We talked with Mindy Vo, one of our Cybersecurity Recruiters and resident HR expert at MindPoint Group. In this interview, you’ll learn about what it’s like to recruit and retain top cybersecurity talent.
What’s your typical day like as a Cybersecurity Recruiter?
A typical day for me involves sourcing for candidates, conducting the non-technical interviews, and (hopefully!) sending out offer letters to prospective candidates. Depending on the need for new hires, some of those things might be more common on any given week than others. My colleague Patti and I also work really closely with each of the hiring managers to make sure we’re recruiting the right people for the job. It’s really important for us to make sure that applicants have the right technical qualifications, but also for them to work well as a part of a team. So much of what our consultants and engineers do involves working with internal teams and the teams at client sites, so we always look for that in candidates.
When did you first know you were interested in technology and security? / How did you get started in your tech career?
I actually started at MindPoint Group as an intern back in 2018. As a college student, I knew I wanted to work in HR down the road, so I wanted to learn more about what working in HR entailed. Initially, I started the internship by shadowing other people in the company, helping with onboarding new candidates, and doing any and all work that needed to be done.
I initially thought I would go into healthcare HR, but I saw a lot of connections between the healthcare field and cybersecurity so that lead me MindPoint Group. Cybersecurity is an ever-growing field that is only going to continue to grow, similar to the healthcare industry. I also knew that with similar requirements around HIPAA could translate to security requirements and compliance.
What are the biggest challenges you face in a day?
I think I can speak for all Cybersecurity Recruiters when I say that the biggest challenge we face is the shortage of cybersecurity talent. On top of that, many of our positions require specific security clearances, making our talent pool even smaller. Luckily, MPG offers so many competitive benefits to employees, so it helps us attract great people.
What is your favorite part of being a Cybersecurity Recruiter?
My favorite part of my job is that I get to interact with people from all different backgrounds. I’m a people person as well so I love interviewing people and getting to know who they are as a person. I also have a pretty high-level of emotional intelligence so, learning about people’s background is really interesting for me!
Why do you love cybersecurity?
I love how the technology behind security is always developing and how there will also be a need for people in this profession. Even though I’m not on the technical side, I’m so intrigued by learning about projects that prospective candidates have worked on. The advances that people are doing in our field are fascinating, and I love that MPG’s work in security actively helps make a difference for our customers.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Outside of work I love to do yoga and play with my dog. I also love to hang out with my friends—and am a big fan of brunch!
Favorite TV show?
I love anything on Bravo or the Food Network!
Last but not least, what is your favorite part of MindPoint Group?
My favorite part of MindPoint Group is hands-down the people. My coworkers are so much fun to be around. They are also some of the smartest people in the industry and are such a joy to work with. I feel so lucky since you don’t always find that in a work environment.
Want to know more about what it’s like to work at MindPoint Group? Find out for yourself and apply to one of our job openings.