Out Of Office, Not Out Of Skills: Returning To Cyber After A Career Break - Sidra M

Um thank you so much for having me. So cyber security as you know is fast moving new tools for change. But what happens when life asks you to pose and I want to share here my own. Uh I built a career that I loved in cyber security through a squiggly path to identity and access management. I global programs, worked with 33 international markets, managed to secure delivery of hundreds of releases every year. My career was fastpaced, demanding and exciting. I loved every single bit of it. I also did a year-long coaching apprenticeship program with UK government and became a certified coach and mentor and that was alongside my day job and being a parent. I was stepping towards my

dream job in technology and strategy. But then life asked me to pause. I stepped away to focus my family. I wanted to help my parents um on on a travel and I wanted to help my eldest to prepare for her 11th plus exam. That that's a big thing somebody knows about it. Um what I thought would be just a 3 months break and I could just go back. It became 2 years in the blink of an eye. And while I don't regret decision for a moment and I think I would make the same decisions if I had to do it again. Coming back wasn't easy. Everything changed. LinkedIn changed. Connections became references. Chatboards were everywhere. AI had

changed the landscape unit. The game had already moved on. And it felt like jumping off a speed train and then trying to run alongside just to catch up. It was very scary. But here's the thing. I wasn't the only one. I'm not the only one. Research shows that there are 90% of women who take care want to come back to work force and three out of five feel limited because of barriers and that 60%. And there are 4 millions unfulfilled cyber security jobs globally. With a mismatch, something doesn't add up. There's a lot of untapped talent sitting on the sideways. We keep talking about skill shortages. The skill gaps grow bigger. There are 4 million unfulfilled jobs yet doors are

closed on experienced individuals just because they pause. Just a quick raise of hands. How many of you know someone who got career break maybe because of family health burnout and the reason the next struggle come back it's really common it's not uncommon coming back to my story um when I was ready to return I realized that the struggles were not my struggle the actual struggle was not actually to relearn or refresh the technical expertise It was something else. It was the soft ones. And I really want to talk about the three. The confidence erosion. After the years of expertise, I suddenly doubted myself. All things imposer syndrome. Am I good enough? Am I still relevant? Was was it legit that I made

that far? Or was I a fraud? Actually, it wasn't a nice place to be. And LinkedIn's own research shows that nearly half of women feel that curry breaks negatively impacts their confidence and the CV gap stigma that's a big one. I realized that my decade of experience with I am cyber security my track record of fastpace delivery my stakeholder leadership and the global exposure suddenly overshadowed that one line on my TV the gap. Do I keep it? Do I leave it out? What's the best best practice? What's the rule? What do I do about it? Too often applications are filtered out because of one line. The gap agencies, recruiters, hiring managers unconsciously assumed a gap meant

outdated. I was even told you would be too bored in this role. This is for you. You should expect less because you have been on a break and you know there are many other people more experienced while they couldn't find them strangely. Um, and here's the stat again. Um 50% believe there is sigma still attached to the career breaks and the next is the an interesting one the programs they are available yes they do exist in banking insurance and consultancy uh agencies but in cyber security are rare I actually didn't find one I did find some links on the website the big names are doing some programs but when I contacted them I couldn't actually

really find anything they were like way in the past. So I signed myself up for non cyber programs back in the industry um doing something but either I was underqualified or overqualified. too often I was really told that you will be bored in this role um very quickly like okay uh 70% of cyber employees uh according to ISC square um study um still lack structured return pathways to the workforce and that's really huge it's only increasing how what do I do I just thought to myself and I shut many times to my husband what do I do what do I do and you're like okay I don't uh something will come up. Um there's always a silver lining to the cloud and

there was so I really talked about what helped me move forward rather than going into the job search which obviously I can talk about maybe afterwards um if you want to talk about it. Um so what I did what helped me move forward it wasn't actually the technical refresher program or the technical courses though I did do some of them um it was a mix of support mind and community mindset and community sorry so I scaled selectively I wasn't like oh let's do the cloud course here and let's do this sub here and do this and that and there are so many now every just doing everything um I didn't try to learn, relearn everything. I focus on

that matters most risk delivery, leadership, soft skills and to be honest life had been a great teacher and being a mother and wife is an institute itself. Any mom here in the room see you all. So I also leaned on mentors and I signed up to the programs like women in cyber read women in technology alate by healthcers IV um though I found IV actually when I had already accepted an offer uh they only published last year uh but but they are really really great for returners and their story is really really inspiring as well. Um I kept coaching proono. Um it was a complimentary thing that I was doing for community for friends family colleagues past

colleagues. Um conversations with peers, coffee catchups reminded me my skills were still relevant. There were still ways they were not outdated. Um I reconnected with the cyber community but also the local community not in technical ways. I volunteered, I fundraised, did digital marketing, I looked after Instagram, um Facebook to promote the events. Um I did photography of the events for years. I also did face and ha actually for years for event. Um and I gave school talks on STEM and cyber. I a guest lecture at S University. These things helped me rebuild visibility and connections and actually kept me sane because if I'm honest at times it wasn't easy. Um I I really struggled and this wasn't the only thing I did

actually. I traveled I traveled a lot. Um I traveled with my family uh to different parts of the world. I uh switched off completely. Um I learned gardening and I read books. Um and I did a road trip from um where did my friend sorry uh from Oman to Abu Dhaba to Dubai and back. So it was in Middle East and G countries and uh it was really amazing actually when I came back then I created a travel series on how to stay safe when you're traveling globally when you're on the go and I created 10 episodes on LinkedIn which I can share if it pies your interest I can share the link as well.

Um I was actually really proud forever. I feel embarrassed right now. So what I'm trying to say here is that my break gave me resilience, empathy and adaptability that no certification, no course can teach. Every day I told myself this is another page. My story is going to turn over. Something fantastic is waiting. What I'm doing is valuable. It grows me. It helps me. and sharing my story will help others because trust me I wasn't quiet. I was constantly talking on length about the career breaks and the stigma attached to it. Um and according to Deoid's uh research 77% of employers now value soft skills as important as the technical skills like um problem solving

and adaptability and that's exactly what career breaks build that is googled that industry needs. So I think the hard work is not just on individuals there is there is a there is a big role to play by the employers or organizers uh sorry organizations and I'm talking to the high managers here if there is anyone in the room um there are three ways that you can help bridge the gap don't filter out CVS because there is a gap written there focus of skills and experience first invest in return programs even short structure programs help returners with the confidence reconnect put them ease with like I said 4 million unfulfilled jobs across the globe ignoring returners

isn't just unfair it's unsustainable and normalize celebrates build inclusive culture

I'm sorry um yeah build inclusive cultures and no career breaks because they are not career ender. They are actually part of life and lived experiences makes better at our jobs. Um and um I think being being a mom, being a wife and like a working parent teaches a lot and I really want to share an I am metaphor um from my experience that when a user doesn't login for a while when it has stayed inactive you just don't delet it permanently. you you validate, reassess and re reintegrate them securely and that's what should apply to people as well and that's how returners should be treated and for returners in the room I really want to give like a booth hog here

trust me your break doesn't mean that your skills have been raised they have disappeared suddenly um you just exploring different avenues that brings richness and resilience to life that makes you unique You like your fingerprints, motor hands the same. Fingers are even same actually and what you bring to the table after career break. Developing those experience is something that no one else can bring to the table. So value the whole journey rather than thinking that my time away was time wasted. It's not. You gain perspective and experiences that are unique and those cannot be taught. So it's time away and if not time wasted it's time gained gained in resilience perspective and balance and these are

exactly the qualities our industry needs. So whenever you see a seed gap next time please don't see it as an it. Thank you very much for listening to me and if my talk resonates or um you want to have further conversation find me after. Actually, I'm going to leave everyone with this picture. Friend shared it on an Instagram a story and I really liked it that there these are this is your perspective. Which dove do you see? What do you say in your head when you are going through a difficult time or a break? It's heavy. It's difficult. But what's your approach? What perspective did you take? And I really hope this become the vital. Thank

you very much. questions. >> Hi Jeff, thank you for the talk. Really moving and inspiring. You've mentioned a number of different programs or resources or uh in the coaching mentoring support groups. Um is there a way that we can find the list that you mentioned? Maybe I can maybe some are >> definitely for sure I can share them and I didn't pay for anyone actually. They were all free which is good. Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. I I made use of anything free that I could do. >> Great presentation. I think I think your point on networking is really really important because I think the problem employees tend to have is they put a job advert and you get 400 CVs cuz people

just click the apply button. We're seeing more and more of that. So I think the networking and building personal relationships and coming to these sorts of things and just making people aware that you're looking for work I think means a great deal. So I think that's a really good kind of call out. >> Yeah, I actually did that for visibility and connection and I have never been had a job through reference without an interview. So I really wanted to try it out because many people actually recommended oh I found a job just after a conversation or a coffee with someone and I really wanted to have that experience but unfortunately in cyber security I think that's that's still

difficult because of the job job market but that is on my list. I really want to have a job after one conversation with someone without an interview. Um just to add on to that, I think there's a lot of um anxiety about getting out there and putting yourself. So what advice do you have on getting past that feeling and putting yourself out there? >> It was really difficult. It's my first thought and even I'm shaking and I'm hot. >> You did a great job. I came vulnerable because when I'm putting my story out is my vulnerability that I'm showing. Um and I'm very emotional person. I can shed tears in it. Um so what I did was

I'm just telling myself whatever I'm doing is it's just adding one good thing into my story and u I didn't have like a point B where I wanted to go to but I will do tick tick tick and I will reach that point. I think I was just going with the flow with the momentum. Every opportunity I would get I would yes I'll do it and I need to make sure that I be brave and do it. Um and I would just constantly remind myself like a white dove heavy will pass. What's the worst can happen? The person will not like me and will not meet me again but at least he will know my name. She will know my

name. So I think they're just like the reminders that we have that it's okay. I would try to dress up as well and look good. But at least they don't like uh my talk. At least they would remember my parents. Yeah.

>> If you had any experiences trying to work part time, how much you achieved it? >> Yeah, that's a good one. I actually uh didn't mention I wanted to talk. I was actually prepared a list of what I want in my new role because I had that time off and when you are working constantly you don't know you just find a next opportunity and move on to it and then another opportunity and move on to it. So I prepared I consciously prepared a list of what I want in my next job um like quantity over quality and if any job like ticked off that list then I apply for it regardless it was part-time full-time it was a contract it was a

consultancy role so I was more like this should meet my personal circumstances like my or like my my small daughters going to school I wanted to be able to come home for example if there's an emergency I shouldn't I I didn't want to travel a far. I wanted flexibility all those things and also I wanted an organization whose values meet mine and I did a value exercise as well. So I really prepared the list and I was open to any sort of like opportunity as long as they met the criteria I had and I think I think it's it it's it really helps to have that list. I was just going to add on to the

part-time thing. I I don't think companies are there yet in around flexibility. Um but I think having a view around what you would like get out of it and the value I think you can then have that conversation and I think companies then start to kind recognize okay 4 days a week or you know if you're going to do two and a half or two days a week and what days you want to work and what you want to do. So I think we're getting there but it's taking a long time. >> Yeah. So I have I always apply fulltime roles and say on my application this is what I want up front because I'm not

going through an interview process be like oh by the way and it does work but it also limits your >> opportunities vastly and anytime I speak to a recruiter I say to them we accept part-time because actually I think there is a uh the recruiters if they are paid based on percentage of the salary. Are they actually getting a financial hit? If it's a part-time role and actually then you're on the back foot as well. So it's I feel like there's areas for improvement but the organization has to want to improve as well. >> I think I think we're seeing I mean maybe you know I think you might have experienced this the more back into the

office like we post pandemic people are now expecting you to be back in the office and we're losing some of those flexibilities. I don't know if you experienced anything like that maybe. >> Um so actually before pandemic it was very flexible. I I I would go to work if I needed to because it was it was a global role and I didn't matter if I was um in the office or not. My manager said to me even if you sit in front of the work I was like really enjoying my home time but when the pandemic hit then suddenly I just wanted to go back to work to the office. I I missed office actually. And to add to your experience

actually if there is still time you want to share share my experience there was a job at work and they said if you want a part-time or flex job contact us so we can have this conversation and so I asked this question to the recruiter and they called me saying no no no this is not part time this is actually a full-time and I said okay actually the question because there was an option there so that's just my experience I'll share >> more question is lunch time but That means you can ask more questions or get through these complaining of you. >> And thank you so much for having me. Yeah. Me after. >> Thank you.