Before Choosing a Cyber Career, Get Close to the Work

A person interested in cybersecurity can spend a long time looking at job titles without getting a clear picture of the work behind them. Margarita Rivera offered a more concrete example in her Fireside Chat conversation: a mentee who asked to see the work for himself.

Rivera recalled that Daniel was working outside cybersecurity when he contacted people in his organization’s security program. He traveled from Florida to North Carolina to spend time with them. In her telling, his request was direct:

“I just want to sit and see what you do”

Margarita Rivera, Fireside Chat archive

She admired his willingness to move beyond a general interest in the field and learn from people already doing the job. Later in the conversation, Daniel joined the discussion and identified Rivera as his mentor. The relationship was part of the story, not an abstract recommendation to network more.

Curiosity becomes more specific through exposure

Rivera encouraged people to explore different areas of security before deciding where their interests fit. She described internships and rotational opportunities as ways to understand how different teams operate. She also mentioned learning through conversations, reading, and hearing practitioners describe their own paths.

The common thread was exposure. Cybersecurity contains many kinds of work, and an interest in the profession does not automatically identify which responsibilities someone will enjoy. Getting close to a team can make the questions more specific: what do people spend their time doing, what do they need to learn, and which parts of the work hold your attention?

Rivera’s own early career gave the discussion context. Her first formal security analyst role centered on user access reviews and related responsibilities. Later, working with smaller teams exposed her to more parts of the function. Her understanding of the profession grew through the work available to her.

A conversation can change the next question

Daniel’s story should not become a requirement to travel or spend money to demonstrate commitment. The useful part is the request to learn. A conversation, an approved shadowing opportunity, or a well chosen question can also help someone understand a role more clearly.

What Rivera highlighted was Daniel’s initiative and the relationship that developed around learning. He had made a broad ambition specific enough for another person to respond to. Seeing the work gave their conversation a concrete starting point.

For an experienced practitioner, there is another side to that exchange. Explaining ordinary work to someone outside the field can make the profession more accessible. A task that feels routine to the person doing it may answer an important question for someone considering a change.

A career decision becomes better informed when curiosity has something real to examine. In this story, that began with asking to see what the work actually looked like.

Listen to the original conversation with Margarita Rivera → · Read the transcript →

From the Fireside Chat archive. This article is an editorial reflection on the original conversation, not a new interview or an update on the guest’s current role.