Leading Managed Security Services: Growth, Hiring Advice, and Playing to Your Strengths with April Jenkins

Thomas chats with April Jenkins, Senior Director of Managed Services/Service Desk at Elite Ops, about her career path, and how she prioritizes both customer outcomes and team growth, balance, and psychological safety. April explains her organization’s expansion from 9 to 42 people through new hiring and team consolidation, and discusses current market conditions: high candidate volume, employer decisions about remote vs. office, and the importance of responsiveness, accurately matching job requirements, and adding short notes with resumes.

She shares career guidance on focusing on strengths, staying authentic, reading the room, building relationships through problem-solving, and sustaining momentum via small daily wins and protected thinking time. Recommendation: a strengths-focused book (described as “maximizing your strengths”) and the “do unto others” golden rule from a Dr Pepper Museum exhibit.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

00:26 April’s Career Origins

02:45 Life Running 24/7 Support

05:03 Team Culture and Mindset

06:31 Scaling from 9 to 42

07:13 Hiring in a Tough Market

11:10 Standing Out as a Candidate

14:39 Internships and Career Switchers

15:12 Advice for Career Growth

17:19 Strengths and Relationship Building

20:15 Finding Your Niche in Security

21:29 Find Your Strengths

22:20 Define Your Core

24:12 Write It Down Daily

25:24 Protect Thinking Time

26:29 Start Small Habits

28:40 Momentum From Small Wins

29:51 Ignore Social Media Timelines

32:15 Relationships As Deposits

34:33 Authenticity And Feedback

37:36 Golden Rule Leadership

40:00 Wrap Up And Thanks

Recruiter Insights for a Tough Market: Resumes, Interviews, Follow-Ups, and Professionalism

On the Cyber Security Recruiter podcast, Tom chats with Barb Adrian, Chief People Officer at Procellis Technology. about how candidates can stand out in a competitive, layoff-impacted market.

Barb stresses a well-constructed, proof-read resume (errors like misspellings or mismatched dates are deal-breakers), showcasing community involvement, and limiting work history to relevant recent years. For interviews, she advises researching the company, being prepared for recruiter calls, asking thoughtful questions (including culture and what the interviewer loves about the job), practicing communication, and being comfortable with silence rather than babbling.

She welcomes proactive outreach via LinkedIn or email and emphasizes follow-up and professionalism on virtual interviews (clean space, appropriate attire, minimal oversharing). Barb notes AI filtering can miss great candidates, so she manually reviewed 430 applicants, and she finds referrals especially effective.

00:56 Meet Barb Career Journey

02:01 Resume Must Haves

03:21 Interview Prep and Flow

05:57 Smart Questions to Ask

07:05 Relaxed Communication Tips

09:41 Reaching Out and Standing Out

10:30 AI Screening and Follow Up

14:35 Worst Phone Interview Story

16:30 Virtual Interview Professionalism

17:21 Oversharing Red Flags

18:06 Stay Professional until Offer

18:51 Dress For Success

19:36 Market Shift Reality Check

20:24 Community Interview Support

23:51 AI Screening Pitfalls

25:07 Referrals Beat Algorithms

25:46 LinkedIn Noise And Etiquette

28:07 Hiring Needs And Candidate Energy

30:52 Human Touch And Mental Health

33:04 Learning Through Your Network

34:23 Episode Wrap Up

Navigating Cybersecurity Careers and Communication with Jake Everett

In this episode of the Cybersecurity Recruiter Podcast, Thomas welcomes Jake Everett, VP of Offensive Security at Rule4. They discuss technical challenges, the impact of AI, and Jake's career journey from the Marine Corps to the commercial world.

Jake shares his daily responsibilities, the importance of communication and responsiveness, and educational resources that have been pivotal for his career. They also explore the role of honesty and detailed problem-solving in successful cybersecurity careers.

Jake recommends the book 'Sandworm' and highlights valuable online resources like Hack the Box, Try Hack Me, and YouTube videos for continued learning.

00:00 Introduction and Technical Glitches

00:20 AI in Podcasting and Everyday Life

01:03 Jake Everett's Career Journey

02:02 A Day in the Life of a VP of Offensive Security

02:38 The Four-Day Work Week

04:31 Preparing for OSCP and Continuous Learning

08:25 Physical Pen Testing and Lock Picking

09:35 Transitioning from the Marine Corps to Tech

10:27 The Importance of Practical Application in Learning

12:37 Communication Skills in Cybersecurity

14:37 Honesty and Integrity in Job Applications

16:36 Building Trust in Cybersecurity

17:45 The Power of Word of Mouth

18:31 Effective Communication Tips

22:23 Career Progression to VP Level

24:27 The Role of AI in Recruitment

28:01 The Value of Continuous Learning

29:03 The Impact of Cyber Warfare

32:08 The Importance of a Positive Algorithm Diet

33:11 Conclusion and Final Thoughts