Tag: cybersecurity

Anthony Ofoegbu: Amazon Career Choice 2021

Posted on by Anna Van Deusen

Anthony Ofoegbu, an October 2021 graduate of the Amazon Career Choice Cybersecurity Engineering program, had a two-decade career in Nigeria before emigrating to the United States.

He shares his journey of immigrating to the USA and finding his way to Cybersecurity Engineering below.

A Nigerian Origin Story

Anthony spent his formative years in Nigeria. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and Literary Studies, citing his desire to work in several liberal arts fields. 

“I wanted to do several things which include authoring books, bank work, teaching, journalism, and public speaking.”

Over the next two decades, he worked in public relations, corporate communications, business management, and sales. In early 2019, he relocated to America and found work at Amazon as a Fulfillment Center Associate. It was there that he learned about the Amazon Career Choice Program. The program gives Amazon employees the opportunity to receive technical training from partner institutions to pursue higher-paying career paths. Anthony cites his wife as being his main motivation for joining the Cybersecurity training program. 

“She was clear about going into cybersecurity and since I had worked with tech companies back home I decided to give it a try.”

His Bootcamp Experience

Anthony was accepted into the Amazon Career Choice program and matriculated with a cohort of fellow students from Amazon. The program ran for 32 weeks from February through October with the curriculum delivered online via live lectures. While unsure of what the program would entail, Anthony said he was optimistic after completing the required prework material.

“I did not know what to expect but I was excited especially after passing the pre-program training and studying about hypervisors and virtual machines.”

Students completed about 15 hours of classwork each week while working full-time, a challenge in time management for anybody, but Anthony adapted and took advantage of his program’s resources. 

“There were great teachers, great office hours, and great coursemates as well,” he said. “Teamwork and my personal commitment contributed to my success [in the program].”

He recalled finding Python Programming and IP Address Configuration challenging but had a positive experience overall. 

“I loved every part of the program but System Admin, Wireshark, Hunt, GRC, and SIEM were my favorite.” 

Job Search Journey

Anthony graduated from the Amazon Career Choice Cybersecurity program in October 2021 after completing 480 curriculum hours over 9 months. He began his job search shortly after graduation, supported by his dedicated Flatiron School career coach. 

“[My career] coach helped me build my resume, reviewed it, and taught me step-by-step job search techniques.” 

He also took advantage of job fairs hosted by Flatiron School to gain exposure to hiring companies. 

“We were able to meet employers and many of us were employed right away immediately after graduation.”

Ultimately, Anthony accepted a role as an Associate Business Analyst at Infosys, based in Los Angeles, California. 

Reflecting On His Journey

Fast forward to 2023, Anthony is enjoying his new job and pursuing a Master’s Degree in Cybersecurity from the University of San Diego. Looking back, he values the hands-on nature of the technical education he received as part of the Amazon Career Choice program.

“[This] is a great place to start because you learn exactly what you are supposed to be doing in your daily office work.” 

His advice for other students looking to transition careers is to embrace the hard work needed to reach a goal.

“You can achieve anything if you put your mind to it and work towards it.”

Flatiron School Retraining Programs

Amazon’s Career Choice offers eligible Amazon employees the opportunity to pivot careers into higher-paying jobs through retraining. 

The program was created as a way to attract top talent as well as improve employee engagement and retention. 

Following the initial cohort’s success, Amazon again selected Flatiron School to deliver Career Choice programs in 2023. 

Contact us to learn how a Flatiron School retraining program can attract and retain top talent at your organization.

Why Cybersecurity Certifications Matter: A Look at the CompTIA Security+ Certification

Posted on by Scott Bowman

Are you considering a career change into the exciting and rapidly growing field of cybersecurity?

If so, you’re not alone.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects a 35% increase in cybersecurity employment opportunities from 2021 to 2031. This is far higher than the 5% average growth rate for all occupations. This surging demand for trained cyber talent has largely been driven by the acceleration of data breaches in both quantity and complexity over the years, the rapid expansion of data privacy laws, and society’s increasing reliance on unsecured systems and network infrastructure, among other factors. 

According to Cyberseek, an initiative funded by the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), there are 755,743 unfilled cybersecurity job openings in the US as of April 2023. This represents a massive 140% increase from January 2019 when there were 314,000 unfilled openings. Of those 750K+ openings, 58% (441,972) request certifications, and 13.5% (101,725) specifically request the CompTIA Security+ certification. 

Why are certifications important in the cybersecurity field?

Let’s take a look at the value propositions of security certifications (like CompTIA’s Security+) and why they’re in such high demand.

First, certifications validate baseline skills and increase a candidate’s visibility in the job market. Some certifications serve as an endorsement of your competency in technologies and tools provided by a particular vendor. 

Next, pursuing certifications demonstrates a passion for continual learning and excellence in the field. Experienced cybersecurity professionals often seek certifications to add value to their teams, customers, and stakeholders. 

Lastly, certifications play an important role in career advancement and upskilling. If you’re looking for a promotion or to land more advanced roles, the appropriate certification, when combined with hands-on training, can significantly increase your chances. 

Certifications can also help meet basic requirements for cybersecurity and information assurance roles within the government, Department of Defense, and associated contractors. The CompTIA Security+ certification meets the DoD 8140/8570.01-M requirements for IAT-Level II, opening the door to a variety of exciting pathways.

So what makes the CompTIA Security+ certification so valuable?

According to CompTIA, the Security+ certification validates the core knowledge required of cybersecurity professionals and emphasizes vendor-neutral, hands-on practical skills. This ensures that security professionals are better prepared to problem-solve a wider variety of today’s complex issues. 

The certification prepares career changers for success in roles including Systems Administrator, Security Administrator, Security Analyst, and Security Engineer. Across the world, there are over 500,000 Security+ certified professionals. Among IT professionals that hold CompTIA certifications in North America, 62% hold a Security+. 

Certification vs. Hands-on Training

Are certifications everything? 

Simply put, no. Certifications are not an instant ticket to success in cybersecurity. In a research report, The Life and Times of Cybersecurity Professionals 2021, ESG and ISSA surveyed 489 cybersecurity professionals and found that “only 1% of respondents believe security certifications are more important than hands-on experience. Alternatively, 52% believe that hands-on experience is more important […] while 46% place equal value on hands-on experience and certification achievement. […] Based upon this data, aspiring and advancing cybersecurity professionals should take a balanced approach to skills development.”

At Flatiron School, our industry-leading Cybersecurity Engineering curriculum is aligned with domains covered by the Security+ certification while providing over 500 hours of class time and hands-on experience through lab-based training. By combining Flatiron School’s rigorous curriculum with the pursuit of certifications like Security+, our graduates are well-equipped to enter the job market with confidence.

In conclusion…

Certifications are a valuable addition to your professional tech identity in cybersecurity. They demonstrate a passion for continual learning, increase visibility in the job market, validate skills, and aid in career advancement. The CompTIA Security+ certification is valuable due to its emphasis on vendor-neutral, hands-on practical skills. Flatiron School’s immersive and balanced curriculum, when supplemented with the Security+, is the foundation for success in the cybersecurity field.

About the Author

Scott Bowman, the Senior Manager of Career Coaching for Cybersecurity at Flatiron School, is a top cybersecurity coach and advocate. In 2023, he was recognized as one of the Top 15 Coaches in Denver by Influence Digest for his dedication to bridging the talent gap in the tech industry. With a comprehensive background in career services and a Master’s degree in Higher Education Leadership, Scott has over 5 years of experience launching successful cybersecurity careers with SecureSet and Flatiron School. Scott leads a robust Career Coaching team, empowered by an immersive technical curriculum, that equips new career changers and upskillers with the tools and confidence to thrive in the cybersecurity industry. His dedication, knowledge, and unique perspective make him an invaluable leader in the field.

References

Igor Vlasenko: Air Traffic Control to Cybersecurity

Posted on by Anna Van Deusen

Igor Vlasenko, an August 2022 Cybersecurity Engineering graduate from Flatiron School, grew up in Ukraine and went to university to be an air traffic controller. After moving to the USA as an adult, he decided to pursue Cybersecurity for a technical challenge. 

He shares his journey of immigrating to the USA and finding his way to Cybersecurity Engineering below.

Changing Continents and Careers

Igor was born and raised in Ukraine. Despite his interest in technology as an adult, he doesn’t recall being interested in it as a child. 

“I can’t say I was exposed to technology or computers as a kid,” he said. “I was more into sports and spent most of my time helping my dad at an auto shop.”

For university, Igor attended the National Aviation University of Ukraine to study Air Traffic Control. It was after his third year there that he had the opportunity to move to the United States. After arriving in North America, he says he moved around quite a bit. 

“I lived in Wisconsin, New York City, Buffalo, New York, and Galveston, Texas before I moved to Denver, Colorado where I have been living for the last 6 years.”

After working in the service industry as a bartender in downtown Denver for those 6 years, it was in 2022 that Igor decided that he needed a change. 

“I didn’t feel challenged. When I asked myself if doing what I was doing every day at work helped me get where I want to be, I did not get a satisfactory answer,” he explained. “That was the primary reason I decided that I had to do something about it.”

As to why he settled on Cybersecurity, Igor cites a “curiosity” about the field. 

“I would read news articles about recent cybersecurity breaches throughout various industries around the world,” he said. “And I often found myself not understanding the specifics of adversary techniques and defense mechanisms. I wanted to understand it better and be able to protect myself and others.”

His Flatiron School Experience

Once Igor decided to pursue Cybersecurity, his next step was gaining the skills he needed to break into the industry. To achieve that, he decided to attend a Flatiron School bootcamp.

“When I was searching for ways to proceed with getting educated in this particular discipline, bootcamps stood out for their efficiency and relevancy of information,” he explained. “Flatiron School had an outstanding reputation and provided support pre and post-education period.”

Igor applied and accepted to Flatiron School’s full-time Cybersecurity Engineering program in May 2022. He would complete hundreds of hours of coursework over the next 15 weeks.

“The curriculum was quite challenging intellectually and mentally,” he recalled. “[But] the constant support from the Flatiron community was very helpful.”
Despite the challenge of the accelerated coursework, Igor cites the community at Flatiron School and beyond as a motivating factor throughout.

“My favorite aspect of the school was the exposure to professional and social events. I found the community to be extremely welcoming, willing to help, and full of valuable resources.”

Job Searching As An Immigrant

Igor graduated from the Flatiron School Cybersecurity Engineering program in August 2022. Unfortunately, his job search initially got off to a rocky start. 

“I faced certain obstacles caused by immigration-related processes,” Igor explained. “[But] once I resolved those, the experience of finding a job was manageable.”

But, throughout his search, his dedicated Flatiron School career coach was there to support him.

“My career coach, Quianna Rodriguez, was extremely helpful throughout my entire experience of looking for a job. [She] would often put in additional effort and go the extra mile to find resources relevant to my unique situation, which made my experience of working with her absolutely incredible! I would also like to mention Scott Bowman and thank him for his constant support and valuable advice.”

Ultimately, Igor accepted a Senior Information Security Analyst position with Western Union, based in his new hometown of Denver, Colorado. 

Reflecting On His Journey

Looking back on the journey he took to land his first job in tech, Igor is proud of his personal and professional growth.

“I developed my ability to connect with people, gained confidence in my skills, and got a job.”

As for his advice to other students, he recommends persistence. 

“If you have a big, scary task ahead of you, break it into multiple pieces and conquer them one by one. Seek environments where you feel like you are the most stupid person in the room and listen.”

Ready For A Change, Just Like Igor Vlasenko?

Apply Now to join other career changers like Igor in a program that’ll give you the tech skills you need to land your first job in tech.

Not ready to apply? Try out our Free Cybersecurity Prep Work and test-run the material we teach in the course. 

Read more stories about successful career changes on the Flatiron School blog.

Dane Brown: Amazon Career Choice 2021

Posted on by Anna Van Deusen

Dane Brown, a 2021 graduate from the Amazon Career Choice Cybersecurity Analytics program, was working as an Amazon Warehouse Associate when he took advantage of the opportunity to pivot into Cybersecurity. 

He shares his winding journey into tech below.

A Collection Of Careers

Dane spent the first decade of his career working in a variety of fields including retail, mental health, security, and nursing home housekeeping. 

“I chose those fields just so I could afford to buy my own stuff, and pay bills,” he said. “But I wanted to do something that paid more and would be fulfilling.”

While unsure of what exactly that field would be, Dane felt drawn toward a career in technology based on an early affinity. 

“I’ve had an obsession with video games and computers since I was 3,” he recalled.  “I’ve always been fascinated by the seemingly limitless applications of tech, the convenience it brings, and how fun it is to learn about.”

It was while working as a Warehouse Associate at Amazon in 2021 that an opportunity to break into the industry presented itself. Dane applied to the Amazon Career Choice Cybersecurity Analytics program and was accepted. 

“I knew that this program would allow me to expand my tech knowledge, challenge myself, and have a new way to help others,” he said. “And I had heard years ago that Flatiron was one of the best tech schools in the industry.”

His Program Experience

The Amazon Career Choice program Dane participated in ran for 32 weeks from February through October. The curriculum was delivered online via live lectures. Students completed about 15 hours a week of classwork while continuing to work full-time. 

“It was challenging ensuring that my assignments were completed on time, and making it to all of the live lectures,” Dane said. “Thankfully my instructors and faculty were patient, kind, and informative, plus my cohort loved helping each other. We never left people behind!”

Despite the time pressures of tackling an education while continuing to work, Dane persevered throughout the course and found that he enjoyed the material.

“My favorite part of the program was learning about a wide range of Computer Science & Cybersecurity concepts [and] engaging my classmates and instructors in the community,” he said. “Also, I loved the System Administration class because I learned how to set up an organization’s computer systems from the ground up!”

Dane graduated from the Amazon Career Choice Cybersecurity Analytics program in October 2021, after completing 480 curriculum hours. 

Jumping Into The Job Search

With his new Cybersecurity skills, Dane began looking for the right opportunity while continuing to work at Amazon. Unfortunately, at first, he had difficulty finding the right fit. 

“My job search was brutal,” he recalled. “Most companies didn’t give me a response or interview when I first started applying for positions.”

But through working with his Career Coach, he refined his strategy and started to make headway.  

“Flatiron has one of the best Career Development and job search programs I’ve ever seen,” he said. “My career coach gave me great pointers on how to refine my resume which set me up for success.”

Reflecting On His Journey

Two years on from his graduation, Dane is working in Cybersecurity and supporting organizations he is passionate about. 

“I’m extremely proud to say that I provided IT/Cybersecurity services on behalf of two organizations – Zinc Collective’s DigiDems, and the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, which supported the successful elections of Lieutenant Governor-elect Austin Davis, Senator John Fetterman, and Governor-elect Josh Shapiro!”

Looking back at his journey, Dane’s main takeaway from the experience is a positive one.

“Always be kind, and never be afraid to ask for or receive help.”

Dane’s advice for students is similar, emphasizing the importance of kindness and camaraderie. 

“Always carry yourself with humility and grace, think before you speak, and manage your time wisely,” he advised. “Always offer to help others, and don’t be afraid to ask for help whenever you need it. I’m rooting for all of you, so never give up!” 

Flatiron School Retraining Programs

Amazon’s Career Choice offers eligible Amazon employees the opportunity to pivot careers into higher-paying jobs through retraining. 

The program was created as a way to attract top talent as well as improve employee engagement and retention. 

Following the initial cohort’s success, Amazon again selected Flatiron School to deliver Career Choice programs in 2023. 

Contact us to learn how a Flatiron School retraining program can attract and retain top talent at your organization.

Cybersecurity Guest Experts

Posted on by Anna Van Deusen

Flatiron School regularly invites guest experts so that students can hear about their field experiences and learn from industry leaders. 

Here are some examples of Cybersecurity guest experts that visited recent cohorts:

Jessica Robinson, Founder & CEO at PurePoint International

Jessica Robinson is the Founder and Executive Officer of PurePoint International, a cybersecurity firm.

Headquartered in New York City, PurePoint helps CEOs prevent data breaches by bridging the gap between data security, cyber risk, and privacy. The company provides training and outsourced Principal Information Security Officer (PISO) consulting services, and cyber technology solutions, and conducts risk assessments and employee training on cyber and physical security, privacy, information protection, and threat prevention.

She is also the Head Visionary of the brand Consciously Secure Living (CSL), a subsidiary of PurePoint aimed at supporting leaders and helping create security for vulnerable and underrepresented populations, including people of color, women, and Black communities.

Phillip Wylie, Senior Penetration Tester at US Bank

Phillip Wylie is a published author, keynote speaker, and an “offensive security professional” with over 25 years of information technology and cybersecurity experience. 

He is currently a Hacker In Residence at CyCognito, a Member of the Board of Advisors for WEBGAP, and The Hacker Factory Podcast Host at ITSP Magazine.

His specialties include penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, application security, threat, and vulnerability management. 

Seema Kathuria, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Duo Security

Seema Kathuria, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Duo Security, has been marketing IT Cybersecurity, Identity and Access Management, and Compliance solutions for 15+ years. 

Her work entails partnering “with Product Management, Go-To-Market, Business Development, Sales, and Customer Success teams to bring solutions to market” and understanding customers’ business objectives and security challenges. 

Seema regularly takes courses to refresh her marketing and cybersecurity knowledge and has five cybersecurity and computer science-related degrees, including a Certificate from Harvard University. 

Ruchira Pokhriyal, Security Specialist at Amazon Web Services

Ruchira Pokhriyal is a Security Specialist at Amazon Web Services, focusing on threat detection and incident response. She also serves as an Advisory Board Member for BBWIC Foundation and Community Speaker for the Virtually Testing Foundation. 

She has two master’s degrees, one in Cybersecurity and one in Computer science, and is an AccessData Certified Forensic Examiner (ACE V6) and a certified AWS Solutions Architect. 

Ruchira advocates for Diversity and Inclusion-specifically, LGBTQ+ visibility, Gender Parity, Neurodiversity & Women of Color in STEM.

Learn From The Best

If you want a career in Cybersecurity just like these guest experts, consider an accelerated Cybersecurity program to get your career started. 

Flatiron School programs are taught by industry professionals with hands-on experience in the topics that they teach, so Cybersecurity learners develop real-world, in-demand skill sets that set them up for success.

Don’t wait to change your life – Apply Now. 

Learning How to Learn

Posted on by Siana Altiise

This article on “Learning How To Learn” is part of a series developed by Curriculum Design to guide students through the Flatiron School program experience.

We believe that when learners feel autonomous and in control of their learning, they achieve greater success both academically and motivationally. Learning to Learn is designed to offer a variety of resources and tools to help you take control of your online learning journey and life beyond Flatiron School.

Take Ownership Of Your Learning

Taking ownership of your learning journey, through personalized learning, means finding your motivation, being engaged, and personalizing your learning experience with complete autonomy, choice, and responsibility in how you approach your online learning journey. Every learner has a fundamental need to feel in control of what they do versus only being told what to do. When this autonomy is exercised, the motivation to learn and the desire to perform well academically are much stronger.

As you go through the Learning to Learn series, our goal is to encourage you to take ownership of your learning journey- make decisions that matter, pursue directions that feel meaningful, and hold a sense of responsibility and control for both your learning successes and setbacks.

Connect The Dots

Taking the leap to build technical skills takes courage and determination. It can be intimidating to dive into new skill sets and knowledge, but the rewards and sacrifice will be worth it. As you learn, your horizon will expand and the information you collect along the way will start to connect in unexpected ways.

The saying goes, knowledge is power, and when it comes to personal and professional growth, this couldn’t be more true. When we actively seek knowledge through experiences or formal education, we add another “dot” to our mental map. These dots, connected, generate new ideas and help to solve problems in unique ways. Some of the greatest innovators credit their success to continue expanding their knowledge base through both life experiences and deliberate learning sessions.

Continue adding dots to your map.

TL;DR

  • Personalized learning is a great way to improve your skills and knowledge base.
  • Learning on your own can be intimidating to start, but the rewards are worth it.
  • Seek out new experiences and resources to challenge yourself and broaden your perspectives.

Insider Guide: Flatiron School’s Admissions Assessment

Posted on by Flatiron School

When you choose to start a program at Flatiron School, we know that you are investing — both financially and an investment of your time. That’s why it’s important that you are a right fit for the program and vice versa — that our program is the right fit for you. One way we make sure that the program is a good fit is with an admissions assessment test.

The admissions assessment is a cognitive aptitude test that analyzes your problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, your attention to detail, and your ability to learn new information. There are three different styles of questions — verbal, math and logic, and spatial reasoning. Think of the questions more like brain teasers, not about coding, computers, or cybersecurity.

After all, in addition to your experience and skills so far (if any!), we are more interested in understanding your ability to learn and pick up the skills that will be taught in our courses.

The test is 15 minutes long and can include up to 50 questions. But don’t stress. We don’t expect you to complete all the questions. Less than 1% of people complete all 50 questions.

How many questions should I complete?

Try to answer as many questions as possible in the allotted 15 minutes, with the minimum goal of answering at least 25.

Don’t get caught up on any one question though. If you’re feeling stumped, take a guess and move on. It’s more important to maintain a decent pace and keep moving through the questions, rather than to stress over scoring perfectly on one question.

Remember, you have a 15-minute time cap so you’ll want to move through as many questions as you can efficiently.  Again, less than 1% of people complete all 50 questions so don’t stress yourself out about finishing all the questions.

Here are two examples of the types of questions you might see on the admissions assessment.

1. Sample Verbal Question: (Source)

Choose the word that is most nearly OPPOSITE to the word in capital letters: LENGTHEN

  • abdicate
  • truncate
  • elongate
  • stifle
  • resist

2. Sample Math Question: (Source)

A group of 3 numbers has an average of 17. The first two numbers are 12 and 19. What is the third number?

  • 17
  • 19
  • 20
  • 23
  • 30

How to prepare for the admissions assessment

  • Complete the assessment on a laptop or desktop as it is not mobile-friendly.
  • Set aside 15 minutes of uninterrupted, dedicated time.
  • Remove any distractions so you can focus for 15 minutes.
  • Have a piece of paper and a pencil for notes.
  • Relax and don’t overthink it.

Remember, it’s not about being perfect; it’s about getting the best score you can. Don’t get caught up on one question. Keep moving at a decent pace.

There is a time clock on the page so you will know how many questions you have completed and how much time remains.

How does the test affect my admissions decision?

Our admissions process includes three phases — a written application, the admissions test, and an admissions interview. The test is a factor in the admissions process, but ultimately, we will consider all three phases of your application to determine an admissions decision.

Wondering what score you should get? We do have a target score for each one of our study programs but don’t worry about that upfront. Only worry about making sure you have 15 minutes of dedicated time, and then do your best.

Your score will be measured against the target score to determine if you will be a good candidate for the program. Remember, we don’t want you to commit to one of our programs unless we know you have the potential to be successful in that career field.

How do we determine target scores?

We asked our current students and graduates of our program to take the admissions test. And created our target scores based on how well our successful students scored.

Then, the company that prepares the test provided scores from successful professional software engineers, data scientists, cybersecurity engineers and analysts, and product designers. And that’s how we came up with the target score for applicants.

What happens after I take the admissions test?

After you finish and submit the admissions test, your score is recorded in our system. If you have not already had your admissions interview, you will be invited to schedule it. In that interview, your admissions rep will share your score and discuss your next steps. Here’s our insider’s guide on how to ace your admissions interview.

Remember, the test is a factor in your admission decision, but we will make our final decision based on the combination of your application, interview, and assessment test.

Ready to start your admissions process? Apply now.

Amazon Career Choice X Flatiron School Partnership

Posted on by Rhiana Ricciotti

Amazon’s Career Choice program empowers its employees by providing them access to the education and training needed to grow their careers at Amazon and beyond.

In the U.S., the company will invest $1.2 billion to upskill more than 300,000 employees by 2025 to help move them into higher-paying, in-demand jobs. For this investment, Amazon selected Flatiron School as one of its education partners to develop a customized technical training program for its hourly employees to help them access better-paying, skilled positions in software engineering, cybersecurity, and other tech fields.

The Challenge

Amazon has been rapidly growing its workforce over the past several years to meet increasing demand, hiring hundreds of thousands of front-line employees across the U.S.

As a company, Amazon believes that everyone should have the opportunity to learn new skills and build their career. A job with Amazon may be a springboard into a long-term career in another field, so they want to provide the training employees need to grow their careers.

In addition to the coursework and classes, they are focused on outcomes for employees, providing them with support services throughout their education and career journey. They want partners who share this focus on outcomes.

Why Amazon Selected Flatiron School

Since the first cohort in 2021, Flatiron School has offered the technical and instructional expertise, program design experience, job-placement track record, and ability to deliver at the scale that Amazon needed for the Career Choice programs.

This is why Amazon has partnered with Flatiron School to develop curriculum programs across cybersecurity, software development, data analytics, and web development for nine cohorts and counting. 

Amazon’s Challenge

With demand for tech workers soaring, Amazon wanted to offer transformative technical programs, with strong job placement outcomes, as part of Career Choice. Amazon needed a partner with the ability to both teach in-demand technical skills and drive high job placement rates.

Flatiron School’s Solution

Scalable, Customized Courses Paired with A Proven Job-Placement Approach

  1. Flatiron School developed six part-time, customized tech programs for Amazon employees to drive deep technical learning. 
  2. All programs were 32 weeks and provided students with the flexibility to learn new skills…
  3. …while still working full-time, dedicating 12-15 hours per week to the program.

The Results

During the first year of the partnership, 270 Amazon employees from across 38 fulfillment centers used their Career Choice benefits to become Software Engineers and Cybersecurity Analysts.

The Amazon Career Choice program also increased warehouse worker tenure, retention, and employee satisfaction.

The inaugural cohort wrapped up in October 2021. Within less than a week of graduation, two Amazon employees had already landed jobs in tech, with significant increases to their salaries. Because of its success and the benefits they saw with the program, Amazon expanded the program in 2022 and internationally for 2023, enrolling over 800 Amazon Associates each year.

In 2023, 9 cohorts across Amazon Cybersecurity Analytics, Amazon Data Analytics, Amazon Software Development, and Amazon Web Development have been developed.

For more information on the Amazon Career Choice program, visit the program application page.

How Financial Services Prepares For The Holiday Season

Posted on by Anna Van Deusen

With the holidays right around the corner, financial service companies are preparing for a busy shopping season. 

Public trust in the security of digital purchases has had a hand in the boom of online shopping. Consumers are now more likely to visit digital storefronts, instead of brick-and-mortar locations. As of 2022, an estimated 2.14 billion purchase goods online and at least 75% of consumers shop online at least once a month.

With every online transaction, gift purchase, or swipe of a card, financial services are tasked with keeping data secure.

So, with holiday shopping ramping up, what challenges should financial services be prepared to tackle?

Problem #1: How To Prevent Data Breaches?

A data breach can cost millions, tarnish a company’s reputation, and leave customers doubting that their information is safe. In fact, according to the Ponemon Institute and IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average total cost of a data breach increased from $3.86 million to $4.24 million in 2021.

Cybersecurity can feel like an endless game of one-upping bad actors. Even large companies struggle to keep up with digital innovation which has resulted in an ever-increasing number and complexity of cyber attacks. 

In a digital world where automated attacks can quickly overwhelm manual monitoring attempts, having adept and skilled professionals in place is critical to a company’s continued prosperity and longevity.

Solution: Invest In Cybersecurity Preparation and Plan Ahead

To tackle the cybersecurity threats attempting to infiltrate your organization, it’s crucial to develop a two-pronged plan – a prevention strategy and a response procedure.

Prevention Strategy

You’ve likely heard that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of treatment, which is particularly relevant to preventing cybercrime. 

Financial services should reinforce their cyber protocols and ensure that their team is skilled, supplied with appropriate software and platforms, and has the bandwidth necessary to handle the deluge of attacks. This can be accomplished either by outsourcing to third-party providers or investing in internal infrastructure and employees by hiring new employees with up-to-date skills or upskilling your existing workforce. 

Response Procedure

Should bad actors breach your organization’s data stores, it’s vital to have a plan of action in place. 

Shockingly few companies have a solid breach response plan in place, and time wasted scrambling to decide what to do, who has access to what, and which files may have been compromised lets whoever has infiltrated run amock in your system. 

To be fully prepared, financial services should develop, test, and implement an incident response plan to minimize the potential fallout of a breach. 

Related reading: Top 3 Cybersecurity Pain Points in 2022

Problem #2: How To Reach New Customers?

No matter the industry, product, or company size, the goal is ultimately the same – growth.

But for financial services, a saturated market can make it difficult to differentiate themselves from competitors and attract new customers. Many organizations find themselves pondering as the biggest shopping season ramps up, “how do we stay ahead of the competition and reach new customers who prefer online experiences?”

Solution: Leverage The Power of Data

To attract new customers, financial services can use the data they collect, which we discussed protecting above. 

Invest in Data Scientists who are able to decipher actionable insights from data collected about existing customers and use models to forecast emerging market trends. By making data-backed, research-based decisions, your organization can develop targeted promotions and bring in new customers, all with information you already had on hand.

Related reading: The (Data) Science Behind Netflix Recommendations

Tech Talent Solutions Made For Financial Services

Whether it’s the holiday shopping season or not, financial services have no shortage of challenges: legacy technology, cybercrime, and connecting data across brick-and-mortar and digital products. 

Let Flatiron School help modernize your business with training and talent services across Cybersecurity, Data Science, Software Engineering, and Product Design.

Contact us to get started.

How Retailers Prepare For The Holiday Season

Posted on by Anna Van Deusen

With the holidays right around the corner, retailers are preparing for a busy shopping season. Each year, more consumers are shopping online. As a result, retailers must invest in their digital storefronts, backend security, and supporting software to keep customers coming back.

So, with holiday shopping ramping up, what challenges should retailers be prepared to tackle this year?

Problem #1: How To Prevent Data Breaches?

A data breach can cost millions of dollars, tarnish a company’s reputation, and leave customers with little trust that their information will be kept safe. In fact, according to the Ponemon Institute and IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average total cost of a data breach increased from $3.86 million to $4.24 million in 2021.

Cybersecurity can feel like an endless game of one-upping bad actors, with even large companies struggling to keep up with digital innovation that has resulted in an ever-increasing number and complexity of cyber attacks. 

In a digital world where automated attacks can quickly overwhelm manual monitoring attempts, having adept and skilled professionals in place is critical to a company’s continued prosperity and longevity.

Solution: Invest In Cybersecurity Preparation and Plan Ahead

To tackle the cybersecurity threats attempting to infiltrate your organization, it’s crucial to develop a two-pronged plan – a prevention strategy and a response procedure.

Prevention Strategy

You’ve likely heard that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of treatment, which is particularly relevant to preventing cybercrime. 

Retailers should reinforce their cyber protocols and ensure that their team is skilled, supplied with appropriate software and platforms, and has the bandwidth necessary to handle the deluge of attacks. This can be accomplished either by outsourcing to third-party providers or investing in internal infrastructure and employees by hiring new employees with up-to-date skills or upskilling your existing workforce. 

Response Procedure

Should bad actors breach your organization’s data stores, it’s vital to have a plan of action in place. 

Shockingly few companies have a solid breach response plan in place, and time wasted scrambling to decide what to do, who has access to what, and which files may have been compromised lets whoever has infiltrated run amok in your system. 

To be fully prepared, retailers should develop, test, and implement an incident response plan to minimize the potential fallout of a breach. 

Related reading: Top 3 Cybersecurity Pain Points in 2022

Problem #2: How To Increase Customer Loyalty?

With the rise of the digital-first era, shoppers are no longer walking into physical stores for their goods. Instead, they are logging onto their computers or opening a mobile app, credit card in hand.

Customer touch points now feature everything from brand-owned mobile apps to traditional website storefronts and social media platforms. Each channel is a chance for retailers’ brand messaging to reinforce customer loyalty.

So, how do retailers elevate the customer experience across all these touchpoints?

Solution: Develop Supportive Software

With so many brand touchpoints across multiple platforms and channels, delivering a seamless, omnichannel experience is key. To achieve this, retailers can invest in software engineering to develop custom retail software. 

Company-specific software creates IT solutions that automate the retail business process, streamlining offerings and product delivery. Everything from sales notification, invoice delivery, shipping, and returns/refunds can be accomplished by one, overarching system. 

That way, no matter where a customer interacts with your brand, they’ll be met with a consistent, pleasant, and easy-to-navigate system they know well. 

Related reading: Top 3 Retail Tech Trends in 2022

Problem #3: How To Quantify Consumer Behavior?

With trends that change at the pace of social media algorithms, it can feel just about impossible to predict trends. What was trendy one moment can be “last season” the next, with product and marketing teams struggling to keep up. 

Many retailers are asking, “how can we quantify customers’ behavior and translate it into sales?”

Solution: Leverage The Power Of Data

To predict consumer behavior and deliver tailored experiences that convert, retailers need simply to harness the power of data. 

Without a doubt, somewhere in every retailer’s system is a mountain of data. This data is generated by customers each time they interact with a brand. Data Scientists use models and machine learning to connect data points from multiple sources and generate actionable insights that can be incorporated into a retailer’s strategy at scale. 

To improve conversion rates, retailers should invest in a team of skilled data scientists – or upskill their current team. Data Scientists can use data-driven insights to create recommendations catered to each customer. That way, they’ll keep them coming back to the company that, somehow, knows them so well.  

Related reading: The (Data) Science Behind Netflix Recommendations

Tech Talent Solutions Made For Retailers

The tech that powers digital shopping is only as effective as the talent behind the scenes. 

For 10 years, Flatiron School has been teaching the tech skills that retailers need most. Let us help accelerate your business with our talent and training solutions.

Contact us today to get started.