Reflections on Personal Skills and Artifacts
Posted by santw001 on Dec 6, 2023 in Uncategorized | 0 comments
Reflection on Personal Skills and Artifacts
Stephen Antwi
Old Dominion University
E-Portfolio Project
Instructor: Dr. Phan
12/7/2023
Abstract
This reflective essay explores the synthesis of skills gained through different disciplines in my academic journey, unraveling the interdisciplinary nature that has positively impacted my career readiness. The reflection focuses on three skills and three artifacts drawn from various disciplines. These artifacts collectively exemplify how various disciplines have contributed to developing my skills. The analysis entails discussing each skill and an artifact demonstrating my mastery. Also, the analysis includes how I solved the problems I encountered in creating the artifacts and how other courses helped me complete the assignments. The essay concludes with insights into how this interdisciplinary foundation positions me as a versatile professional, ready to navigate the complexities of the evolving professional landscape.
Reflection on Personal Skills and Artifacts
Introduction
As I reflect on my academic journey in Cybersecurity, it is evident that the interdisciplinary nature of this field has equipped me with diverse skills and allowed me to complete many artifacts in readiness to join the workforce. Some skills I have learned in my degree program include network security control, communication, and creativity. Network security control comes from cyber security and computer science, while communication comes from all disciplines. Creativity skills come from many fields, including psychology and marketing. This reflective essay analyzes the skills I have developed and the artifacts I have produced in my academic journey, focusing on how each contributes to my career readiness.
Network Security Control
One of the skills I have acquired in my academic journey is network security control. Network security control is a technical skill encompassing the mechanisms. It measures an individual or organization puts in place to protect the network system infrastructure from unauthorized access, attacks, and data breaches. In my academic journey, I have learned the software and hardware solutions together with the configurations or processes to protect the network system. The various courses I have pursued, particularly CYSE 300, have helped me to develop my network security control proficiency.
An artifact I have created that demonstrates my proficiency in network security control is the “MITRE ATT&CK Framework Project.” In completing this project, I had to apply the knowledge I had gained about network security control. However, completing the project taught me more about network security control. First, in evaluating the MITRE ATT&CK Framework, I learned about three attacks under this model – Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures. Also, while completing the project, I learned how an organization can use the MITRE ATT&CK Framework to secure its network from cyber-attacks.
As I completed the MITRE ATT&CK Framework project, I figured out the process or solved the problems I encountered by following a systematic approach to problem-solving. The approach entailed assessing the Port of Virginia’s network vulnerabilities and potential threats and developing a comprehensive security strategy relying on the MITRE ATT&CK Framework. I also applied security controls and conducted rigorous tests to enhance the defense systems.
The MITRE ATT&CK Framework project showcases the interdisciplinary nature of network security control by showing that the development of this skill draws from different fields, including Cybersecurity and computer science. For example, my coursework in cyber security allowed me to comprehensively assess the model and apply it in an actual situation. At the same time, computer science helped me to design secure network architectures using the framework. Also, the cryptographic algorithms, TCP/IP protocols, and subnetting drawn from the two disciplines provided me a better foundation to understand the network security controls needed to secure the Port of Virginia’s network system using the MITRE ATT&CK Framework.
Proficiency in network security control skills aligns with the job requirements outlined in many job advertisements like the Cybersecurity Engineer. Many job ads usually list the capability to implement the encryption protocols and configure firewalls. It will also help me perform the assigned duties more effectively because Cybersecurity professionals focus on securing the organization’s network.
Communication
Apart from acquiring network security control skills, my academic journey has allowed me to acquire communication skills. Communication is an indispensable skill I have developed in my educational journey at Old Dominion University. This skill has played a pivotal role in my academic and professional success. Communication skills encompass verbal communication, written communication, and non-verbal communication. Throughout my academic journey, I have learned to present my arguments clearly and concisely, verbally and non-verbally. Each course and learning activity I have completed, including the assignments in this course, has offered an opportunity to learn more about effective communication, enabling me to enhance my communication skills.
An artifact that exemplifies my communication skills is my internship report at the Port of Virginia. This report provides a detailed account of my experience at the Port of Virginia. While writing this report, I discovered the significance of conciseness and clarity in communication. Writing this report taught me how to craft well-structured messages that convey my ideas effectively. For example, while communicating my internship evaluation, I crafted short sentences that shared how the internship helped me fulfill my objectives. In addition, writing the report allowed me to learn how to adapt my communication style based on the target audience’s needs.
While writing the internship report, I solved my challenges by applying problem-solving skills. Whenever I faced ambiguity, I contacted my instructor for clarification and guidance on how to write the report. The experience underscored the significance of verbal and non-verbal communication because I had to contact my instructor frequently. Also, I had to follow the guidelines I received to write a comprehensive internship report that followed the instructions.
Also, while completing the internship report, I applied the courses or theories I had previously learned. For example, I applied informative communication principles to help the audience understand my experience at the Port of Virginia. Besides, I applied the knowledge I had gained in cyber security to bolster my arguments, especially when discussing the application of Cybersecurity knowledge during the internship. Additionally, the psychological aspects of communication helped me tailor my arguments to resonate with the diverse perspectives when discussing the internship’s motivating, discouraging and challenging aspects. I learned about the need to consider multiple perspectives on any issue in psychology.
Communication skills are necessary for my career goals since an analysis of job advertisements in my field revealed a consistent demand for people with effective communication skills. Most organizations seek candidates who can articulate ideas clearly and collaborate seamlessly with other employees. Therefore, communication is a fundamental skill highly connected with my career. Also, communication is associated with my career because I am expected to communicate complex concepts to non-technical and technical stakeholders.
Creativity
Creativity is the third skill that I have acquired over the years in my academic journey. This skill refers to the capability to think about an issue or task differently. It employs imagination to develop new ideas to address a problem. Creativity plays an essential role in innovation, problem-solving, and realizing success in many professions, including in my field. Reflecting on my academic journey, I have developed this skill over the years through studying and completing assignments that entail applying creativity.
An artifact that I created that exemplifies my creativity skills is the “Visual Mechandization Capstone Project.” This project entailed designing a store selling apparel and footwear. It focused on using different store design elements like lighting, texture, and music to create memorable customer experiences. In creating the artifact, I used creativity to create display windows, store layout, and focal point displays that can attract customers and promote sales in the store. The artifact’s creation allowed me to explore and improve my creativity. By completing the project, I learned that creativity is not limited to artistic endeavors; it encompasses critically linking disparate ideologies and generating new solutions. Also, I learned that creativity involves embracing failure and using it as a steppingstone to become more innovative. I had to design many store layouts before choosing the final one for grading, which allowed me to discover that creativity entails making several trials.
Creating the “Visual Merchandisation Capstone project” presented some challenges, but I solved them using the five-step problem-solving process. This process involved identifying the problem, generating probable solutions through brainstorming, selecting one solution, implementing the chosen solution, and evaluating the results. Also, I established regular feedback loops to continually refine and improve the creative output until I created store designs that met the grading rubric requirements.
The first course that helped me create the artifact was marketing. I applied the marketing concepts of attracting customers to design a store that could attract customers and make them buy the items on display. The other course I applied to was psychology. I used psychological theories to generate different ideas on how to display products that appeal to different customer categories.
Creativity skills are necessary for my career because Cybersecurity job ads emphasize the need for Cybersecurity professionals to be innovative and able to solve intricate problems. The creation of the artifact honed my capability to think critically and creatively, a skill that can enhance my chances of securing jobs in my field and succeeding at the workplace.
Conclusion
The interdisciplinary methods and theories were crucial to my understanding of coursework because they allowed me to gain a more comprehensive and holistic understanding of the coursework concepts. I expanded my knowledge base and developed a better skill set by integrating perspectives from various disciplines. The interdisciplinary methods enabled me to approach assignments from multiple viewpoints by drawing insights from various disciplines. I combined theories and frameworks from different disciplines to comprehensively complete projects and assignments. Courses such as IDS 300W offered me a foundation for synthesizing multiple perspectives from different disciplines. They equipped me with valuable knowledge on how to navigate multifaceted topics and present findings in a precise and coherent way. Eventually, being an interdisciplinary thinker is critical in my field because real-world problems are complex and usually demand holistic solutions. Therefore, embracing interdisciplinary approaches makes me better positioned to address these problems.