“One of my main focuses has been in trying to make sure that we have an open door,” said Melissa Miller, who joined NetSpi in 2020 and is one of the instructors. “For example, we have folks that have a math degree that go through NetSpi U and thrive. We’ve got folks that have background in biology but are able to make a career shift.”
Miller has a computer science degree from the University of Minnesota but didn’t have much exposure to cybersecurity. So she’s keen on considering people with diverse career histories willing to make a career switch.
NetSpi University — founded in 2017 by Aaron Yaeger, vice president of technical enablement — uses a rigorous process to select job candidates. Miller said it’s highly data dependent, to help reduce hiring bias while identifying strong candidates.
Miller has heard from candidates that they were generally frustrated by the hiring process in the industry, because jobs require experience but don’t offer ways to get it at the entry level.
“We’re confident in our program to be able to take people from zero to hero,” Miller said. “If you have the logic skills, if you can learn, and if you’re putting in the effort, there’s a spot for you, and there’s a spot for everyone who’s going through the program.”
Wu feels confident he’ll continue to get the support he needs.
