From Clippers to KQL: My Jump into Cybersecurity

Barber to cyber in ~22 months. Free Labs → Google IT Support → AWS CCP → CAPSLOCK bootcamp → hands-on challenge → technical interview → Junior Responder → Cyber Security Response Engineer at JUMPSEC.

Practical steps, not magic.

One of my regular clients mentioned that he worked in cybersecurity.

Between trimming fades and lining edges, curiosity got the better of me.

“How do I get into what you do?” I asked.

He didn’t give me a long lecture or a list of expensive certifications. Instead, he kept it simple:

“Learn a bit about the field, try some hands-on labs, and see if it sticks. Check out Hack The Box and INE – start with the free paths.”

That was it. Simple advice. No pressure. Exactly what I needed.

That moment planted a seed.

The next day, I started looking into everything he mentioned. What began as a passing chat over clippers turned into a spark that changed my direction completely.

That moment in March 2022 lit the fuse that launched my journey into cybersecurity.

Two years after that conversation, in January 2024, I landed my first role in the field – Junior Cyber Security Responder.

Here’s what happened in between.

I dove into research – reading about resources, certifications, interview prep, and what a solid tech CV should look like. Eventually, I landed on the Google IT Support Professional Certificate as my first concrete step, a way to build a real foundation.

It wasn’t a quick process. It took almost a year to complete. Between work and life, study time was limited, but I kept going. Progress was slow, but it was steady.

Then one day, another client – a network admin – gave me the next push.

“Learn some Azure and AWS,” he said. “If you do, I’ll pass your CV to our HR when roles open up.”

That was all the motivation I needed. Two weeks later, I booked the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam and passed in March 2023 – my first real certification exam.

It might have been a small win on paper, but for me, it was proof. Proof that I could do this.

Then… nothing. Months went by in silence.

While waiting, I found myself at a crossroads.

• A three-year cybersecurity degree that could leave me nearly £50k in debt, or
• A four-month full-time bootcamp costing around £10k.

The math and the timeline made the choice clear.

I enrolled in the CAPSLOCK bootcamp, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I had made. The support from tutors, mentors, coaches, and peers was incredible. The team-based learning style was a huge bonus, collaboration isn’t just a buzzword in cybersecurity; it’s something you practice every single day.

Studying hard for 16 weeks in your 40s is no walk in the park. It reminded me of my university days twenty years ago, only this time with more coffee and a much stronger sense of purpose.

Early on, I spotted an advert on the CAPSLOCK job board for a Junior Threat Hunter role at JUMPSEC. The title hit my brain like a magnet.

Hunt. Investigate. Find the needle.

The advert had already expired, but it didn’t matter; it had done its job. It gave me a target. That was the role I wanted. Who doesn’t want the coolest career in Cyber according to SANS?

Two weeks into the course, a friend of mine, a network admin, lined up a Helpdesk interview for me. My first ever IT interview. I was excited, nervous, and maybe a bit over-caffeinated.

I prepared hard, did my best on the day, and… didn’t progress.

Weirdly, that helped. It was the first small taste of how this career change was going to feel: challenging, humbling, but forward-moving all the same.

A challenge linked to that same Junior Threat Hunter role at JUMPSEC. Anyone who completed it would earn a guaranteed technical interview.

This time, I was really excited. My first proper cybersecurity interview was finally within reach.

The task? Build an Elastic lab, a hands-on test of technical curiosity, persistence, and problem-solving.

Luckily, I’d already been deep in the weeds of my own home SOC lab, following Eric Capuano’s brilliant “So You Want to Be a SOC Analyst” guide. That foundation made all the difference.

I tackled the challenge head-on, documented everything, and submitted my work. The reward came fast: a technical interview, then an in-person one, and finally, the call I’d been aiming for since week one.

I got the job.

I didn’t know it at the time, but that day would mark the beginning of a journey that’s been as challenging as it’s been rewarding.

Today, I’m proud to work as a Cyber Security Response Engineer at JUMPSEC. It feels fantastic to look back and see how much has changed, not just in my skills or experience, but in how I think about problems, collaboration, and impact.

I’m deeply grateful for the people around me, the mentors, colleagues, and friends who’ve shaped the last two years. The DART team especially has been a constant source of learning and support.

My day-to-day work revolves around threat hunting, triaging alerts and incidents, creating analytic rules, and diving into incident response when things get hot. No two days are the same, and that’s part of what makes it exciting. Every investigation brings something new: a fresh challenge, a different pattern, or a hidden clue waiting to be uncovered.

Funny enough, I now spend more time writing KQL than I ever cut hair. As someone who once worked as a barber, that’s a shift I never saw coming, but I’ve learned that the precision, patience, and curiosity I used behind the chair translate surprisingly well into cybersecurity.

Hairlines to timelines, it tracks.

I just knew I wanted to break into tech and learn what a real technical interview felt like. Looking back, a few lessons really stuck with me, and maybe they’ll help you too.

1. Stay Employed (If You Can)

During CAPSLOCK, I was working as a Domino’s delivery driver. It wasn’t the dream job, but it gave me something priceless: stability.

Having a job kept me calm. And calm is a superpower in interviews. When you’re not desperate, you can take your time, pick your opportunities, and actually enjoy the process. You show up as your best self instead of your most stressed self.

2. Be Proactive, Not Obsessed

I didn’t take on CAPSLOCK because I thought it was a golden ticket to a job. I took it because I wanted to learn. I wanted to understand what employers were really looking for and what a technical interview actually felt like.

That mindset shift made a huge difference. Instead of fixating on “getting hired,” I focused on “getting better.” Earning the interview became the goal. That step alone opened doors I never expected.

3. Keep It Practical

There’s so much noise out there about certifications, tools, and “the perfect learning path.” Here’s what worked for me:

• Start with free labs.
• Focus on one cert at a time.
• Build a small lab you can break and fix.
• Apply.
• Repeat.

It’s not about being perfect; it’s about being consistent. Every small, practical step moves you forward.

And if sharing this helps even one person to go from curious to committed, from thinking about it to doing something about it, then it’s worth writing.

Start small. Try HTB Academy or TryHackMe. Pick one certification. Build your lab. Break it. Fix it. Send your CV. Take the interview. Then do it all again.

I’ll see you in the logs.