I am an IT professional with an interest in cybersecurity. I have obtained my Comptia Network+ and Security+ certifications and will be taking my Comptia CYSA+ test before the end of this year. Cybersecurity has been an interest of mine since taking a course on it in college. During my career I have worked to further strengthen my knowledge of cybersecurity by finding opportunities to work on projects oriented at hardening systems, reviewing policies and best practices, and taking on projects such as revitalizing and expanding on the MDM system used at work to be able to better manage more diverse OS offers as well as ensuring that mobile devices are enrolled fully and properly to meet compliance goals. While I have not held a role directly response for cybersecurity outcomes I believe it is a part of every team members job to ensure they are following best practices to ensure the cyber-hygiene of any system they work on.
Outside of work I enjoy many hobbies:
Learning Agility: Technology is evolving rapidly which requires the ability to learn quickly and adapt to new challenges. This leads to an environment of constant learning opportunities which I enjoy. Change can be difficult but I enjoy learning about new technologies and exploring the ways they can integrate into systems or help make an existing system more efficient.
Teamwork and Leadership: I have participated in sports and group activities since I was very young which has allowed me build strong teamwork skills. I have been in leadership positions as a captain on teams as well as planning a more supporting role in group projects. My diverse experience working in teams has allowed me to gain a sense of how important each part of a team is and how roles that may not appear as overly important often play critical roles in ensuring the overall performance of the team. I have often been looked at to lead projects, both academically as the team leader on assignments and in my career championing projects or bigger assignments.
Communication: Whether written, verbal, or visual communication plays a key role in everyday life and business. I do my best to communicate efficiently and effectively in all types of communication. I believe being an effective communicator is one of the most important parts of business because without effective and clear communication the overall goal or purpose can be lost. I took a professional writing course in college and I believe that really helped me to understand the importance of how to communicate in a business setting.
Positivity: Maintaining a positive outlook even in the face of disappointment or struggle can have a large effect on the ultimate outcome of a situation. While this can sometimes be a challenging endeavor I try to maintain a positive attitude because it helps strengthen relationships and collaboration efforts. I think most people have seen the drain a negative attitude to a situation can cause and often this can lead to an already difficult situation having a longer or worse long term affect. I try to always spread positivity because even a failure endeavor can be seen as a learning opportunity to make the next one better.
Problem Solving: I employ a wide variety of methods to get problems solved as best I can. I am the person many people bring their problems to because they know I will either know how to fix the problem or I am willing to figure out how to solve it. As stated above I treat every opportunity I get as a learning opportunity which has allowed me to grow and develop a wide assortment of skills and knowledge, namely how to do research, so that I can assist with fixing a large variety of issues. I have a passion for solving problems and I think that has lead me to be successful so far in my career as an IT Specialist and before that as a Manager doing repairs on sporting equipment (mostly bicycles but also a wide variety of other equipment).
Dependability: I believe this is a core reason I find working in teams to be successful and often get put into a leadership position. I value being someone that does what they say they will do, if you present me with a problem even if I am unable to rectify the issue myself I will follow up to ensure the problem gets resolved. I also make sure to be where I am supposed to be when I say I will be there; I strive to always be at least a tad bit early but never late. Making sure my work product is consistent and dependable is a key principle to my work performance.