Meet the 2021 Interns of IBSS!

As our Cybersecurity Apprentice, Wes helped expand our cyber security portfolio, working on different projects involving networking, security protocols, and regulatory compliance.

During his time at IBSS, Wes worked on different cybersecurity projects, deepening his knowledge of the importance of networking, secure network protocols, and regulatory requirements in his field. 

“I didn’t realize the full scope of opportunities within my role that were available to me. I could be a penetration tester, bug bounty hunter, a SOC Analyst, and much more.”

For him, the most challenging part of his internship was time management, but the most fulfilling part was realizing that if he pushed himself, he can achieve the goals he puts in front of him and better himself as a cybersecurity professional. 

As a Business Analyst, Chris’ focus was on helping our PMO refine processes around marketing and other key business operations.”

Chris wasn’t expecting how hands-on it would be, but that didn’t stop him from jumping right in, further accelerating the analytical thinking and structuring skills he needed to progress in a corporate business environment as a business analyst.

“I think that learning about general federal procurement processes will definitely help me as I continue on in my career, as I definitely have an interest in pursuing this industry after I graduate. I have confidence that the knowledge acquired from my tenure at IBSS will serve me well down the road, whether I decide to pursue this line of work or otherwise.”

Chris believed that the hardest part of his time with IBSS was the time constraints. With only a summer to get set up and hit deadlines, time management was a skill that Chris leaned on heavily to get things done. However, the most fulfilling part was meeting different people from diverse backgrounds who shared their experiences and advice, albeit virtual.

Kevin interned at IBSS as a Cybersecurity Apprentice in order to gain experience in project management, professional writing and become certified in Network+ and Security+ as well as other programs. 

While working at IBSS, Kevin was tasked with leading a group of apprentices assigned to find a solution to implement web content for the HQ network along with writing blogs for the IBSS website. 

“Between gathering information and requirements for our administrators, contacting and meeting with vendors for information on solutions we could purchase, to creating and perfecting the presentation which we are currently in the middle of, it was a challenging but fun experience. Making sure every member did their tasks and keeping the project going and reaching milestones was a relatively new experience, but I have learned a lot from it.”

Passing his exams and becoming certified was the most fulfilling part of Kevin’s summer. Seeing the certificate and badge that represented the hard work and dedication he put into passing and means a lot not only for his career but as a personal achievement. 

Adam was another Cybersecurity Apprentice that worked with IBSS this summer. He used his time in the program to pursue the knowledge and skills he would need to complete the certifications necessary for the Cybersecurity Apprenticeship (CA)/IR (definition?) career path.

Although Adam had a good understanding of the core concepts needed for his job, the hands-on experience that IBSS provided him proved invaluable to his position, deepening his knowledge as well as sharpening his skill set.

“IBSS did introduce me to the team project environment with the Analysis of Alternatives and the project that I did with Jason Pitts and Nijel Redrick. That was very helpful in the delegation of responsibility and reliance on each other to complete the assigned tasks. I had already been placed at my current location at the tail end when they presented to leadership but I think we did a really great job as a team and the leadership input was phenomenal.”

For Adam, self-study for the certification exams was the most challenging part of his internship. Without the benchmarks he was used to as a human in our society, it was hard for him to feel as though he was making progress. Even so, Adam got the most fulfillment out of his final intern project, where he made helpful contributions to the security of IBSS.

Makailah worked as the Talent Acquisition Intern at IBSS this summer where she worked on her communication and time management skills to help her in her own entrepreneurial endeavors.

The introduction of working in a corporate environment as well as having to talk with different potential employees to determine if they would be a great fit for IBSS was something that was new to Makailah; she hit the ground running, going so far as to hiring a new employee!

“I do want to have my own company one day and this is a solid foundation because as a talent acquisition intern I’m able to source people and read resumes, which is an important part of having your own company. So, things like learning to be more assertive and building confidence helped a lot.”

Although time management and prioritization were things that she struggled with a bit, she found a lot of fulfillment in filling open positions and sharing in the joy and excitement of helping people start and further their careers with IBSS.  

This summer, Amy worked as the Copywriting Intern at IBSS to gain experience writing in a corporate business setting, as well as marketing experience before going into the workforce after graduating college. 

Throughout the internship, Amy worked closely with the IBSS marketing team to draft articles and social media posts for the IBSS marketing channels, as well as copyedit proposals and other technical documents. 

“Working at IBSS helped immensely with my career. After graduating college, I was a bit lost on how to start off things, especially with the pressure of finding a job that utilized my degree in English. With IBSS giving me a chance to gain some experience and work alongside some very helpful mentors, I was able to gain the experience and knowledge I needed to get started with my career after college.”

For Amy, the most challenging part of her internship was trying to break out of her comfort zone of creative and academic writing so that she could write more professionally. After four years of college, she had to reteach herself new techniques and that proved to be tough. Despite that, she found fulfillment in seeing the published end product of her projects on the IBSS website.