Building a more inclusive future in Cybersecurity

Michelle Winters, a customer success manager in cybersecurity, argues that the industry should widen its hiring beyond the usual candidate profile. She traces her own route into IT, which started at a company that expected a technical degree she did not hold. A hiring manager there chose her for drive, empathy and communication, and coached her on explaining basics such as how email and the internet work. She began on frontline support and moved into engineering without formal certifications, yet she watched colleagues with less experience advance ahead of her.

A restructuring and layoffs later erased a promotion she had been working toward, and a former mentor helped her land a new role. She then joined a leader who had built a largely female customer success team. When she announced a pregnancy early in that job, her manager and company supported her, and her detailed handover planning before leave kept her accounts stable. Afterwards her leaders gave her visible work and a path to management, and she now leads a small team.

Her takeaway for hiring managers is to look for attitude and willingness to learn, teach technical skills on the job, and add certifications later. She urges leaders to challenge directors and HR teams, partner with outside groups, and give newcomers a real chance.