Making Sense of the World Drew Me to Cybersecurity

nnOn International Women’s Day, Jessie Bond, CC, shares her story thatnwillnnn#InspireInclusion, how she found herself in the cybersecurity world andnthe role that professional development played in defining a career pathnand helping her find her voice in the workplace.nn

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nFor a decade I’ve been privileged to lead and serve on large projects andninitiatives at nonprofits, small businesses, local municipalities, financialninstitutions, healthcare, and manufacturing enterprises. Each of thesenindustries has exposed me to different types of software and solutions,nalways invigorating my curiosity in wanting to understand “how it allnworks”.n

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nThat desire to understand is, really, how I found cybersecurity. It almostnfeels like I stumbled upon it. I’d hear a technical term mentioned by a teamnmember in a project meeting, leave the meeting and immediately look thatnterm up online. What would start as a simple search on Google would thennlead me down an exciting rabbit hole into learning about much largernknowledge areas within cybersecurity. For years, I was on an ad hoc learningnjourney of researching topics, buying books, and talking to team membersnabout different cybersecurity concepts.n

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nFinding CC Changed my Learning Outlookn

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nEven though I could have continued that journey and found success (Instrongly believe there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to learning), Indecided it was important to have some form of industry credibility to backnup my learning investments. It was such a gift when I came across ISC2 andnthennOne Million Certified in Cybersecuritynninitiative.n

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nI couldn’t believe ISC2, an organization that has such credibility andnrespect in the industry, was offering a self-paced, online course and examnvoucher for free. It was the exact opportunity I needed to convince myselfnto finally leap into a more formal learning environment.n

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nIn my experience, the online course that ISC2 provides for the Certified innCybersecurity (CC) exam is very approachable to someone like me who didn’tnstudy computer science or cybersecurity in school. The training adopts anfeel-good tone of voice that explains and breaks down technical conceptsnwell, while still respecting you as a professional who already hasnexpertise.n

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nThe exam, too, was a very positive experience for me. Since industryncredibility was one of my personal goals, I appreciated that the exam wasnproctored similar to when I earned my Project Management Professionalncertification.n

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nSomething unexpected that I didn’t know when I applied to become an ISC2ncandidate and CC was that I’d feel a sense ofnpurpose like I was a part of something much larger and more meaningful. Thenmessage that I received throughout the certification experience was thatn“cybersecurity is a growing field that not only wants but needs someone likenme” a woman who doesn’t hold an undergraduate or graduate degree in computernscience.n

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nFinding My Voicen

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nAs a project manager, my role is about being unafraid to speak up as anleader in a room full of talented subject matter experts. For me, it’s beennessential to find my voice and to speak the language of my team members. Andnthat is what earning the CC certification has given me. I feelnmore confident to speak the technical language of my colleagues. I also feelna greater sense of self-empowerment like I belong in the room and my voicenmatters.n

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nAfter earning the certification from ISC2, I pivoted my project managementncareer to specialize in cybersecurity projects and initiatives. I continuento indulge my curiosity to understand all the different domains withinncybersecurity, and I’m excited to continue to grow within this field. Indon’t know what title I might hold 5-10 years from now, but I’m excited fornthe journey wherever it takes me, and I know that passing the CC exam willnbe one of those pivotal moments in my career.n

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• n Find out more aboutn n Certified in Cybersecurityn n , including ISC2’sn n One Million Certified in Cybersecurityn n program heren
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• n Understand the career pathways available to you with ourn n article that helps make sense of the optionsn n
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• n Learn more about CC by downloading your copy ofn n The Ultimate Guide to Certified in Cybersecurity: The Entry-Leveln Certification for Tomorrow’s Cybersecurity Leadersn n
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