The cybersecurity training program through SheLeadsTech, AnitaB.org and City Tech is the reason why I’m in the position that I’m in right now. It really solidified this is the industry that I want to work in. It was very informative, and they gave me the tools I needed to get started. They made us feel like this was possible – that we could make the transition into cybersecurity. We did not have to come from a background that you’ve been doing cybersecurity since you were 15 years old, and it wasn’t too late to learn something.
I really feel that if I was not in this program, I would probably still be at my old job trying to figure out what I want to do. This program was so monumental in helping me pivot to something that I’m passionate about that has been inside me for a long time, but I had no way of bringing it out or using it to further my career.
What’s intriguing to me about cybersecurity is that someone outside of who is sitting at that computer could have a level of control that could cause chaos, and I enjoy being the person to remediate that chaos. From my previous experience working at Geek Squad for Best Buy, seeing people come in and say, ‘My files are gone, I don’t know what to do, this person has attacked my computer,’ and being able to give it back to them in working order was very rewarding. And now I’ve been able to build on those skills as a cybersecurity professional.
It’s extremely exciting to the point where when I go home, I’m researching other ways that I can improve my skill set. I just want to continue to focus on cybersecurity and figure out which direction I want to go in cyber.