New beginnings for Tayo Oyenuga as an HPE Global Security Career 'Rebooter'

[BELovattUK]

Meet Tayo Oyenuga, the inaugural participant of the HPE Global Security Career Reboot Program

Tayo Oyenuga is the inaugural participant taking part in the HPE Global Security Cyber Security Career Reboot Program, a 6-month paid program designed for people who want to take the first steps towards a career in cyber security. Tayo is based in Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA but considers herself a global citizen. Born in London, England to an American mother and Nigerian father, Tayo was raised in Lagos, Nigeria where she attended primary school before relocating to the USA.

Tayo, please tell us about yourself and your career before joining the HPE Career Reboot Program

I was a marketing professional with a background in client services.  After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, I worked at agencies in London before moving to Lagos, Nigeria to join the brand team at a large multinational company for a few years.  I took time off to start a family before successfully applying to the Career Reboot Program at HPE.

What inspired you to change careers and choose HPE?

Weighing my career options after taking time off, I wanted to leverage my marketing experience and challenge myself to develop new skills in a different field. I sought growth through change by taking cybersecurity fundamentals and risk management courses and gained a Security⁺ certification. I’ve found my passion and immediately sought after a new career in Cybersecurity at HPE because it is a successful, leading-edge company with the right people and values.

Please tell us about your experience in the program so far.

I’ve had a life-changing and positive experience since day one.  I started the program before the rest of my cohort and used that time to fully immerse myself in the culture and engaging experiences at HPE.  Following a smooth onboarding process, I immediately joined the planning team for a threat-hunting workshop.  I’ve benefited immensely from engagement via training and exposure to panel discussions, all team meetings, managing my main project, and working on a vast number of tasks and initiatives.  Being able to network cross-functionally and in the industry has afforded me the chance to gauge my keen interests and where I see myself long-term.  Access to vast resources, platforms, and mentoring has significantly and positively impacted my growth and development.

What have the highlights been of your time at HPE so far?

Meeting and getting to know my fellow Rebooters and forging strong bonds that I know will last a lifetime.  The accessibility and inspiration from interactions with leadership and diverse talent in Global Security and HPE.  Everyone is so generous with their time and people are genuinely invested and committed to making sure your career progress and the program are both successful.  Frankly, it’s somewhat surreal.

What advice would you give to others looking to change careers?

Truthfully identify the main reasons for wanting change as well as your short and long terms goals.  Have faith both in yourself and your network and be prepared to leverage those skills that are transferable to a new role or industry - ask questions of your network readily at hand.  Find out what specific area(s) interest you and work backward to create a strategy to arrive there.  Be fearless and keen to sacrifice time and energy in pursuit of your dreams.

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