"Honestly, if Cisco Networking Academy didn't exist I wouldn't be in cybersecurity right now. I had very little knowledge of it before I took the Introduction to Cybersecurity course."
Technology wasn't always a passion for Agnes, from Kenya, but in high school she decided she wanted to do something different from her peers to stand out. After doing her research, she decided to study for a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology.
"It was the best decision ever," says Agnes. "I am glad I dove into technology. Nothing can take me out of it."
A light in the storm
Unfortunately, early in the pandemic, Agnes was laid off from her customer service job at an electronics company in Nairobi. Even with her degree, opportunities in Kenya were limited, and she wasn't sure of her next career move.
She discovered the free Introduction to Cybersecurity course from Cisco Networking Academy through Cisco's Women Rock-IT program in an email from the Kenya Ministry of Education, a Cisco Networking Academy partner.
"When I was thinking about Cisco Networking Academy, the first thing that came into my mind was a supermarket where you get it all under one roof," she says. "That is what Cisco Networking Academy is: you have so many things that can give you a direction in your career."
"I really didn't have anything in mind to do with cybersecurity. But I got an email that free courses were being offered at the same time I had been laid off. I had some background in networking, so I started to think: what could I do to complement my networking skills? When I saw the cybersecurity course, I knew that this was it. It gave me a very good foundation on what to expect in the cybersecurity field."
From digital badge to cybersecurity internship
After attending the course, Agnes added its digital badge to her LinkedIn profile. Soon after, she was approached by a Kenyan cybersecurity company about a security analyst internship. She is now working as a Level 1 SOC Analyst and is actively involved in Cyber Security User Awareness Training for different clients.
On getting started, Agnes says, "You don't need to know everything but at least know something that you can build on. For me, Introduction to Cybersecurity with Cisco Networking Academy was my thing. I'm fully into it and not leaving it!"
"Honestly, if Cisco Networking Academy didn't exist I wouldn't be in cybersecurity right now. I had very little knowledge of it before I took the Introduction to Cybersecurity course," she says.
What's Agnes' advice for students contemplating embarking on a cybersecurity course with Networking Academy?
"Go for it! As new technologies emerge, new threats will also emerge. And I believe cybersecurity will be increasingly important in the future; it will only advance. I think cybersecurity is the future of IT."
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