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| Stacey Lokey-Day enrolled in a cybersecurity boot camp after being a stay-at-home mom for almost a decade. Sanjeev Singhal/Wiz |
Stacey Lokey-Day, now a 37-year-old Security Operations Analyst at Wiz, once found herself starting over single, unemployed, and raising two young children. Today, she works for one of the fastest-growing companies in cloud security and earns a six-figure salary. But just a few years ago, she had no experience in tech.
This is how she made a leap from stay-at-home mom to a dream job in cybersecurity, all by leveraging a boot camp, determination, and LinkedIn.
Life Before Tech: Struggling to Make Ends Meet
At 20, I got married and started a family young. For years, I was a stay-at-home mom while my husband served in the National Guard. But when our marriage ended, I suddenly found myself at 29 with two small boys and no career.
I needed a job fast. I calculated that to survive and support my kids, I needed to earn at least $15 an hour. I tried working as a 911 communications officer for six months, but the stress, long hours, and low pay made it unsustainable.
Living near a military base in Georgia, I kept seeing Facebook posts suggesting that with the right certifications, you could land a cybersecurity role on base and earn decent money. I didn’t have a tech background, but I saw an opportunity and I went all in.
Enrolling in a Cybersecurity Boot Camp Was a Risk I Had to Take
I had no traditional college degree in IT, and no time to earn one. Boot camps had a mixed reputation, but I didn’t have the luxury to wait years I needed a career now. I searched for boot camps affiliated with credible institutions and landed on Georgia Tech’s virtual cybersecurity program.
It wasn’t easy. I had to balance being a full-time mom with intense coursework, all while facing the uncertainty of whether I could even get hired in a male-dominated field. But I was determined. I didn’t want just any job I wanted a stable, future-proof career in tech.
Building a Presence on LinkedIn Became My Job-Hunting Superpower
My boot camp professor told us something that stuck with me: Cybersecurity is a small field. You need to build relationships. But I didn’t know anyone in the industry. I had no referrals, no network just a LinkedIn profile and a will to succeed.
So I started sharing everything I was learning. My first posts weren’t fancy sometimes just two-liners or reposts. But I showed up. I wrote about my boot camp experiences, the certifications I was studying for, and even the interviews I bombed. I also attended webinars and sent thank-you messages to speakers afterward, often connecting with them on LinkedIn.
Over time, people noticed. I began to build credibility. Even though I was still a student, I started to look like someone already working in cybersecurity.
My First Job Came from a Cold LinkedIn Message
I began applying for jobs a month before graduation in August. I got some interviews but kept hitting walls. Still, I kept posting on LinkedIn and sharing my journey. One day, a recruiter messaged me after seeing my posts. We had two phone calls, and just like that, I had an offer a junior phishing analyst role as a contractor.
It was a far cry from my original dream of working on base, but I needed a paycheck. So I said yes.
The job involved analyzing phishing emails to determine if they were malicious or benign. It was a 12-hour night shift brutal, but it gave me quiet hours to learn from team members, ask questions, and deepen my skills.
After just three months, I was hired full-time and promoted to Associate SOC (Security Operations Center) Analyst. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was a solid foundation.
Landing My Dream Job at Wiz
As I gained more experience, I kept evolving. I moved into a career security operations analyst role, but I still felt I wanted more a bigger challenge, a more dynamic team, and new tech to learn.
That’s when I saw an opening at Wiz on LinkedIn. I didn’t know anyone there and had no referral. But I had my résumé ready, and I applied immediately.
I landed the first interview, then the second. And eventually, the offer came.
Today, I’m a Security Operations Analyst at Wiz, working with some of the brightest minds in cloud security. It’s the role I used to dream about stable, challenging, and fulfilling. And yes, it pays a six-figure salary.
I Still Post on LinkedIn Even with a Great Job
Even now that I’m established, I continue to share my journey on LinkedIn. The tech industry changes fast, and visibility is important not just for new opportunities, but for building a voice and a community.
I share tips, career updates, and support others trying to break into cybersecurity. It’s part of how I give back.
You never know who might see your post a recruiter, a hiring manager, or someone who just needs encouragement that a fresh start is possible.
Don’t Count Yourself Out Even If You Don’t Check All the Boxes
If you’re a parent starting over or someone with zero tech background, here’s what I want you to know: You don’t need to be perfect. You need to be persistent. I wasn’t the most experienced candidate, but I was consistent, coachable, and committed.
Take the boot camp. Join the webinars. Post on LinkedIn. Reach out to that speaker. Apply even if you’re not 100% qualified.
That first "no" isn’t the end it’s just the beginning of a path you’re strong enough to walk.
