Lisa Dunkley

20 September 2023
Cyber Security Consultant

“Keep moving forward and be open to the opportunities that are out there.”

Meet Lisa

Lisa built a successful international career as a mixologist, but was forced to stop upon learning she had a chronic illness. After connecting with UK-based charity, Astriid, which helps individuals with long-term illnesses find meaningful employment, Lisa was told about WithYouWithMe.

Lisa’s story

At the time, she was working towards a Bachelor of Science, specialising in Computing and Business, with The Open University. Given her keen interest in breaking into a technology career, Lisa also signed up for WithYouWithMe’s programme.

“The aptitude testing really highlighted avenues that I had a propensity for and helped me to consider future pathways and roles I hadn’t considered before,” explains Lisa.

Off the back of her testing report, Lisa entered the cyber pathway, completing the training in 3-4 weeks. Soon after, she became aware of a series of squad positions available in cyber security at Leonardo, a leading organisation specialising in aerospace, defence and security. Based on her testing results and a series of interviews, Lisa was selected for the role of Cyber Security Analyst.

Kickstarting a promising career in tech

In her new role with Leonardo, Lisa is working to expand her knowledge of cyber security processes and programmes.

“I am fully encouraged to develop my skills – not just for my current responsibilities, but to progress towards a career I truly want. If I was to give my past self any advice, it would be to keep moving forward and be open to the opportunities that are out there. You never know where they will take you,” she adds.