Workshop | Pwning Your Career: Leveraging OSINT to Better Navigate a Career in InfoSec

In cybersecurity, we teach professionals to use OSINT for threat intelligence, reconnaissance, and investigation--but we rarely turn those same skills inward to optimize our own careers. This workshop equips both emerging and experienced InfoSec professionals with practical OSINT techniques to make informed career decisions, evaluate organizational culture, and advocate effectively for themselves. Participants will learn to research companies beyond job descriptions, identify red flags and green flags in organizational culture, assess leadership and team dynamics, and prepare for interviews by understanding the true state of teams and projects. The workshop combines self-reflection exercises to clarify personal career values with hands-on OSINT methodologies to gather intelligence on potential employers, turning the traditional interview dynamic on its head. Whether you're considering your first security role or navigating a career transition, this session provides a framework for approaching career decisions with the same rigor and strategic thinking you apply to security challenges. Learning Objectives: - Apply OSINT techniques to research organizations: Gather intelligence on company culture, leadership, team health, and priorities before interviews or accepting roles. - Clarify personal career values and priorities: Use self-reflection exercises to identify what matters most in your role, team, and organization. - Evaluate culture fit and identify red flags: Develop frameworks to assess organizational health and recognize warning signs of toxic environments. - Transform interviews into two-way evaluations: Ask strategic questions and gather information to assess if opportunities align with your needs. - Advocate effectively for yourself: Build skills to negotiate offers, communicate your value, and make career moves that support your growth and well-being.