Running head: EXPLORING MY ACADEMIC PROGRAM 1
ASSIGNMENT TITLE 1
Exploring my Academic Program
Abdulaziz Mohamed
University of Maryland Global Campus
My research into the (name your program here) field led to the following answers of these questions:
1. Why did you select an academic program in this field?
I was always fascinated by computers, then later on I developed an interest in Cyber Security. My dad was once a victim of Cybercrime while I was in college. This gave me more reason to pursue a career in this field. I wanted to make a positive impact
2. Are there any certifications that you are interested in as they relate to your career field?
There are a lot of certifications that I am interested. I started from the lowest certification which was Security Plus and then later on got my Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certificate. At the moment I am studying for couple more certificates which are CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
3. Are there internships or apprenticeships related to your major? If so, what are they?
There are many internships related to my major . Some of them are Security Operation Analyst (SOC) intern, Pen Tester intern and so many others. At the moment I am looking for a SOC analyst position. I recently had an internship as SOC analyst for law firm company based at Washington, DC
4. What kinds of career opportunities are there in your field?
Chief Information Security Office
Forensic Computer Analyst
Information Security Analyst
Penetration Teste
Security Architect
IT Security Enginee
Security Systems Administrato
IT Security Consultant
These are some of the career opportunities in my field but there are many more.
5. What have you discovered about your academic program that you didn't know before?
This is my first semester taking a class at UMGC and there is nothing I discovered about my academic program. I am still exploring.
Email on Trends in My Industry
In Week 3, you conducted research into your academic program to learn more about what skills you would get from your courses, and how you might leverage what you learned to secure an internship or job in your field of interest. Last week you explored education and training requirements, job tasks, and other information about your career of interest. Now you will conduct research to find the cu
ent career trends in your desired industry and provide a
ief summary of your findings. This assignment will be in the form of a professional email to your department head.
Writing Prompt
Imagine you recently began working in IT, and the head of the department, Mr. Clark, has asked you to do research to inform future technology security products for the company. Your company recently faced a security
each, and it is looking for new security products to strengthen technology security.
He has asked you to write a detailed email that identifies the three top security trends in the IT security industry. If he likes your work on this initial research, he will ask you to write a position paper on the most important issue related to these trends. He is hoping to use your research to prepare your department to launch a new strategic plan.
This is your first real task for your new job. You think you have a sense of the industry but know you need to do more research to be accurate in your analysis. The ability to spot trends in your industry is an important skill, and your boss wants to spend energy and capital on new growth areas, products, and services.
To begin your research, access your CareerQuest account and review the available resources. Use Vault or any other online resource to conduct additional industry research.
Your assignment is to produce a well-researched email in which you identify three trends in your industry and discuss each one
iefly.
Assignment Instructions
· Compose a professional email (about 300 words) providing a response to the prompt above. You may use this template to format your email.
· Use the career planning resources in CareerQuest and additional industry websites to research information to include in your response.
· Demonstrate communication skills by effectively presenting the information in your response.
From: Your name
To: Mr. Clark
Date: _______
Subject: Cu
ent trends in our industry
Hello, Mr. Clark. You asked me to conduct research on the cu
ent (and emerging) IT security trends in our industry. I have completed that work and can report that the top three IT security trends are (trend 1), (trend 2), and (trend 3).
Here are details on the top three trends of note. (Detail them concisely and explain why they matter to your industry. How might these trends impact your organization? Do these trends point to the future direction of your industry? These are all important considerations for your department head.)
To conclude, the most important point to consider is (describe your bottom line and takeaway for Mr. Clark in this final paragraph).
If I can answer any questions or provide sources documents, I will be happy to do so.
Thank you.
Regards,
Your name
2