3 minute read
Catherine Dawson
Associate Solutions Engineer at Cloudflare
Like so many Australians Catherine Dawson lost her job as a result of the COVID pandemic. However, her redundancy turned out to be a blessing in disguise, enabling her to pursue an interest in cybersecurity that had lain dormant since her undergraduate days studying for a degree in criminology and criminal justice.
“There was a unit of work that covered fraud and cybercrime which exposed me to the patterns of offending and cybercrime victimology,” she says. “Whilst the course focused on the broader societal impact of cybercrime rather than the underlying technology, it marked the start of my introduction to the industry.”
So, jobless, Dawson dived straight into cybersecurity, securing a business development role at cybersecurity and Internet infrastructure company, Cloudflare. “The role was the perfect entry point, because it gave me an opportunity to learn about industry trends, develop fundamental skills in cybersecurity technology and work strategically with customers,” she says.
FROM SALES TO CYBERSECURITY
Starting in what was primarily a sales role, Dawson was soon drawn to the technology behind what she was selling. “It wasn’t until I was exposed to the presales engineering profession first-hand that I found myself wanting to learn more about the underlying technology: computer networking, web application security, and cybersecurity frameworks,” she says.
After that her transformation into a cybersecurity specialist was rapid. To better develop her technical knowledge Dawson gained a postgraduate qualification in networking and cybersecurity and at the same time was successful in applying for Cloudflare’s Associate Solutions Engineering program: a year-long intensive training program that developed her understanding of Cloudflare’s product portfolio.
“When I first started my position in business development, I did not think it would be possible to transition to a solutions engineer role given my non-technical background,” she says. “The technical knowledge required to architect security solutions for customers seemed like an impossible aspiration. It wasn’t until a position in the Associate Program
was made available as a career pathway in pre sales engineering that I was able to apply and begin the intensive 12-month training.”
Dawson is now an associate solutions engineer at Cloudflare, responsible for the technical sale of Cloudflare’s products and credits Stephanie Barnett, Cloudflare’s head of solution engineering for Asia Pacific, Japan and China with having played a key role in her rapid transition into cybersecurity.
“Stephanie is an incredible leader and role model to many people in the industry,” Dawson says. “Stephanie was one of the first leaders to give me encouragement in pursuing my career goals. I remember her words of support to ‘just go for it’ and to be confident in my aspirations. It was Stephanie Barnett who championed the Associate Solutions Engineering program to the business and brought it to life.”
It is perhaps not surprising after such a rapid career shift that Dawson cites self-doubt and imposter syndrome as the biggest challenges in her new role. “There are definitely moments where I compare my work to others in the industry. My role requires me to work with a broad range of cybersecurity, DevSecOps, and cloud security architect teams to help solve security problems through our technology,” she says. “However, I am extremely fortunate to be supported by an incredible team and mentors.”
It is hardly surprising that she cites the shift into cybersecurity as one of her best career decisions, explaining she has “always been drawn to and motivated by positions that bring value to customers whilst satisfying my inner urge to continually solve problems and evaluate risk,” adding: “There are many rewarding aspects of my current role. As part of the solutions engineering organisation, it is our responsibility to make our technology more accessible, understandable and valuable to our customers. It combines problem solving, relationship building and technical expertise. It also requires the development of strong relationships with cybersecurity stakeholders, and being their ‘trusted technical advisor’.”
And Dawson is not alone among her team in having come to cybersecurity from a very different profession. “A few of my fellow associate solution engineer colleagues have transitioned from careers outside of technology, coming from a range of careers such as psychology. One was an airline cabin crew member. We all share the same drive, determination, and ambition for learning and building a long-term career in technology.”
www.linkedin.com/in/catdawson
