I recently caught up with Karol Wróblewski, a security architect, team manager and mentor at Fresenius Group. Known in the TryHackMe community as one of its most-decorated members (holding every certification we've released), I wanted to dive deeper into his role as a leader and mentor, and why he's such an advocate of cybersecurity training.
Having built his own way up through IT and into cybersecurity, Karol is a firm believer in paving the way for others who have the skills and the capability to follow. He's living proof that there isn't one single path into the field, and he applies that same approach to the people he supports into the industry.
On mentorship, within and outside work
It's clear from our conversation that for Karol, mentoring is a mission. "I suppose I feel that I want to pay something forward. I came into this industry through the side door via IT. I didn't have the university degrees, but I put the work in to teach myself that practical skills and the way of thinking needed to do the job well. I'm in a position now to make sure that as an industry, we don't gatekeep. There's so much talent available, and I want to ensure that we don't miss out on it because of someone's self-doubt."
With a team of ten, and more than 200 interviews under his belt, Karol's putting those words into practice, one offer at a time. "One of the most talented individuals I've hired came from a completely different background. She was a biochemist by training, working in academic archives. But she did TryHackMe, she had a portfolio of her work, and she could demonstrate that she had incredible critical thinking skills. She's thriving in threat intelligence now."
On why "not having the degree" should never be an obstacle
Karol's really adamant that a degree, or lack thereof, should never prevent anyone from bringing value to cyber. "I don't have a university degree, but I lecture at universities. I'm a practitioner, and I see what's happening on the frontlines. Students need that perspective. No one's ever asked me to leave the podium." On the topic of university education, he brings it back to real-world experience: "TryHackMe's a great tool for anyone, whether they're studying for a degree in cyber or not. Students, any learners for that matter, need a partner that allows them to apply what they're learning practically." He holds the statement that he'll always hire the person that can show the real-world experience.
On the 'right sensibilities' for a cyber career
"You can't skip the foundations, but what's important is exposure to frameworks, not theory. You can learn an approach, but some of it has to do with whether you've got that kind of brain that connects the dots or the sort of personality that enjoys escape rooms or logical puzzles. If you've got that tenacity of thought, the rest can be learned through exposure. But these are not the times for pure theoretical learning."
Karol sees so much of that perseverance within the cyber community in his home country of Poland, which is why he champions the next generation of Polish talent so strongly: "I think you see this in any place where people have experienced a bit of historical struggle. You're raised knowing that hard work is the default, and to be ready for things to not work out the first time. So you exhaust all the options, including the unconventional ones: 'If I can't get in through the door, I'll get in through the window. If the window's not opening I grab a ladder and climb to the roof.' It's the cyber mentality."
On mentorship as the ultimate proof of skill
"I personally believe that anyone who's made their way into cyber owes it to others to keep the door open. As a hiring manager, it's also just good business logic, to get great talent. But that aside, I do think that being able to pass on information to anyone with little exposure to it is the ultimate sign of skill. Speaking in jargon's easy, but can you get someone completely fresh to grasp a concept? Look at the people at the very top of this field, they have no ego about sharing how they solve problems or how they build their careers. I sometimes bring my people into elementary schools to talk about cybersecurity to kids. If you can get them excited, and get them to grasp it, you can handle any stakeholder."
On feedback as a kindness
Karol's passion for mentorship doesn't mean he minces words when it comes to feedback. In fact, he sees it as part of his responsibility in helping individuals and the industry improve. "There's a saying here in Poland, you have to use the 'green pencil' when giving feedback. I'm a red pencil kind of guy. I'll be clear about what I think can be better, and I think that sort of transparency is healthy, with my hires but also in the communities I'm a part of. That's something I really like with TryHackMe. I can share my perspectives with the product team and feel heard. There was a time when I thought I'd finished with TryHackMe, that I had achieved as much as I was going to on the platform. Then I met with Aleks in product, and I'm still here - still learning and building new skills. If your environment requires you to keep pace with the newest tech, and ready for risk you haven't encountered yet, this is the platform."
On the advice he’d give to anyone considering a cyber career
“Pretty simple: there’s no better day to start learning cyber than today. But if you’re starting, don’t just chase the next badge.The Cert is the cherry, the Learning is the cake. Go eat some cake!”
Explore how TryHackMe for Business can help you build capacity within your team, whatever their level.
Joanna Duffy
