Ryan & Lauren – The down-low in Cyber

Ryan Dowling’s story
What were your biggest fears before joining?

I was worried that the type of people who work for Deloitte would be all out for themselves and trying to climb the ladder as fast as possible. Once joining, I realised that those people are few and far between and everyone gets on really well. I wish someone had told me that it’s more fun than you think.

The switch from university to work is really just the level of quality expected. Minor errors in a document are not acceptable in the working world. That includes a misplaced full stop or incorrect spacing. You just need to be sure you’re willing to put the work in to improve and take constructive criticism well. The training you learn from management is invaluable and will stay with you forever.

What’s been your most exciting project?

I was lucky enough to work on one of the biggest cyber-attacks to happen to one of the largest companies in the world. There was a team of 150+ and we were working all hours. It was hard, high pressure, but exciting.

I have to say the biggest challenge is keeping up with everything you want to do. Sometimes you have to accept you can’t be involved with everything.

Lauren Machray's story

What do you do? And what do you like most about it?

When I describe my job to friends I say “Remember the cyber-attack that happened to X organisation? My job is to help make sure that either doesn’t happen again or, if it does, that they can respond and recover as quickly as possible”. All four Cyber groups: Strategy, Secure, Vigilant and Resilient are growing fast. So, whatever industry or area you’re interested in, there’s always an opportunity to put your hand up to get involved.

I love the diversity of projects, people and places we work. I love the opportunities I am given to shape the career I want. I love the flexibility to work when I need to, and the focus on adding value, not just being present for the sake of it. You’ll love it here if you enjoy travelling around the country, learning lots all at once, and want to have an interesting, increasingly relevant career. However, it’s not for you if you still use ‘password’ or any variant, as your password.

Do you get many learning and development opportunities?

The learning curve in the first year is massive. I never thought I’d get the hang of fulfilling the (rightly) high expectations of the client and managers, but the support is there and those that want to succeed can, even if it seems an impossibly high mountain to start with. I hope to develop specialist knowledge in the ‘people’ side of Cyber, be that Insider Risk, cultural training and awareness, or elsewhere. I’m starting to work with colleagues that specialise in these areas, so I can learn more.

I’m currently working on a big client with over 150 other Deloitte people. They have a large international presence, with opportunities to work in Denmark, the Netherlands, the US and more. I’ve gained some great experience and built a fantastic network – it’s a wonderful opportunity to learn. Cyber security takes more than deep technical expertise; it takes people with true business intelligence. Together we help keep our clients safe, secure and one step ahead, by providing everything from “red button” crisis response, to guidance on which cyber threats could have the biggest impact on their business.

Think you’re got what it takes for a career in Cyber? Check out our latest opportunities.