Unlocking the door to cybersecurity with mathematical precision
Reflections by Jessica Nguyen, Social Communications
“Work at something until you get the right answer, and if you don’t get the right answer you have to analyse why”.
Emily Edgley’s words greatly depict that problem-solving and analytical skills are important in every career at every level. These skills are one of many valuable transferable skills that can be applied to various situations in the personal and professional environment.
As part of the Cyber Risk Meetups brand new series, I enjoyed this special episode hosted by Jalpa Bhavsar uncovering Emily’s success story of pivoting careers more than once. Changing careers can be both exciting and daunting, but Emily’s interview illustrates her career journey in a beautiful way and one that resonates with my own career pivoting journey.
I am only just beginning my career journey after pivoting from HR to Cybersecurity. There’s so much that I still don’t know but I find comfort in realising that the professionals around me have been in my shoes. From call centres to nursing homes, Emily demonstrated how these transferrable skills helped her succeed in the cyber security industry. It was inspiring to hear how far her passion for mathematics could take her in such a diverse career journey.
Hearing about Emily’s experience helps me better grasp how I can leverage the skills I’ve picked up or learnt from previous roles to help me in my career journey. Soft skills are often undermined but Emily touches on how equally important they are in addition to the certifications and technical knowledge. Tech skills can be taught along the way however personality and attitude can take you further.
If you’re reading this and thinking about pivoting to a different industry or specialty, don’t worry because you’re not alone! There’s no right career and life path that’s set-in stone for many of us and it’s okay to not know what comes next. Like Emily, I’ve embraced my transferrable skills which has taken me down a fulfilling and satisfying career where I can pursue my interests and make a positive impact. You are your best advocate and as long as you keep taking your transferrable skills from one job to another, there is limitless potential!
Catch up on the podcast here: Podcast | Your Passport to a Cyber Security Career #3 | cyberriskers (cyberriskmeetup.com). If you enjoyed this podcast, check out other episodes from Cyber Risk Meetup which covers a variety of C-Suite, executive guest speakers and their candid stories as they share their industry experience.
The podcast is also available on all your favourite channels, as well as on Youtube here:
Comments