Review the NICE Workforce Framework. Are there certain areas that you would want to focus your career on? Explain which areas would appeal the most to you and which would appeal the least.

Secure Software Development seems like the best option for me since it seems like the most familiar and interesting one. As someone who likes to develop web applications as a hobby, this role seems very close to that. I’m fairly knowledgeable about important coding principles, data structures and logic, and the ability to quickly learn new concepts by reading documentation. These could easily carry over to such a role like this. What I like about this role is the feeling of creating something tangible. I’m able to see the immediate result of something like a vulnerability being fixed, or the software simply running smoothly. Another positive aspect about the role that I envision, is the pride in seeing many people use the software, that I wrote, while also feeling safe.

The least appealing option seems like Cybersecurity Workforce Management. A lot of the mentioned tasks require dealing with people. Examples include, “Allocate and distribute human capital assets”, “develop recruiting, hiring, and retention processes”, and “establish waiver processes for cybersecurity career field entry and training qualification requirements”. I’m way more interested in the technical details of cybersecurity as a technology rather than the workers involved with the field. Its a job that requires an understanding and interest in human psychology in the context of jobs, and also leadership skills, aspects that aren’t my strong suit. Also its a job that seems to create rules that serve as the basis for firing a worker or rejecting a candidate. As someone more likely to be on the other end of this job, I’d feel guilty losing someone their job.