Is Penetration Tester right for you?

Penetration Testers are offensive security professionals — paid attackers who break into systems with permission, document exactly how they did it, and write the report that helps defenders close the gaps. A typical engagement runs 1-3 weeks: scope a target (web app, mobile app, internal network, cloud account, Active Directory environment, or full red-team simulation), do reconnaissance, exploit identified weaknesses, escalate privilege, prove impact (data access, admin compromise, lateral movement), and deliver a written report with reproducible proof-of-concepts and prioritized remediation. The role demands deep exploitation skill, creative thinking, and very strong written communication — a finding without a clear report is a finding that doesn't get fixed. In India, the heaviest demand sits at fintech security teams (Razorpay, PhonePe, Cred, Groww), at Big-4 cyber consulting practices (Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PwC), at boutique offensive consultancies (NotSoSecure, Payatu, SecureLayer7, BreachLock), at FAANG India red teams (Microsoft, Amazon, Google), and increasingly as a freelance / bug-bounty career via HackerOne, Bugcrowd, and Synack Red Team.