📋 1. Project Title & Description

🚀 Project Title: Upskilling into Cybersecurity

This project aims to broaden my view of the Cybersecurity field. By improving my knowledge base with key trends in the field and industry knowledge, I can improve my chances of breaking into the field.

🎯 2. Vision, Mission & Strategy Alignment

🎯 Personal Mission Connection:

I'm interested in making a career in the Cybersecurity industry. There is always going to be a demand for this field because of the amount of technology used in almost every organization, and a constantly changing threat environment. That being said, my understanding of the industry is surface level, and the project aims to rectify that.

🔮 Vision Alignment:

Ever since I was a child, I was always interested in working in the government sector. My father's side of the family showed me the various upsides to working for the government, including security clearence-a qualification that is usually only offered by government agencies.

📈 Strategic Goal Support:

This project helps me in achieving the strategic goal of becoming more marketable in the field. By learning about this field, I can improve my skills and become a more attractive worker in the industry.

💼 3. Business Case & Justification

🏢 Professional Value:

There are several benefits to this project. I will gain skills that are sought after in the cybersecurity field, improve my network, and improve my job prospects.

❤️ Personal Value:

I think the main personal value that I gain from this project is the improvements to my knowledge base. This will help me excel in my job duties and improve my confidence in the workplace.

🎓 Learning Outcomes:

I will hopefully learn more about the field as a whole, expectations and qualities that would help one in the field. This knowledge could be really helpful in creating a career path for myself.

📏 4. High-Level Scope

✅ In Scope for Semester Project

🔍 Revised and peer reviewed Cybersecurity focused resume.
💪 Research into common jobs and key skills for the industry.
🏆 Research into entry level certifications for the field.
📊 Acquisition of an entry level cybersecurity certification.
🎭 Networking with individuals in the industry.

🗺️ Roadmap Items (≤6 Months)

🎯 Learning more about key theories in the field
💼 Gaining more work experience
🤝 Networking with cybersecurity professionals
🎪 Attending cybersecurity events and webinars
🎯 Applying for cybersecurity related jobs

❌ Out of Scope

🚫 Building a homelab
🚫 Getting an expert level cybersecurity certification
🚫 Taking a cybersecurity consultant role
🚫 Taking a hacker/penetration tester type job

👥 5. Stakeholder Register

👤 Stakeholder	🏷️ Category	💼 Role/Interest	⚡ Power	❤️ Interest	🎯 Engagement Strategy
Professor Espinoza	Internal	The professor is the judge of my work and facilitates the direction of this project	High	High	Manage closely
IT Manager	Internal	As a mentor, they are at the forefront of my learning and provides good insight on the industry.	High	low	Keep satisfied
Network/References	External	People in the network and references can help my personal brand, and vouch for me to others.	Low	Medium	Keep informed
State/Federal Government Entities	External	State and Federal government entites can pass new laws that affect the industry.	Low	Low	Monitor
Certification companies	External	Certification companies can create and revise certifications, and is a good indicator of required knowledge in the industry.	Low	Low	Monitor
Family	External	Several family members are in the IT industry, and can provide advice and different perspectives of the field.	Low	Medium	Keep informed
HR Team Manager	Internal	The HR Team Manager can provide insight on the hiring process and what companies look for when hiring new employees.	Medium	Low	Keep informed
Company I work for	Internal	Provides a place for me to gain work experience and confidence in the field	Medium	Low	Monitor

📊 Power-Interest Grid Visualization

🎯 6. Deliverables, Time Estimates & Definition of Done

📄 Deliverable 1:

In depth research into the cybersecurity field. This includes learning about key job responsibilites, useful skills, and job market prospects. This will let me build a clearer path/plan to my career. Some steps include browsing jobs on job boards like linkedin and glassdoor.(Completed)

📋 Deliverable 2:

Rework resume to be more cybersecurity field oriented. My current resume is IT oriented, but considered to be generalist. By reworking my resume to be cybersecurity focused and getting peer reviewed, I can better prepare to break into the field. Some steps include reworking the resume content to highlight useful skills and attending workshops to get feedback.(Completed)

🎯 Deliverable 3:

Learn about key industry theories and best practices, leading to the acquisition of a cybersecurity certification. By examining different cybersecurity certifications, I can commit to one that will help me build skills to fit into the industry. Considered done when I pass the exam, becoming certified for that specific certification.

🏆 Deliverable 4:

Reworking the network. This will allow me to keep references and aquaintances in the loop with my goals and qualifications. That way the info they have of me are up to date and recent. Considered done when folks in the network are aware of my interest in the field and my relevant skills.

💼 Deliverable 5:

Applying to 5-10 cybersecurity positions or internships. This will allow me to get a better feel for the job market. By applying to jobs I have a chance of gaining experience in the process of breaking into the field. Steps including browsing job sites and applying to jobs I'm qualified for. Considered done when all applications are submitted and pending.

💰 7. Budget Estimation

📦 Item	💵 Estimated Cost	📝 Notes
⚙️ Labor and equipment costs	$0(I have all the equipment needed to do this project.)	Costs here pertain to equipment and resources needed to complete the project.
🎓 Online cybersecurity course materials, certification fees, etc	$0(Some certifications are free to take and resources to study are free)	All material costs required to acquire a cybersecurity certification, such as textbooks and practice exams
🛡️ Contingency reserve	$100	For unforeseen/unexpected events
💎 Total Estimated Budget	$100

🎯 8. Project Methodology

🔄 Project Methodology Explanation:

My requirements fit the hybrid structure. I have a relatively clear plan on how I want to do the project but leeway would help me. I will be doing milestones, so checkpoints throughout the semester. Predictive will not work; I might find a different approach that I want to do so that doesn't meet my goals. Incremental hybrid works, I plan for this method best. Iteration hybrid doesn't really work, as I don't foresee the need to submit iterations. Agile gives too much leeway, and I don't anticipate there being a lot of feedback for pivots. Therefore, I choose Hybrid Incremental as my approach.

📊 Project Methodology Diagram:

🔧 9. Project Tool

⚡ Project Tool Explanation:

My project will use the Hybrid-Incremental approach. My deliverables are able to be submitted independently of one another, allowing for this approach. With this approach in mind, I will test Microsoft Project, Jira, and Monday.com to see which one fits me. After testing the three applications, I went with Monday.com. This software is free, and allows me to list out the tasks and subtasks in a way that allows for easy visualization. I'm able to set due dates and timelines, allowing me to stay on track throughout the duration of this project. I've also used Monday.com in the past, and the familiarity is a boon for this project.

📸 Project Tool Screenshot:

📋 10. Weekly Status Report

Section 10: Weekly Status Report

Report Title:

Weekly Project Status - Week of 11/9/25, Upskilling into Cybersecurity

Project Goal:

This project aims to increase my understanding of the field of cybersecurity and how to upskill into the industry.

Project Manager:

Jeremy Yan

Overall Project Health

Green - On Track

Accomplishments This Week:

Project methodology diagram has been completed and implemented in the website.

Plans for Next Week:

•Complete milestone 3 (IT Certification) • Finish Certification search and decide which one to go for • Study related documents to pass the certification exam

Upcoming Milestones:

• Milestone 3 (Updated Cybersecurity resume) completion - 11/16/25 • Milestone 4 (Keeping up with the Network) completion - 11/23/25 • Milestone 5 (Cybersecurity job search) completion - 11/30/25

Issues & Risk Mitigation:

No major issues at this time. Monitoring classes and work for potential delays.

Changes Since Last Report:

Minor edits made to the webpage, as most of the work is done off of github.

Upskilling in cybersecurity

👨‍🎓 Student Information