How can young women start their careers in technology?

Written by Sammy Thai

Season 1, Episode 12: How can young women start their careers in technology? - In conversation with Zoila Loja and Zip Nguyen

Listen to this episode on Spotify

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Zoila Loja, a cybersecurity student, at SUNY Polytechnic Institute shares her story of what it is like to be a young Latina immigrant student in the US and her career journey in technology and utilizing it to help others.

In this conversation, Zoila walks us through her internship application process with IBM, opens up about being a woman in a male-dominant industry, and shares tips and resources that she used to learn more about cybersecurity and her career path in tech. Zoila hopes that her story inspires other young women to chase their dreams, even if the journey to get there may not seem to be a conventional path.

Here are some learning and job searching resources that Zoila finds super helpful:

1. CyberSN: A job listings website that lists what you'll be doing and the responsibilities and skills you should have. This is good to keep in mind and to be aware of what companies are expecting you to do and know. So these are some skills you may want to work on and obtain while in college.

2. 50 Cybersecurity Titles That Every Job Seeker Should Know: An article on different job titles and jobs in Cybersecurity.

3. Cybercrime Magazine: A news website that covers what is happening in the world of Cybersecurity.

4. NIST: Free and low-cost online cybersecurity learning content.

5. Try Hack Me: This gives you a bunch of learning materials, teaches you about some tools and you'll also be able to do hands-on practices while learning.

About Zoila Loja: Zoila came to the United States when she was 9-years-old from Ecuador. She is currently an undergraduate student at SUNY Polytechnic Institute with a double major in Network and Computer Security. She is also the first generation in her family to attend college. Zoila aspires to pursue a career in the technology industry in the future, working as a penetration tester.

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Are you currently pursuing a career in technology? What function of technology are you interested in? Who are other inspiring women in tech that you’d like us to feature? How important is self-care to you? Let us know in the comments below, DM us on @bloomincrisis via Instagram / Facebook or email us at bloomincrisis@gmail.com!