National Careers Week - How to Pursue a Career in Cyber
10 Mar 22
STEM
BY Mikey Newton
Mikey Newton
This week is National Careers Week - so it seemed like the perfect time to share some insights in to how I came to be working for Inzpire as a cyber analyst.
Let me start by saying there is no set way to enter the working world of information technology (IT) / cyber security (CS). There are multiple pathways into a successful career in these industries. Whether you decide to join college or university or do neither and go straight into a job after leaving school, there is no right or wrong way. If you’re passionate about your subject, you will no doubt be successful.
My career journey so far has been an enjoyable one. This is how it began.
My pathway into IT began at a very early age. My father had also been interested in computers from a very young age and worked with the military and supporting various defence IT systems. I remember our whole house was covered in computers and various associated components; it was always a bug bear of my mother’s as she could not get to her dining room table due to it looking like an ‘electronics store’. I personally thought this was great and I was destined to be involved in IT one way or another. There was literally no escaping it!
I personally quite liked our dining room table looking like an 'electronics store'; my mum, however, did not!
I studied GCSEs at secondary school with an obvious keen interest in IT. I had 2 years off school due to an illness, however, I managed to pass all the necessary GCSE’s (including IT, in case you were wondering!). Instead of attending sixth form, I decided to participate in a BTEC National Diploma course in IT at a local college for 2 years.
When I started at college, I decided I also wanted to gain some work experience within the industry. I had started driving lessons, so if nothing else I needed an income to pay for those! I wrote to various computer repair shops in the local area to see if any weekend job opportunities were available. I was extremely lucky to land a job as a Personal Computer (PC) repair technician. I was absolutely in my element building PCs at the weekend and being paid for it. As an added bonus, I was able to afford my driving lessons and passed my test halfway through my college course.
After 2 years of college and working in a PC repair shop, I could not face building another PC! I decided to explore a different area in the IT industry. As I was always fascinated by how data was transferred from one PC to another, a degree in computer networking seemed the perfect fit so I applied to university.
One year into my degree, I decided that it was perhaps not best pathway for me afterall and that I would rather go straight into work. I always ended up spending my student loan on everything other than student-type-stuff. So, I left, and after a few months out of university I found a job as an IT / network support technician.
For the next few years, I dedicated my time to studying for various IT certifications ranging from PC repair to IT networking. Continual education in IT is extremely important as the industry moves at such a fast pace, especially in the world of cyber. I worked my way from 1st line roles up to 4th line and eventually found my way into the exciting world of IT security.
I saw a fantastic job opportunity, so I applied for a position working with firewalls and other IT security appliances. I was extremely doubtful I would get the job - I had little experience in the area and only applied on the off chance I may get an interview. Which luckily, I did!
I went into the interview extremely well-prepared having done plenty of research. I showed a huge amount of passion and I was lucky enough to get offered the job despite being 15 minutes late for the interview (I had to travel 200 miles to the company’s headquarters and traffic wasn’t on my side!). It ended up being an extremely beneficial opportunity and gave me a thirst-quenching appreciation for the world of cyber.
Throughout all the twists and turns in my career, I have found a true passion for all-things cyber
I have mentioned ‘passion’ a couple of times within this blog. I believe if you have enough passion in the area you want to specialise in, anything is achievable. I genuinely believed I had no way of gaining what was at the time my dream job, however, taking the initial step in applying and coming across well in the interview – and demonstrating true passion for the opportunity - was a turning point in my career.
I continued studying IT certifications moving towards specialising in cyber and after many years I found myself working in the exciting world of the defence industry – and I have never looked back.
There is no right or wrong way in to a career in cyber
This is my own journey and I’m sure if I spoke to any of my colleagues in the cyber department, we would all have varied pathways into the industry. There is no set way, but here are my top tips if you are wanting to chase a career in IT, cyber or similar.
- Whether you decide you want a career as a computer technician, network engineer, or a cyber security specialist, devote your life to being the best individual you can be in that subject. Make it your life’s passion.
- Education, education, education! If your goal is to get into a job as a cyber security specialist for example, look at what it takes to get into that career from an academic perspective and study that field to the best of your ability. Learn everything there is to learn about the industry and go the extra mile - it makes all the difference.
- Get yourself a mentor if possible. There are various mentorships in the cyber security sector. Gaining access to a mentor in the field you would like to specialise in will provide you direction and may open additional opportunities up to you. And if you're looking for a mentor in the cyber sector - I'm here! I’m always available for a chat to anyone looking at careers in this field, so please just reach out.
- Lastly, dream big and set your bar high. Anything is possible. If you want a career as an engineering director for an enterprise-sized business, then never stop believing it will happen. Take these tips on board and you will achieve your goal, even if there are hiccups along the way.
Good luck on your journey into the cyber security world.
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