Having a place to ask questions like “does this happen to anyone else?” grants us the opportunity to talk with others across the industry and conduct a sanity check. In this edition of VetSec Impact Stories, we hear from one member who was able to do just this, having landed a security job before joining our community only to realize it wasn’t what he thought it was…
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background before joining VetSec?
USAF vet that enlisted in 2002 and separated in 2010. I did budgeting and accounting while in and tried that as a contractor for a year after separating, but realized that wasn’t a life I wanted to pursue. I used the GI Bill, went to school, and was lucky enough to land a job in cyber in 2016, working incident response and threat analysis. I learned later that I wasn’t doing IR at all, and the threat analysis was SOC I analyst work.
How did you first learn about VetSec, and what motivated you to get involved?
A friend told me about VetSec and I’ve really latched onto the community there. Lots of like-minded individuals here, and they filled a gap that I hadn’t realized I was missing: that military camaraderie.
What were some of the biggest challenges or obstacles you faced in transitioning to a cybersecurity career before joining VetSec?
The largest challenge was that I didn’t know anyone in the field. All of my applications were through job boards. I, somehow, am a lucky one who got a job through Monster[.]com. It could have been a lot easier had I been in VetSec at the time.
Can you describe your experience with VetSec’s training and mentorship programs? What specific resources or support did you find most valuable?
Since I already had a career in the field, I haven’t taken advantage of the training and mentorship programs, but rather became more of a trainer and mentor to others here.
How has the VetSec community impacted you personally and professionally?
Confidence. The field is ripe with imposter syndrome and VetSec has done wonders keeping that in check. Talking to others and learning of the problems they face show me I’m not alone in those problems. We work through it together. Another very specific answer: my wife and I have moved a lot over the last four years and making friends as adults is hard. Having an online community lets me take my friends wherever I go.
Can you share a specific moment or achievement during your time with VetSec that you are particularly proud of?
Getting elected to the board.
Where are you currently in your cybersecurity career, and how did VetSec contribute to your success?
See answer #5 for how VetSec contributed to my success. Hard to move up if you don’t have confidence or think you’re not worth it. I’m officially a senior SOC analyst/team lead and have been for four years now, but the team I work on is a smaller team who needs to wear many hats. I do a lot of mid to senior level blue team work.
Reflecting on your journey, how do you think your career and personal growth would have been different without VetSec? What are your future aspirations in the field of cybersecurity?
I probably would have been fired by now. Seeing others’ struggles in the field put things into perspective for me, and allowed me to view problems as a team lead/team builder (I helped build our SOC) in a more down-to-earth way.
What advice would you give to other veterans considering a career in cybersecurity and thinking about joining VetSec?
First off, join VetSec. There are too many smart, experienced members who genuinely give a shit here. Further advice to joining the field – cast a wide net. There are tons of niches in this field and you may not know what you want, yet. The market can also be volatile, so give yourself as many chances to get lucky as you can. What if there are no jobs available? What’s your plan?
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience with VetSec or a message to the community?
A huge thank you to everyone who volunteers to help – our IAM team, our mentors, our resume
destroyersbuilders, our mock-interview team, our board, our Linkedin style guides, etc.