use them as inspiration and customize your resume for the given job.

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Volen Vulkov

Volen Vulkov is a resume expert and the co-founder of Enhancv. He applies his deep knowledge and experience to write about career change, development, and how to stand out in the job application process.