Jessica Nadin: Meet our Cybersecurity expert and Cyberfirst ambassador

We take security seriously here at Atom, which means we need the best cybersecurity professionals as part of our team.

Jessica Nadin has been an Information Security Analyst with us since 2019, having initially joined the bank in 2015. Here, she shares an insight into her role, looks back at how she got here and explains how she’s using her experience to inspire others as a CyberFirst ambassador.

What does my role as a cyber security analyst look like?

In my role, no two days are the same. It might sound like a cliché, but it really is true! Every day is different, as I could be approached by any member of the Atom team from across the business for a solution to a challenge that requires my specialist skills and support. That’s usually before my first morning coffee!

On a grander scale, the world of cybercrime and cybersecurity is constantly evolving and there are increasingly sophisticated threats that have to be anticipated and dealt with. This means that we need to be skilled, knowledgeable and ready to tackle a problem that’s brand new. It really keeps you on your toes.

How did I come to work in cybersecurity?

It’s important to note that there are many avenues a person can take to work in technology and cybersecurity. I definitely took an unorthodox route, but working at Atom has introduced so many opportunities for me to progress and better my skills within my role at the bank.

But first, let’s go back to the beginning. When I was at school, I knew early on that I didn’t want to go to university. The culture wasn’t a right fit for me and I wanted to start my career straight away. Initially, I wanted to be a TV presenter, but I had no idea how to get there. I then left school after completing my GCSE’s and jumped straight into a customer service job and completed an apprenticeship in customer services.

I loved my years working in customer service and this eventually led me to an opportunity to work for a startup bank in the North East. Atom was a very new bank at the time and although I’d never worked in the financial sector before, I knew there was going to be room to grow and develop my skills. I started in customer service, as that’s where I held experience. In this role, I developed my knowledge of the banking industry and financial services, and realised a passion for banking.

During my time in this role, I took some maternity leave so I could have my daughter and when I came back, I wanted more! An opportunity of secondment into the technology team became available and a role in cyber security really excited me. I knew it would be a challenge and I’d need to work hard, but I worked with my coaches and took the leap. I got the job in 2019 as Security Analyst and I haven’t looked back! Atom has been instrumental in my career progression as they’ve provided me with time and resources to further enhance my skills and look for new opportunities that I’m passionate about.

The moral of my story is that you should take every opportunity that comes your way, because you never know where you might end up!

How I’m using my experience to help others

If there’s one thing my journey into cyber security shows, it’s that there is more than one way to get into the technology sector. I think this is an important thing for people to know, whether they’re just starting out or they’ve gone down a different path already.

It’s a big reason why I’ve become a CyberFirst ambassador, and put a large part of my time, passion and energy into visiting schools and sharing my experiences and knowledge. As an ambassador in this programme, I deliver career talks and cyber security workshops to students, which I hope inspires the technologists of tomorrow.

It’s my aim to break the typical stereotypes and promote opportunities that are available through CyberFirst bursaries, girls-only competitions and courses. I try to encourage young minds to think differently, and help them to realise that there is more than one way to reach your career goals.

I’m passionate about supporting talented young people into a cyber security career, and the impact I can make by just volunteering some of my time is exciting.

It’s also worth mentioning that being a CyberFirst ambassador is also a learning curve for me, as I’m putting in work to boost my confidence and help my communication and collaboration skills. In some ways, I’m getting as much out of it as the kids, so I’d recommend it to anyone in the cyber security space that’s considering it!

Considering a career change or a new venture into tech yourself? Check out our careers page to discover the exciting opportunities available here at Atom.

If you’re just starting out in your career, you can get up to speed on our Women in Tech Scholarships and the Atom Futures Fund, as well as keeping an eye out for intern vacancies on our careers page. You can also hear what some of our past Atom interns and EY interns have said about their time at our bank.