Alex Harmon
Microsoft
Redmond, WA USA
"Have a keen interest: keep practicing as much as you can, as much as is reasonable."
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Alex's work combines: Business, Technology, and Problem Solving
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
My educational path was a fluke; it worked out for me, but it's not a sure thing. I'd recommend a college education for almost anyone else wanting to get into the InfoSec industry.
Here's the path I took:
Associate's Degree
Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism
Edmonds Community College
GED
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
When he was a teenager, he decided that he wanted to work in the field of information security.
2.
After his family would go to bed, he’d often stay up late and use IRC servers to talk to people “who were up to no good.”
3.
He was fascinated by the idea that hacking could be used to protect or to destroy, but ultimately, decided that the idea of hacking for good was much more appealing to him.
4.
He started studying digital forensics, specifically, because he knew it’d help him gather evidence and form criminal cases against the malicious hackers he regularly encountered online.
5.
Although he discovered his chosen profession at a young age, there was a downside to his fascination: he fell behind in his schoolwork, and ultimately had to drop out of high school.
6.
Because he didn’t have a degree, he felt he had to “force the door open” by proving that companies needed his services; once he did that, he had no problem finding work.
7.
His current job requires him to stay on-call at all times, and even though he loves the work, he admits that this can make it difficult for him to maintain a work-life balance.
8.
He’s found that practicing mindful meditation helps him keep his work-life balance in check, and he advises others in the world of cybersecurity to dedicate time to their own mental health.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
You won't get ahead if you don't have a high school education.
How I responded:
To an extent, they were right. I ran into a lot of issues with people not hiring me because my educational background was not where they wanted it to be. I had the skills, but my schooling didn't match up. I had to sometimes force open the door and prove that I had what it took in order to get the jobs that I wanted.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Although I discovered my chosen profession at a young age, there was a downside: I fell behind in school, and ultimately had to drop out of high school. I had trouble breaking into the tech field because I lacked the minimum school qualifications.