Even with an excellent education under your belt, beginning a new career can be intimidating. That’s part of the reason that gaining real-world experience through internships is so valuable to college students before they launch into a full-time career. Audrey Jacobs, Cyber Exercise Analyst at Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) began her career as an intern at CISA, and that internship gave her invaluable experience and led to a full-time career.
Mentoring is Key to the Internship
“I was in my last 2 years of university in our Cyber Security concentration program. CISA approached me with the internship role with CISA exercises. I applied and interviewed, and got in that summer with one of my other colleagues,” said Jacobs. “We worked throughout the summer on different teams, we got to sit in on the exercises and help develop the products that I do now for work.”
Mentorship is a natural part of the internship process, and another reason Jacobs spoke highly of her internship experience. “I definitely got a lot of support from our teams, and they never let me sink,” she said. “They always were there to support me with all the questions that I had, and they were very transparent about the different things that were a part of the whole cyber exercise planning process.”
Her internship, education, and the valuable experience she gained with CISA led to her landing a full-time role with CISA. Though she started as an intern, CISA continued to add responsibility, pushing her to the next level in her career.
“I feel like I’ve gotten all the support that I needed, and they continue to give me great feedback so I don’t feel like I’m just kind of hanging out in the wings. I’m actually getting the feedback I need to know what I’m doing well so I can capitalize on that,” she said.
Be Proactive and Grab Hold of Opportunities
Jacobs also had some words of encouragement for those who may be considering a role or an internship with CISA. “If you see a position aligned with what you want to do, even if it’s not necessarily in your background, just put yourself out there,” she said. “You’ll be surprised by what you can do when you’re actually in a role.”
She also encouraged interns to be proactive throughout their time as an intern, no matter where they’re interning. “If you get an internship, take in all the information that you can, and ask all the questions that you can. That experience, whether you stay with the organization or leave the organization, you’ll carry that with you forever.”
Learn more about CISA’s internship program or the full-time roles available.
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