What 16 weeks on the CAPSLOCK cyber security course taught me

We caught up with Gemma, a 2025 graduate of our cyber security course, to hear about her journey. From tackling challenges to discovering exciting career paths, here’s what she had to say!

Gemma's story

What was your career and job before this course, and why did you want to change careers and get into cyber security?

I worked in financial services for 20 years, got made redundant, and saw it as an opportunity to do something different. I did a couple of level two courses, and one of those was cyber security, and I thought, let’s try it. Let’s see if it’s something that I can get into. And it’s been really good seeing that my past experience fits in quite a lot of areas. I understand the concepts, and I can put my previous experience to use in this environment, in the cyber security world.

How has your overall experience with the CAPSLOCK course been?

I’ve never had a learning experience like it. It’s been challenging but also rewarding, knowing that my experience is really useful in the world of cyber security.

What part of the course did you enjoy the most?

The technical labs. I enjoyed getting my hands dirty. I liked looking at what those tools can do and how they work. Because yeah, at heart, I’m a techie, even though I’ve not come from that background.

Was there anything you found challenging?

The ambiguity of some of the activities, the application exercises that had me overthinking, questioning my ability. Was I reading it the same way as it was expected to come across? The STPs (Solving the Problems) are marked, but with the application exercises, you often don't know if what you did was good or good enough or right. So, I really struggled with not having a well done, good job.

What advice would you give to someone just starting the course?

I’d say be prepared to be uncomfortable. You’re going to quickly need to build your relationships with your team because you’ll be spending 16 weeks with them. Work out what works, identify people’s strengths, and use them.

What have you learnt about yourself during the course?

Coming from that leadership background meant that quite early on in the course, I took over quite a bit. So, I think in a situation where you’re not the team manager, or you’re not the team lead, or you’re not the project manager, it’s helped me to let other people shine in that scenario and have an opportunity to develop their skills.

How did you find working in a team?

It came naturally because I’ve worked in lots of different teams in my previous job roles. There was conflict, and we did struggle sometimes with timings. But over the course, we got better at it. We defined templates, worked out what works best for everybody, and identified where their skills were stronger or weaker. But we also pushed each other to step out of our comfort zone.

What kind of roles are you aiming for in cyber security now?

I feel that I might end up in a generalist role, because with the knowledge I’ve got from the course, I do have that kind of holistic view of the whole of cyber. So, I feel like I can provide advice, support, and guidance in all aspects.

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