A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a company called Lumos for a potential job offer, and I wanted to start posting about it then, but I really wanted to wait until everything had been settled and it was a sure thing.  Thankfully, that happened, and for the past week, I have been going in and training for the position of Tier 1 Network Support Technician.

I’m tremendously excited to work there, as to me it represents the capstone of my time at college, as well as a result of my preparations to go into cybersecurity.  I have no complaints about the company or environment I work in, I’m simply grateful to have the position.  Support technician isn’t a security role, but in the course of training, I’m finding myself doing just about everything else I did to prepare for the Network+ and the Security+.  Remembering terminology, understanding the logical configuration of parts on the network, as well as understanding the physical devices that work together to give Lumos subscribers service are just more of the same to me.  As many respected YouTube cybersecurity personalities say with regard to pursuing a role in IT, “Never stop learning”.  To me, this is the most important skill I can have — storing, apprehending, and applying the knowledge I need, no matter what domain of IT it’s part of.

I’ve come to understand that the hardest part of getting into into IT is getting that first job.  Once you get in the door,  though, it becomes much easier to follow the path to getting a full-on cybersecurity career.  You can take your time and gather certs, you can observe the network and think about ways to make yourself known to the people that run it, and you can build contacts that will be valuable in your career.  I know that any anxiety I felt about pursuing a career in cybersecurity ended the first day I showed up and began training.  I’m in here for the long haul.  I’m not going to leave any time soon, I think a decent amount of time to give my employer would be 3 years, after which I would start to look for a more cybersecurity oriented job if I hadn’t already pivoted within the company.

I’m grateful for the opportunity Lumos has given me, and intend to approach excellence on the job the same way I approached excellence in college and on my certifications – with utmost tenacity.  Know the equipment, know the layout, and give the company the best that I can.