What’s so great about being a cybersecurity analyst?
Everything! As a Psychology major in college, after graduation there were not many jobs that paid very well. When I was going through college, while a serving in the US Air Force, I did not research career opportunities for my degree in Psychology as I assumed I would go to Graduate School and then on to my PhD. As it does, life changes and you must adapt. The US Air Force was going through downsizing and I was one of the lucky ones to get an early release! Now what? I had to find a job…..and working night shift at a facility for delinquent youth did not seem like a job I would be very good. A good friend of mine called to ask me if I wanted a job because he was starting his own business. Without hesitation I said yes and headed to Washington, D.C. I have been working for him for 11 years and it’s been a great experience!
My job is as varied as I could have imagined. With a degree in Psychology and my experience in the Air Force, I found my niche in Risk Management. Over the years I have traveled as a consultant conducting Risk Assessments for organizations ranging from financial, health, military and web-based businesses. I’ve traveled extensively in the US and internationally, meeting some amazing people doing amazing things! I have been lucky enough to work wherever I feel I need! A career in Cybersecurity provides you the flexibility to work remotely!
The past few years I have concentrated a lot of my career on Cybersecurity education. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to grow the education vertical at the company I currently work for and have learned more than I could have ever imagined! I have taught Risk Management courses to over 5000 students! There was never a day in my past I would have never dreamed that I would become an expert in something at a level that people would pay to take a class from me! A career in Cybersecurity provides you the ability to select many different paths based on your personality and interests.
I learn more from teaching than I ever thought possible. Teaching in a field that changes every minute it seems, I have to keep my skills current and stay abreast of current events in Cybersecurity and IT. This forces me to continue learning and challenged. As with an field in Cybersecurity, it is a career choice in which you must want to continue to learn to be successful. A career in Cybersecurity will challenge you continuously!
When considering a career in Cybersecurity don’t think it is only for people who love programming or are strong network engineers. I had very little computer experience when I entered this field, but with anything in life, hard work, dedication, motivation, willingness to step outside your comfort zone and passion will make you successful!!! A career in Cybersecurity will provide you many advantages, but most importantly it will provide you a challenging career that can be accomplished anywhere in the World!
Dream big and Follow your dreams!
