Hacking for MoD: Realising My Career Goals and Achieving Them

By Emily Glynn, MA National Security Studies, King’s College London

I knew I wanted my Masters Degree to serve as a segue into the professional world rather than as a purely academic qualification. With this in mind I took the ‘Hacking for MoD’ module as part of my MA in National Security Studies, which was instrumental in helping me realise and achieve my career goals and ambitions.

When I started the MA, I was certain I wanted to work in the Civil Service - although I had a distinct lack of clarity around the role and department I wished to work in. The Hacking for MoD module taught me two key things when considering my potential career: the importance of the private sphere in matters of national security, and my evolving interest in cybersecurity – both of which gave me direction when considering my career options.

As part of ‘Team Cyber’, I worked on a NATO problem sponsored by the US Airforce to solve an organisational issue of effectively communicating cyber risk from those deployed in remote locations to those situated within the USAFE-USAFRICA headquarters.

Prior to taking the course, I had no experience working in cyber security. However, being given the opportunity to learn about cybersecurity by engaging directly with a ‘real world’ defence problem and speaking with a range of cybersecurity professionals in both the military and private sphere was truly eye-opening. It was through this hands-on experience that I developed a desire to work in cybersecurity, and it unlocked the private sphere as a previously undiscovered place to explore potential jobs.

Hacking for MoD also allowed me to realise several other key things about the type of work I wanted to be doing. First, I recognised that I wanted to be working on some sort of project-based work, as I feel that I thrive when working in high-stakes and fast-paced environments.

Second, I knew I wanted to have a role where I would be problem-solving on a regular basis, particularly one where I could challenge conventional thinking and where my own thinking would also be challenged. When taking the module, I had really enjoyed the fast-paced nature of the work and how quickly previously-held assumptions could be challenged and debunked.

Alongside these discoveries, I also knew I wanted to have a customer-facing and team-dependent role, as I had truly appreciated my interactions with interviewees and my teammates on a regular basis. These interactions have allowed me to learn not only alongside them, but from them.

All these realisations which arose from the Hacking for MoD module led me to begin applying for roles as a security consultant – a role which I am lucky enough to begin at BAE Systems in September.

The Hacking for MoD module was instrumental in the achievement of this position, as well as in the realisation of my career goals. I am sure other students on the course would agree what an asset the module has been when writing job applications because of the unique and impactful experience it provides.

The module often served as an answer to almost any of the well-known competency-based questions we are asked throughout the recruitment processes. Whether that be teamwork, decision making, taking ownership, leadership, problem solving or professionalism, the Hacking for MoD module offered a tangible example of each, and more generally served as an impressive talking point in all my interviews.

Further, my H4MoD problem played a pivotal role in the recruitment process when it came to securing my current role. One stage of the BAE interviewing process was to give a 10-minute presentation on any topic of choice. I decided to present about the work that I had been doing with Team Cyber on the Hacking for MoD module. Not only was I confident in the content having worked on it for the past few weeks in depth, but I also had the confidence to present with little preparation, as the module had required us to present our findings every week.

After the presentation, I received fantastic feedback, an array of detailed questions, and a few days later a job offer! What I truly believe made me stand out was that the presentation had demonstrated my capability to present clearly and with confidence, whilst also proving my experience in problem solving and working with real security issues – a key requirement of the role. Presenting on something directly related to the job role reiterated that I possess the diverse skillset required for the job – something which Hacking for MoD helped me to refine and develop.

Choosing to do the Hacking for MoD module was honestly one of the best decisions I have made for both my professional and personal development. It allowed me to re-orient my career goals to what truly interests me, and it was instrumental in my achievement of them.   

To find out which UK universities are running ‘Hacking for MoD’ visit Common Mission Project’s website.