Where it all began
Just out of my second-to-last undergraduate exam chaos, scrolling through my social media platforms just as any other 21 year old would, I stumbled upon a familiar name, that of a friend I made through various volunteering projects back in highschool. I didn’t have much planned for after the exams, so it seemed quite fitting to reach out and see what they were up to these days. Little did I know then, that seemingly random conversation turned out to be the catalyst to what my career currently is!
First contact with DCSL GuideSmiths
Seb and I knew each other for a couple of years already, but only connected through some volunteer work and the only thing I knew about his professional life was that he was in the IT industry and that he knew how to build some web platforms. During one of his brief Bucharest visits, we met for a quick chat and he briefly mentioned that sometime in the foreseeable future, the company he works for would like to expand its business on Romanian grounds as well. Back then, I made myself busy with university and a couple of internships (now I’m making myself busy with security work, who would’ve thought?!) - so I didn’t pay much attention.
Fast forward to my graduation year, again through some divine inspiration we met up and he said he’s going to set grounds for the DCSL GuideSmiths Bucharest office, which should serve as the HQ for the DCSL GuideSmiths QA Team. I was just out of exams and also out of one half-year long internship in which, although not specifically stipulated in the internship job title, I did QA without knowing I was doing QA - so I thought why not? I was already set with an attractive job offer for after finishing my studies, so it seemed like the perfect buffer.
Not very long after, Seb again briefly mentioned that he might need someone else, a junior perhaps (not someone strictly qualified in terms of security, that he would of course help teach) to help him out with the backlog of security work that was already piling up. I didn’t take much time to think about it - it was a no brainer for me! Now, 2 years after joining DCSL GuideSmiths and 1 and a half years after starting on my security role, I can say that I feel I’m in a perfect space professionally and I could not ask for a thing more.
Life at DCSL Guidesmiths
Having worked in the IT industry already while in college, I had a point of reference to compare what my experience at DCSL GuideSmiths has been like. Needless to say, I’m feeling grateful to be here.
I had the privilege of passively observing how the group tackled the pandemic situation, while at the same time hearing about other friends’ work situations - some couldn’t get any jobs or even temporary gigs, some were getting fired, some were being pressured to go to the office, “or otherwise…” etc. Now compare that to the fact that we were encouraged to take office infrastructure (computers/monitors/different periferics) home, we had one-on-ones where management made sure we were in the right space of mind (thanks for those sessions, Kevin!), we had virtual drinks that were as enjoyable and chaotic as you’d imagine and last but not least, our very own Nick Thompson played the hell out of his piano on a daily basis for a steady couple of months. You don’t see this sort of employee engagement that often - at least not in the Romanian work field. Long story short - it made the difference.
One other thing that thoroughly influenced my appreciation towards the company was its open-mindedness and chance-giving attitude. Prior to my role change, I had close to zero knowledge of the topic - but I was eager and willing to learn and develop professionally here and they took a leap of faith with me. Unfortunately, you don’t see this sort of thing that often here.
A day in the life of a Junior Security Analyst at DCSL GuideSmiths
Even though my university experience included catching a glimpse of the CyberSpace (my major was Economic Cybernetics), before diving into more serious matters and concepts revolving around the security side of the industry, I thought I knew how to get around things when it came to IT. Needless to say… I was wrong.
Working here as a Junior Security Analyst provided me with the means to further understand, from both a more technical as well as conceptual point of view, very interesting aspects of the web security world. Learning about all sorts of techniques to bypass basically any protocol shed a light on a passion I didn’t know I had!
What fascinates me most about this CyberSecurity space is that it’s always changing. Any day can become a Zero-Day for new vulnerabilities with exploits either complex beyond imagination or too simple for anyone to be bothered with (except, of course, for the guy who discovered the vulnerability!).
In a world where monotony and job task redundancy slowly and painfully kills your drive to do your work, I feel like this security side of the IT industry is one of the best spaces to evolve as a professional.
Next steps
When I joined the company, I previously mentioned that I considered it a buffer from that point until I finished my studies. I didn’t have a career path back then, just a general idea of how it should take its shape. Now, things are looking different. I know where my career is headed and what I need to do to get there.
This is not me saying that what I’m thinking now is set in stone, what I’m saying is that taking into account my development here in the past couple of years, I can say with a fair amount of certainty that unless another world-shattering event happens, things are looking pretty clear as to what my future here at DCSL GuideSmiths holds.
To put it shortly - I am just one example of what happens when your professional interests align with the company values, and when management ACTUALLY takes into account what you’re telling them.
The only way, from this point on, is up.
Stefan
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