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Welcome to Edition #40 of The Career Compass! In this milestone edition, we're diving into strategies to confidently answer challenging interview questions, providing insights into upcoming career trends, and introducing exclusive opportunities to kickstart your career transformation. Plus, don't miss your chance to join our upcoming free webinar and book an exploratory call.

Video of the Week: How to Answer the Toughest Interview Question About Your Future

Struggling with the interview question, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" Don’t worry! In this concise 5-minute video, you'll learn a proven 3-step formula to craft a confident, authentic, and impressive response that will wow any interviewer.

✅ Understand why interviewers ask this question
✅ Learn a simple 3-step strategy to answer with confidence
✅ See real-world examples across industries like marketing, tech, and more
✅ Discover common mistakes and how to avoid them

Get ready to showcase ambition, align your goals with the company, and impress in your next interview.

Optimize global IT operations with our World at Work Guide

Explore this ready-to-go guide to support your IT operations in 130+ countries. Discover how:

• Standardizing global IT operations enhances efficiency and reduces overhead

• Ensuring compliance with local IT legislation to safeguard your operations

• Integrating Deel IT with EOR, global payroll, and contractor management optimizes your tech stack

Leverage Deel IT to manage your global operations with ease.

Download free guide

Free Webinar: From Stuck to Success – July 3 at 6PM AEST

Feeling stuck in your career? Ready to make a meaningful transition? Join me live for the From Stuck to Success webinar where I’ll share 7 proven steps to transition into a role you love.

What you’ll learn:

• Reflect honestly on your current career dissatisfaction

• Identify your core values and align them with the right opportunities

• Create a compelling vision for your ideal career

• Pinpoint transferable skills and hidden strengths

• Explore new paths with a research-backed approach

• Break your goals into achievable, trackable steps

• Take immediate action with our 30-Day Career Reboot Roadmap

🎁 Bonus: Attendees receive exclusive downloadable resources to support their career transformation.

👉 Register Now – Seats are limited!

News & Trends in Career Development

🌟 Personal Branding Becomes Essential

In 2025, personal branding is no longer optional—it's essential. Recruiters increasingly rely on LinkedIn, online portfolios, and even personal blogs to differentiate candidates. Professionals who consistently showcase their expertise online through thoughtful content and active engagement are landing opportunities faster.

🔹 Why it matters: Building a strong personal brand online positions you as a thought leader and trusted professional in your field. Take time each week to engage meaningfully—publish insightful posts, comment constructively on industry discussions, and share relevant content. A robust personal brand not only makes your resume stand out but also establishes credibility and opens doors to new opportunities and connections.

Micro-Credentials on the Rise

Traditional degrees and lengthy certifications are giving way to micro-credentials—short, targeted, and highly specialised courses. Employers value these credentials for their immediate relevance and measurable skill acquisition.

🔹 Why it matters: Micro-credentials allow you to swiftly gain in-demand skills and immediately demonstrate their application to potential employers. Explore courses on platforms such as Coursera, edX, Udacity, or LinkedIn Learning tailored to your desired career trajectory. Completing these focused courses signals continuous learning, adaptability, and a proactive attitude—traits highly sought after in a dynamic job market.

💡 Hybrid Career Paths Emerge

More professionals are creating hybrid roles that blend skillsets from multiple areas. Think: cybersecurity professionals with deep communication skills, marketers fluent in data analytics, or finance experts skilled in technology management.

🔹 Why it matters: Hybrid roles allow professionals to leverage diverse talents, making them uniquely valuable in complex business environments. Embracing and developing cross-disciplinary skills can significantly enhance your marketability, leading to innovative roles and increased earning potential. Consider courses or projects that broaden your skillset beyond traditional boundaries to capitalise on this emerging trend.

Weekly Career Challenge: Enhance Your LinkedIn Profile

This week’s challenge is to update your LinkedIn profile:

• Refresh your headline and summary

• Add recent projects, achievements, or skills

• Engage meaningfully with at least three posts

✅ Share your profile improvements on LinkedIn using #CareerCompassChallenge and tag me @LukeGough. I’ll feature top updates next week!

Stay Motivated and Reach Your Goals

Motivation is the spark that ignites action and keeps us moving toward our goals, even when challenges arise. But maintaining consistent motivation can be challenging.

Here’s how you can stay motivated and focused:

✅ Set Clear, Achievable Goals: Clearly define what success looks like for you, setting precise, achievable milestones.

✅ Break Big Tasks into Smaller Steps: Make large goals manageable by dividing them into smaller, actionable tasks. Celebrate each small victory to maintain enthusiasm and momentum.

✅ Surround Yourself with Positive Influences: Connect regularly with mentors, colleagues, and friends who inspire and uplift you. Positive interactions can recharge your motivation and provide valuable perspective.

✅ Regularly Remind Yourself of Your "Why": Revisit your purpose regularly. Remembering why you started and what achieving your goals means to you can reignite your passion and focus.

Motivation isn’t always constant—it fluctuates. The key is building routines and environments that regularly renew your motivation, keeping you energised and driven toward your professional goals.

Exclusive Offer: Free 15-Minute Career Call

Feeling uncertain about your next career move? Let’s chat. Book a complimentary 15-minute exploratory call with me. We'll quickly pinpoint your challenges and discuss practical next steps.

👉 Book your call now

Cyber Career Spotlight: Cloud Security Architect

As cloud computing becomes the backbone of modern business operations, the demand for skilled professionals who can secure these environments is skyrocketing. Enter the Cloud Security Architect—a critical role at the intersection of cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and risk management.

🔹 What They Do

Cloud Security Architects are responsible for designing and implementing secure cloud-based systems and infrastructure. Their role is proactive—they anticipate risks, build secure frameworks, and guide development teams in deploying applications that meet compliance and security best practices.

They work closely with IT, DevOps, and compliance teams to ensure that the cloud environment (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud) is secure, resilient, and aligned with organisational risk tolerance.

🔹 Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Design and enforce cloud security architecture patterns and blueprints

• Conduct cloud threat modelling, risk analysis, and penetration testing

• Develop and maintain policies and controls aligned with standards like NIST, CIS, ISO 27001, and SOC 2

• Implement and manage cloud-native security tools (e.g., AWS GuardDuty, Azure Defender)

• Work with DevSecOps to automate secure code delivery pipelines

• Perform audits and continuously monitor for misconfigurations or vulnerabilities

• Stay current on the evolving threat landscape and cloud security innovations

🔹 Must-Have Skills

• In-depth experience with at least one major cloud provider (AWS, Azure, GCP)

• Strong grasp of Identity and Access Management (IAM), encryption, firewalls, VPNs, and key management

• Familiarity with container security (Docker, Kubernetes) and CI/CD pipelines

• Knowledge of zero-trust architecture and micro-segmentation

• Hands-on knowledge of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform or CloudFormation

• Excellent communication skills to translate technical concepts to business stakeholders

🔹 Certifications to Consider

• Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)

• AWS Certified Security – Specialty

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate

• Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer

• CompTIA Cloud+ (great for beginners)

🔹 Career Path

• Entry Point: Cloud Security Analyst or IT Security Engineer

• Mid-Level: Cloud Security Engineer → DevSecOps Engineer

• Advanced: Cloud Security Architect → Chief Cloud Security Officer or Head of Cloud Security

🔹 Salary Expectations

In Australia, Cloud Security Architects typically earn between $150K to $200K+ AUD, depending on experience, industry, and location. In high-demand sectors like finance or tech, compensation can rise even higher.

Why It Matters:
Cloud Security Architects are among the most sought-after roles in cybersecurity today. As businesses expand their digital footprint and adopt multi-cloud strategies, this role ensures that innovation doesn't come at the cost of security.

Tip: If you’re already in a network security, DevOps, or systems role—consider layering in cloud certifications and projects to pivot into this high-paying, future-proof career path.

Thank you for being part of The Career Compass community. Keep striving, stay proactive, and make each step count towards your dream career.

P.S. Remember to share The Career Compass with your network, and let's empower more careers together!

Best wishes,
Luke Gough
Career Coach | Founder, The Career Compass