Old Dominion University and the cybersecurity program in general have had a profound impact on my personal and professional life. Throughout my time at ODU, I have gained valuable experience and skills that have greatly assisted in my professional career. Courses such as CYSE 250, 270, and 280 provided in-depth knowledge of Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems. While IT 315 provided a fundamental understanding of network management and operations. These courses provided skills critical to my role as a presales engineer at Global Infrastructure Solutions, Quantum Solutions Practice. The required internship is another beneficial aspect of the ODU cybersecurity program, as it provides real-world applications of the concepts covered in the core courses.
ODU’s Cybersecurity program has provided countless valuable learning experiences. I would argue that the most important of these was the internship course CYSE 368. This course not only provided real-world work experience but also gave insight into the hiring process. I learned that the process of applying, interviewing, and training for a new position is far more in-depth and difficult than it may seem on the surface. Not only are internships often competitive, but the pressure to perform in a new environment often requires dedication and resilience.
One of the biggest obstacles I encountered during my time at ODU was balancing work, academics, and my personal life. At one point, I was working 40 hours per week on a crunch to meet a work deadline. During this time, I was also taking 15 credit hours. Learning to balance work and school while still leaving time to manage my personal life was a struggle. However, the result was an ability to prioritize tasks and work diligently to chip away at large projects. Time management and the ability to adapt quickly to my environment were invaluable skills during this phase of my academic career.
Previous courses such as CYSE 200T and CYSE 368 were beneficial in completing this course. CYSE 200T involved the initial creation of my ePortfolio, while CYSE 368 required me to upload coursework to my ePortfolio. Because of these courses, I entered this course with a fundamental understanding of how an ePortfolio and WordPress work. While this course has led to refinement and significant improvement of my ePortfolio, I feel as though I came into this course with a solid starting point. This previous experience with WordPress was important, as the initial process of learning to use it is time-consuming. Thankfully, prior experience significantly reduced the learning curve, as I only needed a brief refresher on how the site functions rather than taking a blind approach to this project.
IDS 493 serves as a tool to present the content of ODU’s cybersecurity program and individual accomplishments to potential employers. Creating an ePortfolio is like having a strong LinkedIn profile. However, instead of a profile on another website, the ePortfolio is a website dedicated solely to presenting an individual’s qualifications and experiences. This course not only provides instructor feedback regarding the quality of the ePortfolio created but also offers an opportunity for peer review. This is significant, as you can draw ideas from other ePortfolios while gaining outside perspectives on your work.
IDS 493 provided several valuable and interesting concepts throughout the course. One concept that I found particularly impactful was the process of creating a strong landing page. Examples such as the “three words or adjectives” offered creative methods of capturing a potential audience and delivering a strong introduction. This was the same portion of the course that involved reviewing previous ePortfolios. Being able to view examples of strong ePortfolios and to produce strong introductions based on them was invaluable.
In terms of what I am most proud of in my ePortfolio, I feel I achieved my objective of creating a minimalist page that provides adequate information about my experience and qualifications. While there is nothing wrong with creative and unique designs on an ePortfolio, I feel that a minimalist design comes across as more professional. Overall, I want my ePortfolio to function as a digital business card with a clean, basic design. With that said, I feel it is important to offer examples of my work and accomplishments. I feel that I achieved this with a basic landing page with links at the top for viewers to access these examples.
The most challenging aspects of IDS 493 were relearning WordPress and meeting the ePortfolio examples provided in the course. The examples provided were genuinely impressive and clearly the result of intense effort. The learning curve for WordPress was easier to overcome than it was the first time using the service, thanks to prior experience. However, the WordPress UI could be better. I feel satisfied with my ePortfolio, as I ultimately achieved my goal of providing relevant information in a minimalist design.
I feel as though there is much that I can and will improve about my ePortfolio, given time. I would include more examples of my work experience and refine the pages into a more streamlined viewing experience. While my ePortfolio is strong and meets the overall objective of having one, it also presents me as a strong candidate to potential employers. With more time, I will craft a portfolio that stands out as an impressive and unique presentation of my skills and experience. With that being said, I believe that there is a fine line between an ePortfolio being too basic and being too flashy. Overall, my objective is to find a perfect balance that allows my ePortfolio to stand out while still maintaining a minimalist appearance.
Throughout this course, I have called back on past experiences to help me succeed. For instance, part of the course covered updating and posting my resume on my ePortfolio. Conveniently, I have previously completed several resume workshops and have recently reworked my resume in preparation for applying to the ODU cybersecurity master’s program. I am proud of my resume, and it has led to several interviews due to the content and refinement I have put into it. As previously stated, my internship courses CYSE 368 and CYSE 200T involved extensive work in my ePortfolio, ultimately providing a head start for this course.
In conclusion, this course and the ODU cybersecurity program as a whole have provided valuable opportunities and countless learning experiences. This program covered cybersecurity fundamentals in the classroom while also requiring students to gain real-world work experience. Cybersecurity is, at its core, an interdisciplinary field of study. Cybersecurity encompasses disciplines such as economics, human psychology, computer science, and several more. For instance, several core cybersecurity courses cite social engineering attacks as the most common and effective method of cyberattack. Courses such as Phil 155E, human psychology, discuss how individuals can be influenced or act irrationally in high-stress situations. It is critical to approach cybersecurity from an interdisciplinary perspective, as factors such as human nature influence the effectiveness of social engineering, economics shapes the impact of cyberattacks on the global economy, and computer science focuses on the technical aspects of cybersecurity, namely addressing the cyber threats that organizations encounter. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, I will continue working as a pre-sales engineer at GIS QSP. I will also begin the cybersecurity master’s program to deepen my understanding of cybersecurity and provide more value and insight in my current role.