Live Q&A: Hacking Your Cybersecurity Career

Table of Contents

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• Meet the Panelists
• Choosing the Right Cybersecurity Bootcamp
• What You Need to Know about Cybersecurity Certifications
• What to Expect from the Cybersecurity Job Search
• A Day in the Life of a Cybersecurity Professional
• Are Cybersecurity Bootcamps Worth It?
• Your Next Steps

Cybersecurity is one of the fastest growth fields in tech, and with over a hundred cybersecurity bootcamps and programs listed on Course Report, choosing the right one can feel a little bit overwhelming. Four recent cybersecurity bootcamp graduates joined us in a Live Q&A to discuss their bootcamp experience and how they made the career pivot into cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is not a one-size-fits-all career, and our panelists come from diverse backgrounds in music, insurance, and the military. Now cybersecurity professionals, these bootcamp grads demystify the cybersecurity career path, which certifications you need to launch a career, and how to continue learning when the bootcamp ends. 

Meet the Panelists

• Arielle Bradley has a bachelor of science degree in music industry and a background in physical security. She enrolled in Springboard’s Cybersecurity Career Track Bootcamp in 2022, and is now an Information Security Analyst at Pearson. 

• Caleb Melchin is a 2023 cybersecurity bootcamp graduate from Lighthouse Labs. He is now working as a Security Architect & Analyst in the energy sector for NWR.

• Chris Huber spent 23 years in the US Air Force, then enrolled in a SkillBridge program with Allegiant Vets and a second SkillBridge opportunity with RapidAscent. Chris now serves as a Cybersecurity Coach.

• Igor Vlasenko graduated from Flatiron School in 2022 and is now a Senior Information Security Analyst at Western Union. Note: Igor experienced connectivity issues during the Live Q&A, but emailed us his responses to the questions, which we have incorporated into this transcript.

Choosing the Right Cybersecurity Bootcamp

Why did each of you choose the cybersecurity bootcamp you attended?

Ariel: I was considering bootcamps through actual universities, like UPenn or Temple University, and I was looking at standard bootcamps. The reason why I chose Springboard is because it is at your own pace and you can also choose what path you want to go down. If I didn't want to do cybersecurity, I could have done data and I love that flexibility. The job guarantee was another reason I chose Springboard. At Springboard, you'll have a career coach guide you through how to apply for jobs. They’ll help you find jobs in your area, and help you with contract negotiations. 

Caleb: The insurance industry moves slowly and they don’t innovate. I had spent the last couple of years working in insurance, bouncing around from position to position to try the different avenues and aspects of insurance. I did almost all of the things you could possibly do short of running my own insurance company. It felt like there was no future in it. I started thinking about cybersecurity because I was interested in the prevalence of scams. The biggest fear I had was losing all of my previous job experience by going into cybersecurity. When I started looking into different schools, Lighthouse Labs stood out because they have really good reviews and they have an accelerated program. I figured I could manage the 10-12 hour days for three months. When I got into it, I realized I actually love this and it didn't seem like 12-hour days! 

Lighthouse Labs has several really good things about it. Everything I learned in the course was incredibly useful, and I've used the skills and tools I learned in my job now. They also had a very impressive career support system. They gave me advice on how to spruce up my resume or find companies for me to apply to. Ultimately, some of those tips got me the job. It got me connected to my current company and that's how I was able to move forward. I'm loving it now and I've realized most of the skills from my insurance career are transferable, such as being able to read documentation which is like reading policy wordings and legal documents in insurance.

Igor: Flatiron School stood out by having consistently favorable reviews and an excellent career coaching program.

Chris: After serving 23 years in the Air Force with most of that time as an in-flight refueler, I wanted a new challenge. I have always been interested in computers and cybersecurity, and when I was transitioning out of the military, I went through SkillBridge, which allows you to take off up to 180 days prior to your separation to learn a new career. I started looking at different SkillBridge programs and initially went with Allegiant Vets, and during one of their weekly presentations, RapidAscent’s executive director, Kim Archer, talked about their cybersecurity program. What stood out to me about RapidAscent was its hands-on immersive approach. They didn't just teach theory; it was more about actively engaging in real world cybersecurity challenges, which made transition from military to civilian cybersecurity a whole lot smoother. RapidAscent had more of a real world approach to it. With SkillBridge, I was able to stack the Allegiant Vets and RapidAscent programs and complete them at the same time. 

Does SkillBridge cover the tuition?

Chris: Allegiant Vets was tuition-free, but with RapidAscent, I paid for tuition using my GI Bill. I ended up using three months of my GI Bill, which covered all of the tuition. Plus I got stipends to cover any hardware or books that I needed for the bootcamp. 

What time management strategy works for a more regimented program versus like a more self-led program?

Caleb: The regimented approach was one of the draws of Lighthouse Labs for me, since self-led learning is not something that I do well with. I need a deadline and Lighthouse Labs was really good about creating those deadlines with instructors and student success coordinators checking in. Unlike a university setting where you're just one out of a million students, there were smaller classes at Lighthouse Labs, so you were able to ask questions in the middle of the class. My personal strategy for this accelerated course was to tell the people that were close to me that I would be really busy and not able to do standard social commitments for three months. If you're doing an accelerated bootcamp, you can't do a part-time job or a full-time job.

Segmenting my time, like doing one task for a certain period of time before switching to a different topic, helped me free up my brain. And make sure you have adequate food! My wife was so supportive and took on more chores so I could focus.

Ariel: I would say that discipline is truly needed if you're going to do a self-led bootcamp. You'll need your own motivation and discipline, since you don't have someone checking on you in the same way that you would if you are doing an in-person bootcamp or even a virtual class that meets at the same time every week. At Springboard, we had an academic advisor that we would meet with to ask any questions. We had deliverables each week, and I would highly recommend completing those assignments every week. The Springboard bootcamps are expected to be finished in six months, but for me, since I was learning how to balance and discipline my time and my priorities, it took me nine months. During the time that I did the bootcamp, I moved to a new state, didn't know anybody, and was  working more than full-time in physical security. I would go to work for an 8-12 hour shift, and then go to a library or a coffee shop to work on the bootcamp. Discipline is key as well as knowing what your goal is and believing in yourself.

What did you learn at your cybersecurity bootcamp?

Chris: The RapidAscent bootcamp covered a wide range of topics, including network security, threat intelligence, incident response, SIEM tools, penetration testing, and we even got into scripting in Python, which is something that's very useful in the real world. One of the most valuable skills I learned was log analysis, using SIEM tools like Splunk, and being able to identify anomalies and correlate security events in real time. There's a thousand different jobs in cybersecurity, and RapidAscent does a good job kind of touching on everything that's out there. If somebody is less technical, then they may go the RNC route or policy-making. If you're more technical, the instructors are really great about coaching you further in Python or penetration testing.

Caleb: Lighthouse Labs is similar in that they took a broad approach. Because the industry is so vast, if you focus on a very specific software, then what happens if your job doesn't have that software? Each company is very specific on the types of tools they use. The Cybersecurity Bootcamp at Lighthouse Labs gave us broad knowledge of the field, as well as software tools like Wireshark, how to use Linux, and how to do bash scripting and PowerShell commands. One of the things I loved about Lighthouse Labs is none of their instructors are full-time instructors. They are all actively working in the cybersecurity field. Being exposed to so many parts of cybersecurity, helps you realize which particular parts of the field you like and you can start focusing on that. 

Ariel: Doing the bootcamp meant there's a lot of information thrown at you in a short amount of time, so you don't get to go completely in depth on any topic. At Springboard, we did labs that had us looking into logs or using Wire Shark or doing things with Python and Splunk. If you have an interest in anything that you're doing in the bootcamp, you could do personal projects to understand it further but it was too fast for me to say I fully understood a concept. It was all about exposing us to different realms in cybersecurity. Overall, Springboard’s Cybersecurity Bootcamp covers six core concepts: host-based security, network security, identity and access management, security assessment and testing, and security operations and application security. Security operations and network security were useful for me – I now work in security operations, which I truly enjoy! The network security and application security units exposed me to a cybersecurity field that I didn't even consider when I first wanted to go into the field. I thought I wanted to do penetration testing and ethical hacking. Becoming a security engineer is now my end goal, but that is a fairly technical career. I’m working towards that career. 

Igor: One thing I learned at Flatiron School that I now use at my job is how to assess risk, communicate it to the leadership, and advocate for appropriate remediation.

What You Need to Know about Cybersecurity Certifications

Which cybersecurity certifications have you gotten since graduating from your bootcamp?

Chris: I got the CompTIA Security+. RapidAscent was able to help us prepare for certifications.  If you've already had the Security+, they would help you get to another one, like Pentest+. Most people were getting their Security+ because it's a requirement if you’ve left the military and want to work for the government. Rapid Ascent spent a week coaching us for the exam, adding in extra coaching sessions every day to make sure we were prepared. In addition to that, we got 30 credits through City University just for going through the RapidAscent program. That's almost all your core Bachelor’s credits! 

I just took my Security+ exam and I passed. If you’re going to take the exam, I suggest that you remember acronyms. If you don't have the acronyms memorized, you're not going to understand the questions and see which answers are automatically wrong in the multiple choice. Overall, the Security+ exam wasn't too difficult. The entire time I was taking the test, I felt like I was failing, but I passed which was a relief.

Ariel: I also got my CompTIA Security+ certification, and I had the same experience as Chris taking the exam. I thought I failed it, but I passed. Springboard gives you a voucher for the Security+ exam because it’s part of the tuition. 

Understanding acronyms and also knowing how to apply what you're learning is what you need to know for the exam. I spent about two months going through the entire textbook, taking notes and practice exams. The practice exams really help! If you’re looking for practice, watch the Professor Messer videos. I paid the $25 to get the full package of videos and practice tests with answers, which were very helpful. I also studied for my exam with Udemy and Coursera courses. Security+ is a standard certification to get your foot in the door for a cybersecurity career. The certification exams can be really expensive, but my job is helping me with that. I would like to get my CISSP, since I want to go into security engineering, but that’s years down the line. A good thing about cybersecurity is that it's a field where you'll continuously be learning!

Caleb: Lighthouse Labs did provide me with a voucher to take the CompTIA Security+ exam and their course was actively pushing students to take the exam. I was taking the exam, but had technological issues and it crashed halfway through, so I didn't finish. I got my job before rescheduling the exam and I haven't had time to get back into it. 80% of my department has the Security+ certification, but I'm living proof that you don't have to have the certificate to get a job in the field. My plan is to eventually get my CISSP certification, but I’m also considering the CompTIA PenTest+ cert. 

How long does it take to make a career change into cybersecurity?

Caleb: From start to finish, about a year. You can't just start a bootcamp tomorrow. Lighthouse Labs had a lot of pre-work material to do, and I had to do some assessment tests, like logic tests and technical tests. If you don't think you could pass one of those, this might not be the industry for you. It took me three months to finish the bootcamp, but it was about a year of prep before that. 

Ariel: For me, it was actually a bit longer. It took me nine months to finish the bootcamp and then nine months applying to jobs, so 18 months in total.

Igor: It took me three months to make the career change. 

Is it easier to transition into cybersecurity from a military or physical security background?

Chris: I would say that my background in aviation and leadership helped me with the discipline, teamwork, and decision-making under pressure aspects of cybersecurity. The technical aspects of cybersecurity were definitely new to me. I had never touched a Linux system in my life and now Linux is probably my favorite system to play around with. I think the key is taking that problem-solving mindset that you develop in the military and applying it to your cybersecurity scenarios. Military veterans excel in the field because they're used to handling high pressure situations, adapting quickly, and following strict protocols. Those skills are crucial in cybersecurity. 

Are all the students at RapidAscent transitioning from the military into civilian roles?

Chris: The students are all affiliated with the military in some way. There are military spouses  and military children, too. In my cohort, we had a former dentist and a former nurse. RapidAscent did a really good job of taking people aside and giving them extra time and spinning them up if they needed support.

What to Expect from the Cybersecurity Job Search

How difficult was the cybersecurity interview process?

Ariel: It was a difficult and frustrating process. I had interviews with three to four companies before I landed at Pearson. I learned that career changers really need to know how to effectively communicate what you're doing in your previous role to make it sound a lot like cybersecurity. I worked on this with my career coach. The first stage of the interviews is talking to the technical recruiter who is checking to see if your resume matches the job description. This is like how you want your resume to match the job description. Since I worked in physical security operations, and that's the same concept as cybersecurity operations, I  switched some of the words. I would say the days I worked at the front desk doing badging or security for events was access management. When I dealt with incidents at the bank like robbery, I would say that I triaged incidents and used an alerting system with incident response. Those are major keywords to have on your resume, and they helped me beat the filter and land an interview. Once you’re speaking with the actual team you would be working with, there will be more technical questions. I did a lot of Codecacademy projects for SQL injection attacks and cross-site scripting, so I could answer their questions. I also received a lot of questions about Linux.

Caleb: It felt completely overwhelming when I started interviewing because there is so much to learn in tech. People think that having a university degree means you know what you're doing, but what I started to realize was that actually nobody knows what they're doing. There's very few people who actually have true knowledge and those people are getting paid phenomenally well and they are not the people that are applying for the position that you're looking for. With that in mind, I thought about my strengths and my assets, and I realized I can figure anything out. When I happened to get an interview, I was able to talk directly to the decision-maker and after a ten-minute phone call, I was able to get the job! The technical questions were limited because I was able to sell myself as someone who might not initially know it, but can figure it out by tomorrow. That strategy worked out really well for me. For example, my boss recently said that we need to know how to deal with large language models and the data that's getting out of our company. I took on this project, and in two weeks, I prepared a presentation on what security procedures we should be putting in place in the company and how we should do it to the board of directors. Two weeks after that, I gave a presentation to our employees. As long as you have the right attitude, you can make it work, even though if you don't have the technical things on your resume that you might think you need.

What was your cybersecurity job change strategy? What worked for you when you were looking for your first cybersecurity job?

Caleb: For the most part, I knew what I wanted. I wanted to do something where I was constantly learning and I wanted to be able to have something that kept me engaged. This motivated me through the pain of job searching, and sending hundreds and hundreds of resumes and getting no response from most of them. It is a process. I was supported really well throughout it by the Lighthouse Labs career team. They were able to give me actionable tips and tricks on how to persevere. If I hadn't followed their advice, I would still be probably sending hundreds of resumes a day.

Chris: I would say besides networking events, get involved with your local chamber of commerce because those are the people who know everything about your local area. They will know different executives in different places. There's also ISC2, which you can become a member of — It has programs and weekly or monthly dinners with keynote speakers to help you align. The type of people involved in ISC2 are the type of people that are going to hire you.

Ariel: I recommend getting involved in the Information Systems Association (ISSA). For women cybersecurity professionals, I recommend the group Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS). For Black people who are thinking of getting cybersecurity, I recommend the group BlacksinCyber.

A Day in the Life of a Cybersecurity Professional

What does everyone’s days look like now as cybersecurity professionals?

Ariel: Besides answering emails, we do respond to a lot of minor and major incidents, such as malicious URLs or unapproved software on devices. My team creates the detection rules to remove those or alerts us so we can make sure we take the appropriate action. I'm also looking into improving how we report metrics, so I’m learning how to create dashboards and connect APIs to best reflect that for the company. My favorite thing is doing the monthly phishing simulations. 

Caleb: Our company realized that they didn't like their current SIEM, which is a security and information management system, so I’m doing the research to figure out a new SIEM with the support of our networking teams. I've been building an entire SIEM and monitoring system from the ground up, which means I'm learning all the different aspects and softwares that interconnect. I'm developing the rules of how to monitor it and the policies behind that. It’s a massive challenge, and it’s been taking me months, but it's fun. I like trying new things, and not being afraid to fail. I’ve also had an opportunity to speak about cybersecurity safety, so I've done a few presentations to the company. I've developed our education system, and I enjoy that, too.

Igor: As a Senior Information Security Analyst at Western Union I work on assessing an organization's compliance with cybersecurity regulatory and contractual requirements like PCI DSS, SOC 2, SOX, SWIFT, NIST, DORA, GDPR, and others. I assess effectiveness of the existing security controls, evaluate gaps in security, and design controls that help the company to mitigate the risks of secure money transfers around the world.

Chris: I was lucky enough to be hired by RapidAscent because I was an instructor in the military for 15 years. I really enjoy teaching. When I was in the bootcamp, I was leaned on by my cohort when they needed help. Now as a cybersecurity coach, I do one-on-one coaching sessions. I help people with Try-Hack-Me problems or if they're having issues installing a VM or Metasploitable. I’m also helping RapidAscent create content, so I'm recording a lot of how-to videos. This will help the cohorts have different learning tools. I’m also assisting with a new cyber range.

Do you see AI as a threat to cybersecurity?

Chris: AI is both a threat and an opportunity to cybersecurity. AI doesn't program itself, so you're always going to have cybersecurity engineers working with it, but AI is making cyber threats more sophisticated. Attackers are using AI for automated phishing, deep fake scams, and intelligent malware. It's also improving cybersecurity by automating threat detection, identifying anomalies, and streamlining security processes. It's not going to take away cybersecurity jobs or our need for cybersecurity, but it's going to make us more efficient and cost-effective in what we do. 

Caleb: I 100% agree with what Chris said. AI is absolutely an incredibly useful tool if used properly, but it's also a threat. I have found that the biggest dangers of AI from a security perspective are the same threats that we face all the time, like when you get a developer that doesn't authenticate the system with passcode or passwords and so the system is completely open. That is a way worse problem than the very specific issues relating to AI. As Chris mentioned, there's potential for increased phishing attempts and deep fakes, so we have to keep an eye on AI. As for the future of the cybersecurity industry, our industry is not going anywhere. If anything, it's going to triple and quadruple in size very shortly. There's a lot of potential future positions available.

Ariel: There are a lot of jobs in cybersecurity because there is a major gap in cybersecurity, mainly in the middle sector. That means it may be harder to get in, but once you're in, that's where a plethora of jobs are. 

Are Cybersecurity Bootcamps Worth It?

Looking back, was your cybersecurity bootcamp worth it for you?

Ariel: Yes, I can say Springboard was worth it for two reasons: The first being the time that you'll save being in the bootcamp versus a college degree program. The second reason is because it’s much more affordable than doing a two- or four-year degree, unless you get a scholarship.

Caleb: There is an infinite amount of information to learn about cybersecurity and just tech in general. If you're just trying to learn things by yourself, you have no idea what's actually valuable and what you would actually use in the industry. By going through a bootcamp, they can direct your education and direct your thoughts.

Lighthouse Labs was 100% the right call. If you are just interested in a paycheck but don’t love to learn, this may not be the right path for you. If you enjoy learning and a challenge, cybersecurity is a phenomenal career and I would recommend this bootcamp. I would recommend the bootcamp over a degree because by your fourth year in college, what you learned may no longer be relevant.

Chris: RapidAscent was absolutely worth it. I can't imagine spending that amount of time on my own to develop the knowledge and skills. Some people get into bootcamps thinking they're going to come out of the bootcamp an expert, and I’m here to say that you will not at all. The entire time you're in the bootcamp, you're going to feel like you don't know what you're doing, but what you don't realize is how much you're actually learning. It's just that there's a constant feed of new information and techniques that you have to try to remember. When you get your first cybersecurity job, you will know a lot more than the guy sitting to the left or the right of you. You won’t feel like it, but there's a lot of things you're learning in the bootcamp that you don't realize how important they are and just the fact that you know about them is a huge thing!

Igor: Yes, enrolling at Flatiron School's Cybersecurity Bootcamp was absolutely worth it!

Your Next Steps

• Take $2,000 off your Springboard tuition with promo code: CR2000SB (Expires: May 2, 2025 at 12:00PM PST)

• Lighthouse Labs is now accepting applications for its upcoming full-time and part-time Cybersecurity Bootcamps!

• Every Tuesday RapidAscent hosts a FREE info session about its cybersecurity apprentice-style training for military veterans.

• Flatiron School is now accepting applications for its upcoming Cybersecurity Bootcamp cohort — Apply now!