One of the most exciting outcomes of our Tech Talk series was the participation and engagement that we had with local employers. CCSF Student Dante Alabastro recently secured an exciting position as an information security analyst.
What is your educational background? (i.e. full time student, returning student or someone who was looking to refresh their skills?)
Previously, I spent 15 years as a ballet dancer which was the primary focus of my education. It wasn’t until 4 years after my graduation from high school that I began my journey towards formal education. I’m proud to say that I’ve recently received my Associate’s degree in Network Security at City College of San Francisco with Highest Honors and am continuing my education there as a full-time student in pursuit of a transfer degree in Computer Science.
To me, CCSF has been an invaluable resource and I would encourage any San Francisco resident to take advantage of the options that they have available, regardless of their education status. I took an archery class in Golden Gate Park for my P.E. credit, for free. Can it get any better than that?
- What was your favorite &/or most education course that you took at CCSF?
The first Network Security course I took at City College of San Francisco (CNIT 120) changed my career path forever. On our first day, our teacher dumped out a box of various locks and we spent the rest of the class learning how to pick them. I never thought that was something you could learn at school and I have been hooked ever since. I can now pick myself out of handcuffs which is surprisingly easy given the right conditions.
My favorite technical courses have to be Advanced Ethical Hacking (CNIT 124) and Exploit Development (CNIT 127). Those courses introduced me to the ethical hacking team at CCSF and really jumpstarted my career.
- What is your new job title?
I’ve recently joined FireEye’s Information Security Operations team as an Information Security Analyst tasked with protecting the company from external and internal threats.
- Do you have any advice for students?
One piece of advice that I learned from the many auditions I attended as a ballet dancer is that you should never take a rejection personally. It is quite likely that the company simply does not have a position that fits you. If you have ever become discouraged during the interview process it is important to remember that regardless of how qualified or talented you are, there are instances where a company does not have a position available that matches your skills or experience.
That is to say, no matter how much they like you or want to hire you, there are many cases where the company is looking to hire a very specific person in a very specific role. This is not a reflection of your personal ability and you should not take it as such. Auditions and interviews are a great place to establish a relationship with a company and its directors and you should proceed with them with grace and dignity as it is likely that in time, a position that is right for you will open up. In fact, I only landed a job with FireEye after the second time I applied! So again, do not be discouraged the first, second, or third time you are rejected. Persistence is key and eventually, you will be the right person for the job.