Straight Out of University - How Brandon Used TryHackMe To Secure a Security Career

Students form a prominent portion of our user base. Some training bodies work with us to directly teach cyber security and students individually use us to upskill in the field. With a wealth of security jobs available, we love hearing how students have utilised our training to secure careers in the industry. This is the story of how Brandon learned with TryHackMe to stand out from peers and secure a cyber security job position.

Why did you start learning cyber security?

In high school, a friend of mine was doxed through playing a video game - where private personal information is leaked publicly online. All his (and his parents!) personal information was posted online for anybody to see. He was terrified and I really felt for him, so I helped him as much as I could with the limited knowledge I had at the time. We set out to get this leaked information deleted and ensure all passwords were changed and accounts made secure. Seeing his experience unfold and how scared it made him, made me realize that this could happen to anybody. I didn't want anybody to go through what he did.

What was the most challenging part of learning cyber security, and how did you rise above those challenges?

The most challenging part of learning cyber security was finding where to learn it. I originally took an educational path consisting of two years at community college and two years studying at University. My course was nothing to do with cyber security until the fourth and final year, and I was worried I wouldn’t get anything out of the degree that I was paying all this money for. That all changed during my last semester when I was introduced to TryHackMe by a classmate I was paired with for a project. He had been doing CTF's and I told him I was interested but a complete beginner. He told me about the platform so I set out to get started. After completing my first module, I was completely hooked and inspired to fill myself with as much knowledge as possible. I overcame this challenge of learning cyber security by staying determined and ambitious, learning something I was truly interested in.

How did TryHackMe help you learn?

TryHackMe helped me learn by doing an amazing job of making learning fun. That is how learning should be. I believe learning should be like playing your favourite video game - being addictive and driving you to keep playing till you have completed everything possible.  That is how TryHackMe made me feel. In my last year of studying, I chose to pursue my passion for cyber security over social aspects. I felt I needed to catch up on the knowledge I felt I should have had from the 4 years I was in college - TryHackMe made this possible.

What have you accomplished with your new skills?

I obtained a job in the cyber security career field right out of college. After four months of using TryHackMe and spending countless hours learning, the knowledge gap I had over my classmates was tremendous. I obtained an internship as an Enterprise Security Analyst for the summer I was graduating, and endeavoured to showcase my skills enough that throughout the position, I would be offered a job. After just one month of working there, I was told that they were interested in offering me a position. After two months, I was offered a full-time position as an Enterprise Security Analyst, with my primary role being Threat Detection and part of the CSIRT (Computer Security Incident Response Team).

What advice would you give someone just starting in cyber security?

Do not be discouraged by the amount of knowledge you may think you have. I was a fourth-year college student with little to no knowledge in the field. In just a few months of being introduced to TryHackMe, I was able to secure a job in the cyber security field. As long as you find a drive to keep learning, I promise you that you will be able to achieve your dream job.

Follow Brandon’s journey on LinkedIn