The "Why" Behind My Cybersecurity Career Choice

When I graduated from college with a major in Film and Media Studies and minor in Entrepreneurship, the jobs I considered were fittingly eclectic.   

I explored everything from graduate school for filmmaking to an internship at a startup overseas in Lisbon. But as I continued my search for that perfect first step out of college, I could never shake the feeling that I had already found it years earlier. 

Cybersecurity needs all skill sets – not just technical 

I first came to Illumio in the Summer of 2020 as a sophomore in college, stepping into a virtual role as a marketing intern. The experience was fresh and exciting in more than a few ways, as I would go on to highlight after the fact in my blog post reflecting on that internship.  

Everyone at Illumio went above and beyond to make me feel welcome, both as a first-time virtual intern and newcomer to cybersecurity. I knew very little of the space beyond what I had picked up on the fly gearing up for my first day.  

Needless to say, my concerns surrounding the gap in my cybersecurity knowledge were quickly put to rest. My eclectic skill set was immediately put to good use as I jumped from team to team, lending a hand in everything from blog writing to video production. 

Since then, I've had returned to Illumio's marketing team as a corporate marketing specialist.

A worthy goal: Stopping breaches 

But it wasn’t just the flexible nature of my role that energized my curiosity and creativity. It was Illumio itself, and the goal we were all working towards, that stuck with me the most – not necessarily in the moment I wrapped up my internship, but in the weeks and months following that experience as I continued musing over what to do next.   

There was an energizing purpose to what we were doing, a refreshingly straightforward and positive goal at the heart of our work at Illumio.  

When you zoom out from the intricate architecture and intertwining partnerships of the cybersecurity world, you arrive at an unmistakable goal: stopping breaches and foiling the bad guys.   

This core idea has been such a source of energy and passion for me as I have continued at Illumio. Throughout two subsequent stints with Illumio marketing since my internship, that clear-as-day “so what” behind the work we all do has driven me to do so much.  

It’s driven me to go above and beyond with every project and task that comes my way. But even more importantly, it’s pushed me to dive deep into how the cybersecurity world works and to learn exactly how Illumio plays a role in that.  

Consider a career in cybersecurity 

Through any doubts I may have had as a new grad entering the cybersecurity world, this core goal has been the factor inspiring me to push further and be an even bigger contributor to stopping breaches and minimizing their impact.  

It’s such a purely positive idea, and it’s one I encourage other new or recent grads to think about if they’re unsure cybersecurity is for them.  

Taking the leap into cybersecurity was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. 

Interested in joining the team? Check out our career openings and internship opportunities.