Hello everyone, we recently had the pleasure of interviewing Selene Garcia, a cybersecurity business developer and customer success manager. In our conversation, she shared her journey and experiences in the field of cybersecurity, and we're excited to share some of the key insights and lessons from our discussion.
Selene's story is one of resilience and determination. She spoke about the importance of seeing challenges as opportunities, a lesson she learned from her father, who was a significant mentor in her life. He taught her to face the real world, work hard, and embrace failure as a means of growth. This mindset was instrumental in her career transition from the paper and packaging industry to cybersecurity.
A Day in the Life of a Cybersecurity Consultant
Currently, Selene works as a cybersecurity consultant at Propelex, a San Diego-based company. She described her typical day, which involves reading emails, attending meetings with clients, and providing cybersecurity consultancy services such as pen testing, risk management, and scoping. She expressed enthusiasm for working with clients in the technology industry and learning about robotics and new cybersecurity developments. We discussed the difficulties in communication between the very technical and the less technical.
The Importance of Cybersecurity in Today's World
When we asked Selene about the importance of cybersecurity, she emphasized that it's not just a trend, but a critical aspect of protecting companies and their valuable data. She cited CEOs of major companies who have recognized the need to invest more in cybersecurity to safeguard their businesses. Dangers such as hackers taking data hostage is a great example of the importance of Cyber Security.
Learning and Growing in Cybersecurity
Despite lacking prior experience in cybersecurity, Selene's colleagues trusted her customer success management skills and gave her the opportunity to learn and grow in the field. This allows her to embrace the risk of misteps and mistakes as opportunities to grow and develop herself. She highlighted the importance of learning from experienced professionals and gaining hands-on experience through meetings and interactions with engineers.
The Power of Education and Continuous Learning
Selene's passion for education and continuous learning is evident. She attended a MIT bootcamp program when she felt stagnant in her previous job. This experience helped her focus on problem-solving and finding innovative solutions, motivating her to start her own projects.
The Evolution of Success and Leadership
Selene's perspective on success and leadership has evolved over time. She sees failure as a necessary part of the process and views getting laid off as an opportunity for growth. She also talked about how her leadership style has evolved, particularly in working with diverse teams from different cultures and time zones.
Bridging the Gap Between Technical and Non-Technical People
One of the challenges in the tech industry is communication between technical and non-technical people. Selene suggested that working together and being a bridge between the technical team and customers can help improve communication. She emphasized the need for engineers to understand that not everyone has the same technical knowledge and language.
The Future of Remote Work
Our guest believes that remote work will continue to grow, citing the "big resignation" trend happening in the US and Latin America. She has been promoting a fully remote environment for her company, but acknowledges that some managers and directors are resistant to remote work and struggle to let go of the need to micromanage. She believes that a hybrid model, where employees have the flexibility to work remotely and come to the office for special events or meetings, would be ideal.
The Best Lesson from Her Journey
When asked about the best lesson from her journey, Selene reflected on her experience of being laid off during the pandemic. She realized the importance of taking control of one's own destiny and advises listeners to see challenging situations as opportunities.
In conclusion, Selene's journey is a testament to the power of resilience, continuous learning, and embracing challenges as opportunities. Her story serves as an inspiration for anyone looking to transition into a new field or overcome obstacles in their career.