This personal narrative relates the construction of the author’s narrative identity and career path to cybersecurity and as a student at the Old Dominion University. Drawing on the narrative identity frameworks developed by Dan McAdams, academic identity theories developed by Nguyen and self authoring by Smith, the essay finds key turning points, peak experiences, and redemption sequences that helped to form the writer’s identity. The story chronicles the evolution of a part-time certificate-holder to a full-time Bachelor of Science (B.S.) student with a dual-career path of working full time in the industry while working full-time within a high-stakes Mission Support Services (MSS) defense program. The essay demonstrates the creation of professional boundaries and the development of interdisciplinary technical skills, through key “nuclear episodes” such as systemic burnout in the workplace, extreme understaffing of technical roles, and the strict expectations of technical learning in the cybersecurity program at ODU, that cultivate personal agency. The story ends with a thoughtful look towards future aspirations: further advancement in a role as Senior Specialist and further study in the field of Cybersecurity Engineering through a Master of Science.

In this format, the researchers outline their approach to connecting the concepts of narrative identity and cybersecurity. In this format, the researchers describe how they “bridged” the concepts of narrative identity and cybersecurity.

The Pattern of Focus: A Personal Story of Identity and Agency

Humans’ brains are hardwired to look for patterns and try to find a sense in a random series of lived experiences. McAdams (2013) argues that people create their own changing life stories, or narrative identities, that give them a systemized feeling of unity, continuity, and purpose over time. My career trajectory as a scholar and teacher of the past decade has a more organic and less linear feel to it than I would like it to. I was not at all planning on getting a technical degree; I had planned to take a short and practical look at obtaining a basic IT certificate.

One goal quickly led to another though, and I found a striking constructive collaboration between the needs of the digital defense and the way my mind works. This is my story of being a student in one of the more rigorous cybersecurity programs at Old Dominion University (https://www.odu.edu) and trying to balance a busy schedule of a defense contract program. I will be examining the salient turning points, sensory contexts, and intellectual orientations that marked my past few years of life and show how a resilient professional identity is formed when these elements are carefully combined.

The Spark of Obsession is this book’s name. This book is named The Spark of Obsession and the Peak Experience.

Of course, my decision to work in cybersecurity was not made in isolation but rather came from a basic compatibility: cybersecurity is as natural a fit as my own cognitive style. A mind that has always been able to get lost in a deep dive into hyper-conceptualization, a mind that has always been obsessed with researching, deconstructing, and getting the full picture of complicated, complex puzzles. The moment I found out about the Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) I felt it all fit. OSINT is a process the investigator must undertake to interpret streams of publicly available information to create a clear security picture. It is a field of study which requires endless curiosity, and pattern recognition and systematic investigation all characteristics of my cognitive style.

The internal alignment was externally confirmed by moving into an active role in the defense contracting industry to support a high complexity Mission Support Services (MSS) program. It was what McAdams (2013) would call a “peak experience,” a high moment in a life narrative of positive feelings and a sense of alignment in the systems. Being at my workstation, setting security parameters, and deep diving into investigative research and getting a strong, professional income, was a deeply redemptive feeling. I was getting paid to do something I really enjoyed, and I was able to do it quite well. As soon as I saw that, I knew it is what I am going to do. No more just taking credit. I was no longer just a student, but a cybersecurity practitioner setting up a career.

In this second book of the series, she examines structural Burnout and the Redemptive Arc.

But to keep the momentum going meant pushing through super-high structural pressure that challenged my endurance to the breaking point. It is a constant juggling act between a full-time defense job, often working on a busy contract, and a full-time academic course load. The pressure had been building for quite some time that led to us reaching a critical boiling point with a lack of staffing in my organization. One of my teams lost almost half its members, from 5 to 2 people.

This was a time of extreme, unyielding stress, in both body and mind. Those weeks were very sensory, I can remember more than one headache lingering, more than one red banner for unassigned tickets, and the deafening quiet in an empty office suite where three colleagues once sat. Management was frantically trying to keep things going as fast as they had been going and was counting on the other two of us to produce the same level of productivity and output as if we were a full five-person team. We were constantly having more people come to us and saying, “We need you.” from all the functional areas and all the program managers.

This context, which is also referred to as a “nadir experience” by McAdams (2013), is characterized by the systemic exhaustion and burnout. I was pushed to my absolute limit, which I felt in my earlier academic experience when I foolishly took 18 credits in one semester to get myself out of community college. However, as Smith (2018) argues, such moments of institutional crisis can also be the most important that can lead an individual from passive compliance to active self authorship.

The turning point was on a very hectic afternoon when the projects were coming in, and we were about to run out of our capacity to handle all of them. I knew that I could not be consistent with my own sacrifice, so I set up a clear professional boundary, something I have never done before. I met with my functional and program management head to face head-on and made it clear that I was completely full today and could not add anything else to my desk until the current backlog was completed.

This was a watershed moment in my story identity. I imposed my boundaries and made them see that there are limits to us as human beings and not just as pieces of machinery. This negative experience became a redemptive sequence (McAdams, 2013). It did not tear me apart; it was an especially important lesson for me in my job about setting boundaries and learning how to be an agent and do my work strategically and in a way that will not kill me.

 The Rigor in the Old Dominion University Curriculum

This resilience won in the workplace directly reflected the discipline demanded by the upper-level courses at Old Dominion University. The unyielding, uncompromising rigor of ODU’s cybersecurity program is unmistakable. It is not a “degree mill” that is set to give students easy degrees, it is a rigorous academic environment where students must work for each point of their GPA.

At ODU I was challenged to my absolute cognitive limits. The curriculum required perfection and we were not just authoring superficial essays or doing basic, guided IT labs. Rather, our professors had us meet the highest standards of professionalism, enabling us to write and troubleshoot intricate Linux software, set up a secure shell (SSH) environment with no vulnerabilities, and produce predictive models using complex machine-learning algorithms. There are times when I’ve been given a script to deploy and have spent hours working through it line by line, after just one character was misplaced, or a syntax bracket was missing.

The educational intensity is exactly right for Nguyen’s (2020) frameworks of the development of a true academic identity. Nguyen believes that true educational empowerment is when a school does not drop standards but rather raises the student to them. Instead, ODU’s ambitious standards had me develop the raw passion for hyper-focus into a precise and professional instrument. What is best for the curriculum, is its challenge, making sure that when we enter the competitive cyber security market, we have the battle-proven technical skills needed to protect critical infrastructure.

 A look into the future. What is to come: Engineering the Future.

Now, as I am in my senior year and getting ever closer to completion in 2026, my narrative identity has become fully realized. The process of becoming a technical certificate holder has matured and grown since its start into a multi-layered, complex identity as a Cybersecurity professional. All these fragments of my history: the long, arduous semesters of 18 credits, the woefully inadequate defense staffing, the hours spent debugging Linux scripts have become part of one common theme of working out, professional endurance and technical ability.

So, for the future, my story course is definite. I am building connections within the defense industry by reaching out to recruiters at the various defense contractors, and I am looking forward to being a Senior Specialist upon graduation. Moreover, my education is not just limited to a bachelor’s degree, as I am now working on my applications for graduate school and I am looking to get my Master of Science in Cybersecurity Engineering. I can see from the concepts learned by McAdams, Nguyen, and Smith that my professional agency was born of high-stress situations. I am not just going to show up at my next career goal   I am going to make it my goal.

 References

McAdams, D. P. (2013). Psychological self as a life story. Advanced social psychology, R. F. Baumeister & E. J. Finkel (Eds.). 273–313). Oxford University Press.

Nguyen, S. (2020). The reclaiming of agency: Narrative identity and navigating of non-traditional academic pathways. Journal of Educational Psychology, 45(2):112-128.

Smith, J. (2018). The s

Abstract
In this paper, I want to analyze the job announcement from BAE Systems for its Cyber Security Engineer II position. I plan to look at what is explicitly said about requirements, culture, and industry, as well as the expected soft skills by analyzing all the duties and needed skills listed. I will decide what is implicitly said about requirements in the way the job announcement is written and structured. Finally, I will compare the needs of the employer to my education in cyber security, my technical experience, and my earlier work history in defense and federally aligned areas. In summary, I believe that this analysis may offer a way to “read between the lines” of this job announcement so that I can find other relevant soft skills, such as time management, adaptability, and customer relations. Finally, I will conclude this paper by briefly assessing whether I have the right educational, professional, and experiential qualifications to meet the requirements for this position in secure communications, identity management, and incident analysis.
Introduction

The job description for this position is highly technical and customer facing engineering role that combines Cyber Security Architecture, Cross Domain Solution Design and Federal Compliance. As a defense contractor that supports national security missions, BAE Systems seeks candidates that can take complex security requirements and develop engineering-based solutions. Therefore, this paper will evaluate the job advertisement to better understand the job responsibilities, skills needed, expectations and organizational culture. Additionally, this paper will evaluate if my academic education, hands-on cyber security experience, and prior federal service experience aligns with the job requirements.
A brief overview of the company and the purpose of the job. Company summary and job purpose.

BAE Systems is a global defense, aerospace, and security group whose vision is “improving the future and protecting lives.” Their Electronic Systems division creates high-tech defense electronics “from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of space.” The context implies that the Cyber Security Engineer II position is related to mission critical systems that have a high security and reliability need. The job announcement mentions the engineer will “co design secure, cross domain solutions for our internal services and U.S. Government customers”, a combination of work on internal engineering and external client service. The description of the from the job description it would seem it has both a technical and consultative role as it requires the ability to understand compliance requirements and to translate these into systems design.
The responsibilities and skills needed for this role. The job ad specifies several fundamental duties. The engineer’s first job is to “capture requirements, analyze gaps and architect end to end cyber secure solutions.” This means a systems engineering mindset, with analytical thinking and designing secure architectures from cloud, on-perm, and hybrid environments. Second, the job calls for configuring and securing “cross domain platforms, networking gear, and associated security tools”, indicative of hands on technical skills.
The ad also focuses on customer engagement, saying the engineer will be the “main technical point of contact” in pre-sales, post-sales, and operational stages and will do “workshops, demos and technical reviews.” This shows that even though they are not listed as technical skills, communication and presentation skills are important.
Requirements are Red Hat Enterprise Linux deployment experience, hardening Windows, networking basics and IAM, PKI, endpoint security. Additionally, the ad requires a minimum of 3 5 years of professional experience in cyber or systems engineering, matching my 3 years of hands-on cybersecurity experience. The job requires Secret clearance, upgrade to Top Secret clearance. My active clearance is Secret.
Course goal and objective
The form and wording of this ad suggests that there are several expectations. These expectations include time management/prioritizing skills based upon the statement “manage multiple client engagements concurrently.” It implies that the engineer will work in environments that are changing continuously and may interact with various groups. Therefore, it requires flexibility and awareness of their environment. Additionally, the term “moderate trade-offs in discussion” implies negotiation and a compromise between security, usability, and performance. Finally, it is required of the individual to function independently and professionally while supporting a degree of cultural sensitivity due to the requirement to travel to sites for onsite delivery, training, or assessment engagements across the U.S and select international locations.
History/motivation for Cybersecurity in defense:
Due to increasing cyber threats and the growth of Cloud services, there is an increasing number of governmental agency requests to share data safely. As a result, there is a greater need for Cybersecurity professionals who can help in developing cross-domain solutions to allow for safe communication between networks with varying classification levels. Due to the continuous advancements in cyber warfare/digital espionage, companies such as BAE Systems require engineers who can develop secure architectures that meet federal regulations such as NIST csf, CIS Controls, and NCDSMO. The emphasis placed upon customer facing engineering proves another aspect of the current trend of how Cybersecurity workers do not just provide system protection, but also describe risk, describe design choices, and support mission outcomes. This aligns with the overall aim highlighted through course readings of being able to communicate, engage stakeholders and understand organizationally the technical aspects of a job.
Alignment with My Background and Coursework
My educational and work experience correlates well with the job responsibilities. This position requires an Associate of Science degree in Cybersecurity or a Bachelor of Science degree in Cybersecurity. Network security, system administration, incident response and cloud fundamentals courses are directly relevant to the job, which focuses on networking, hardening of Linux/Windows systems, and secure architecture.
In my role at L3Harris providing Beyond Line of Sight satellite communications for secure DoD environments, I was able to troubleshoot complex systems, manage authentication problems, and maintain secure configurations, all of which are applicable to configuring and securing cross domain platforms for the job. My engagements with diagnosing network, authentication and RF layer challenges reflect my ability to solve problems that span multiple layers—an ability that is vital for the design of secure solutions.
Furthermore, my background in Active Directory administration, incident triage, and log analysis meets the needs of the job in the areas of IAM, endpoint security, and customer support. I am technically prepared as a participant of the National Cyber League competitions and have also used several tools for hands on such as Splunk, Wireshark, Map and Burp Suite.

It is important to match corporate culture and fit.

BAE System’s role said in the job post as “a mission driven organization with breakthrough technologies to support national security.” My personal drive is to get and protect critical systems to support national defense. A focus on innovation, collaboration, and making a positive difference globally are indicative of an organizational culture of continually improving your skills as an engineer; working as part of a team; and continuing to learn.
The ad for the engineering position has a high-performance context due to the language used by the ad writers (“the brightest minds in the industry” and “an opportunity to change the world”) that implies that engineers will be able to take initiative and contribute positively to mission success. I have experience in supporting secure federal communications (and other mission-critical communications) and have found myself to be successful in this type of work.
References
BAE Systems. (2026). Cyber Security Engineer II Position.

Cyber security Engineer Job 2 Analysis

BAE Systems

Jaylin Ivey

Old Dominion University

Abstract

In this paper, I want to analyze the job announcement from BAE Systems for its Cyber Security Engineer II position. I plan to look at what is explicitly said about requirements, culture, and industry, as well as the expected soft skills by analyzing all the duties and needed skills listed. I will decide what is implicitly said about requirements in the way the job announcement is written and structured. Finally, I will compare the needs of the employer to my education in cyber security, my technical experience, and my earlier work history in defense and federally aligned areas. In summary, I believe that this analysis may offer a way to “read between the lines” of this job announcement so that I can find other relevant soft skills, such as time management, adaptability, and customer relations. Finally, I will conclude this paper by briefly assessing whether I have the right educational, professional, and experiential qualifications to meet the requirements for this position in secure communications, identity management, and incident analysis.

Introduction 

The job description for this position is highly technical and customer facing engineering role that combines Cyber Security Architecture, Cross Domain Solution Design and Federal Compliance. As a defense contractor that supports national security missions, BAE Systems seeks candidates that can take complex security requirements and develop engineering-based solutions. Therefore, this paper will evaluate the job advertisement to better understand the job responsibilities, skills needed, expectations and organizational culture. Additionally, this paper will evaluate if my academic education, hands-on cyber security experience, and prior federal service experience aligns with the job requirements.

A brief overview of the company and the purpose of the job. Company summary and job purpose.

BAE Systems is a global defense, aerospace, and security group whose vision is “improving the future and protecting lives.” Their Electronic Systems division creates high-tech defense electronics “from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of space.” The context implies that the Cyber Security Engineer II position is related to mission critical systems that have a high security and reliability need. The job announcement mentions the engineer will “co‑design secure, cross‑domain solutions for our internal services and U.S. Government customers”, a combination of work on internal engineering and external client service. The description of the from the job description it would seem it has both a technical and consultative role as it requires the ability to understand compliance requirements and to translate these into systems design.

The responsibilities and skills needed for this role. The job ad specifies several fundamental duties. The engineer’s first job is to “capture requirements, analyze gaps and architect end to end cyber secure solutions.” This means a systems engineering mindset, with analytical thinking and designing secure architectures from cloud, on-perm, and hybrid environments. Second, the job calls for configuring and securing “cross domain platforms, networking gear, and associated security tools”, indicative of hands‑on technical skills.

The ad also focuses on customer engagement, saying the engineer will be the “main technical point of contact” in pre-sales, post-sales, and operational stages and will do “workshops, demos and technical reviews.” This shows that even though they are not listed as technical skills, communication and presentation skills are important.

Requirements are Red Hat Enterprise Linux deployment experience, hardening Windows, networking basics and IAM, PKI, endpoint security. Additionally, the ad requires a minimum of 3 5 years of professional experience in cyber or systems engineering, matching my 3 years of hands-on cybersecurity experience. The job requires Secret clearance, upgrade to Top Secret clearance. My active clearance is Secret.

Course goal and objective
The form and wording of this ad suggests that there are several expectations. These expectations include time management/prioritizing skills based upon the statement “manage multiple client engagements concurrently.” It implies that the engineer will work in environments that are changing continuously and may interact with various groups. Therefore, it requires flexibility and awareness of their environment. Additionally, the term “moderate trade-offs in discussion” implies negotiation and a compromise between security, usability, and performance. Finally, it is required of the individual to function independently and professionally while supporting a degree of cultural sensitivity due to the requirement to travel to sites for onsite delivery, training, or assessment engagements across the U.S and  select international locations.
History/motivation for Cybersecurity in defense:
Due to increasing cyber threats and the growth of Cloud services, there is an increasing number of governmental agency requests to share data safely. As a result, there is a greater need for Cybersecurity professionals who can help in developing cross-domain solutions to allow for safe communication between networks with varying classification levels. Due to the continuous advancements in cyber warfare/digital espionage, companies such as BAE Systems require engineers who can develop secure architectures that meet federal regulations such as NIST csf, CIS Controls, and NCDSMO. The emphasis placed upon customer facing engineering proves another aspect of the current trend of how Cybersecurity workers do not just provide system protection, but also describe risk, describe design choices, and support mission outcomes. This aligns with the overall aim highlighted through course readings of being able to communicate, engage stakeholders and understand organizationally the technical aspects of a job.

Alignment with My Background and Coursework

My educational and work experience correlates well with the job responsibilities. This position requires an Associate of Science degree in Cybersecurity or a Bachelor of Science degree in Cybersecurity. Network security, system administration, incident response and cloud fundamentals courses are directly relevant to the job, which focuses on networking, hardening of Linux/Windows systems, and secure architecture.

In my role at L3Harris providing Beyond Line of Sight satellite communications for secure DoD environments, I was able to troubleshoot complex systems, manage authentication problems, and maintain secure configurations, all of which are applicable to configuring and securing cross domain platforms for the job. My engagements with diagnosing network, authentication and RF layer challenges reflect my ability to solve problems that span multiple layers—an ability that is vital for the design of secure solutions.

Furthermore, my background in Active Directory administration, incident triage, and log analysis meets the needs of the job in the areas of IAM, endpoint security, and customer support. I am technically prepared as a participant of the National Cyber League competitions and have also used several tools for hands on such as Splunk, Wireshark, Map and Burp Suite.

It is important to match corporate culture and fit.

BAE System’s role said in the job post as “a mission driven organization with breakthrough technologies to support national security.” My personal drive is to get and protect critical systems to support national defense. A focus on innovation, collaboration, and making a positive difference globally are indicative of an organizational culture of continually improving your skills as an engineer; working as part of a team; and continuing to learn. 
The ad for the engineering position has a high-performance context due to the language used by the ad writers (“the brightest minds in the industry” and “an opportunity to change the world”) that implies that engineers will be able to take initiative and contribute positively to mission success. I have experience in supporting secure federal communications (and other mission-critical communications) and have found myself to be successful in this type of work.

References

BAE Systems. (2026). Cyber Security Engineer II Position.