In February 2020, TechVets member, Liam Chugg, 22 a Lance Corporal in 660 Signal Troop Wimbish, alongside two of his colleagues, signed off from the army to pursue civilian roles in cyber security and the tech industry. Little did they know they were about to embark on a new career in the face of a global pandemic.

In this month’s blog we catch up with Liam to find out what he’s been up to during his year of resettlement.

Joined the Army:

27th February 2017

Signed off as a Lance Corporal:

26th February 2020.

What was great about the army?

The training, courses and the people I met and worked with were great. I joined when I was 18 and in my four years of service I grew more independent and confident. 

Resettlement:

When I made the decision to leave the army I knew I wanted to pursue a career in cyber and I also recognised that getting myself into a job in the industry would require hardwork and dedication on my part. I wanted to progress my tech career and I didn’t feel like the Army was the best fit for this. When I signed off, I felt a sense of relief but this was tempered by having to wait a year to get started on my new career and by concerns about employment opportunities as the full scale of the global pandemic hit home.

Although I had access to standard learning credits, I found the process of applying to use these difficult and decided to invest in myself by researching the right courses that I would need to do in order to build up my knowledge and experience. I spent the time studying for various qualifications and trying to network with as many people in the industry as possible.

Self-Study:

I completed CompTIA pentester through self study, at the time it was one of the few providers that offered remote examinations during Covid. I’ve also completed CREST CPSA courses and have spent a significant amount of time building up my skills and knowledge by using Hack The Box and Try Hack Me. I’m currently continuing my professional development with Immersive Labs training.

Read Liam’s Try Hack Me review here.

I also built up my knowledge by watching Youtube channels such as TheCyberMentor run by a US veteran, now pen-tester. He has lots of training videos on YouTube/Udemy that are well worth watching.

Self-study isn’t difficult when you’re passionate about what you’re doing. Tech and cyber security careers aren’t 9 to 5, it’s very much a way of life a bit like the army ethos.

It’s important to try and expose yourself to a variety of self-study avenues. The learning is never done, but as long as you enjoy it it doesn’t feel like you’re working or learning in the traditional sense.

TechVets community:

I joined TechVets as a member at around the same time that I signed off. The general feeling of being part of a community that has similar goals to you is always nice. It’s always a place you can go to ask questions and a place where there will always be someone with experience that will share their insight. The giveaways are frequent and high-profile, as are the competitions. There are also a significant number of job opportunities posted within the group.

Job Interviews:

I think I attended in excess of 10 interviewes before getting a job offer. Although the set-backs were tough, I knew I had to keep plugging away and that the rejections weren’t personal but a reflection of employers trying to find the right fit for their roles.

I had started out applying for penetration testing roles, but employers wanted more experience, so I reset my sights.

It’s important to remember that interviews aren’t just about your qualifications. Cyber and tech interviewees are very different. Expect a panel to question you deeply and probe into your depth of understanding of cyber and tech issues. Anyone can pass a test, but employers want to know that you truly understand the fundamentals of cyber security.

Landing a job:

Be under no illusions, competition for jobs in cyber security is tough. There are lots of people looking to progress or start out on their careers following degree courses. It’s important to recognise that a lack of experience in tech isn’t necessarily a problem. By focusing on the positives of your military experience and the qualities you bring to an organisation from your service you can champion your unique selling point against other candidates. You can also use the knock-backs as motivation to continue self-study and improvement. The set backs were touch but if anything, they spurred me on learn more and become even more determined.

Current job:

I had expected to take a pay cut, I was the other end of the spectrum from those who think they’re going to walk out of the army and into a £60kpa tech job. I’m pleased to say that my wage is better now than it was when I was in the army and it reflects my experience fairly.

I joined London-based, RedScan as a Junior Security Operations Centre SOC analyst on the 25th January 2021.

What advice would you give to people in the military who are considering leaving but are too scared to go through the seven clicks to freedom?

If people know they want to transfer to a different career, just go for it! A year is a long time but you can use it wisely to build up your network and self-study to improve your knowledge and skills. Use the time you have to put yourself in the best position possible and you can’t go wrong.

Where do you want to be in 5 years?

I want to be soaking up exposure, gaining experience and continuing to learn. I know that i’ll definitely still be working in the cyber security industry.

What happened to the other two members of the Troop that joined the military and signed off at the same time as you?

We all signed off at the start of the global pandemic and I’m pleased to say that with resettlement over, we’ve all landed jobs in cyber security.

Jem Hancon is now a Network Operations Engineer and Katie McKay is now an IT Security Analyst for NHS.