As we enter this holiday season, I’ve been reflecting on something that’s weighed on my mind for many years. I finally put it all on paper recently, and I’ve been debating whether I should share this story and press “publish.” It’s been sitting in my drafts for about two months now. My wife has proofread it, I’ve rewritten sections more times than I can count, and yet I still struggle with opening myself up.
In October, during Hispanic Heritage Month, I had the opportunity to share this story. It’s one I hadn’t shared publicly until that speech. For a long time, I held back because I didn’t want my story to be seen as a crutch or the reason I was given an opportunity. I’ve always wanted to earn everything through merit, not sympathy.
I’ve come to realize that our stories have real power: they inspire, they connect, and lift us up. Especially in difficult times, sharing positivity matters. So if you’re reading this, it means I took the leap and hit publish. Here we go!
On December 28th, it’ll mark 30 years since the man that I knew as dad passed away. His last conversation with me was a few days earlier from his hospital bed on Christmas Day 1995. Our conversation that day was all over the place, as you’d expect from a child on Christmas, talking about the trading cards and Kenner Star Wars figures that were under the Christmas tree that morning. His tone was more serious, and the topics I can still hear his voice telling me were:
- Don’t drink.
- Don’t do drugs.
- Be a role model to your sisters.
- You’re the man of the house now.
In that moment, I didn’t understand the severity of the conversation. There was optimism that he’d be back home for the NFL playoffs in January. His Dallas Cowboys won that Christmas day, solidifying them as the number one seed in the NFC. I’ll never forget the moment when the news came a few days later; I was sitting down, playing Saturday Night Slam Masters on my Super Nintendo, on my grandparents couch. A phone call from my mom in tears came through asking for my grandfather… At the age of 10, my childhood changed forever.
Statistically, the odds were stacked against me from that moment. Children raised in windowed single-parent households have just a 27% chance of graduating from college (Institute for Family Studies).
In 2003, I decided to pursue a degree in Cybersecurity at Del Mar College. The program didn’t start until 2004, so I worked on two other degrees and my basics while I waited. In 2006, I became a first-generation college graduate. (Click here if you want to read about my first years out of college. I wrote an article about this point in time last year.)
Here are some of the facts:
In 2006 (while I was in my final year of college the first time around), only 5% of the tech workforce was Hispanic, according to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. This number has bumped up to 10%as of the most recent 2022 study.
In 2017, only 4% of the U.S. Cybersecurity workforce was Hispanic, according to ISC2. I would bet the number was 1-2% if we had statistics from 2006.
Even though Hispanics make up 20% of the U.S. population according to the 2024 U.S Census, we still lack representation in this industry. It’s not only the Hispanic demographic that faces difficulties; the odds of entering this industry are tough across the board.
When you look at the numbers, it’s easy to understand why so many feel unseen or overlooked. I talk to many people today struggling to break into this industry, and see many others on LinkedIn and other sources. People from all backgrounds and walks of life. Some are making late career transitions, while others in their early twenties straight out of college. The truth is, there’s no simple solution. Your background, your major, your past… none of it comes with assurance. Life can be tough. Careers, exams, school, job applications and filling the gaps in between. Wherever you are on that journey, I want you to know you’re not alone.
With that said, I have one single key question: How do you break into a field when the odds say you can’t?
Seven Ingredients to Beat the Odds
Now, while writing this, I thought about the different ingredients that helped me then and STILL help push me to this very day. You can call me Michael Symon, as we are going to put together a recipe today with seven ingredients that will help you accomplish whatever goal you have:
1. Self-Belief
Your energy speaks before your words do. If you don’t believe you belong in the room, the room will believe it too.
2. Hard Work
We live in a world where full college courses are available online for free. When I was trying to break into tech, I didn’t have a consistent home internet connection. I printed 50-page guides from library computers, learning things like mod_security and Apache configs. I spent nights researching and working on my craft even after I was out of school.
3. Mentorship
You can work hard, but you don’t have to work alone. Lt. Commander Rick Mead was one of my childhood mentors in my high school years. Today, I try to pay it forward by mentoring other aspiring professionals. You might be just one instant message away from life-changing advice.
4. Rejection
You will face rejection. After graduating from college, I applied for jobs and was rejected more than 40 times. From 2007 to 2009, it felt like no one wanted to take a chance on me. At first, those rejections hurt. But over time, they became fuel. Each “no” made me sharper, hungrier, better prepared for the next opportunity.
5. Persistence
Forbes published an article earlier this year stating that 92% of people never achieve the goals they set. Life is tough. Write your goals down. Short term and long term goals. You may have pivot and fill in the gaps while you keep searching. Do not give up!
6. Communicate
Speak up and share your goals openly, even if it’s an uncomfortable conversation with your current boss. Leaders can’t support your growth if they don’t know where you want to go. A strong leader will help you advance even if it may not be beneficial to them. Whether it’s a friend, a mentor, or your boss, be transparent with others and yourself.
Psychology professor Dr. Gail Matthews of Dominican University conducted a studyin which participants from diverse backgrounds wrote down actionable goals and shared them with friends. Her findings found that over 70% of participants who shared their goals weekly ended up achieving them.
7. Be Ready
You never know when that opportunity will come knocking. Be ready, not just for the job you are applying to, but be ready every day. You never know who may be watching. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Make the most of your time.
Success Means Holding the Door Open
Now I know this may not land the same way for everyone. I love the team I am a part of, I have some amazing coworkers, and I work with some of the best researchers in the world (I may be biased).
But here’s the thing: you might still have a role to play in someone else’s story. Maybe it’s your younger sibling, your best friend, someone on LinkedIn who’s looking for advice, or a colleague you see potential in. You can be the one who believes in them when they can’t believe in themselves. The one who pushes them to work harder, the mentor they call for guidance, the shoulder they lean on after that thirty-fifth rejection email, the person who helps them prepare mentally, emotionally, and practically for that opportunity they are looking for.
Because sometimes, the greatest way to “beat the odds” isn’t just winning for yourself, it’s helping someone else win too.
Closing
I achieved the original career goals that I set for myself four years after I graduated. I didn’t meet those original goals because the odds were in my favor. I reached them because I decided the odds don’t get the final say in my story, or as Han Solo put it: “Never tell me the odds.” I decided in late 2019 that I wanted to get my Bachelors degree at Collin College. I achieved that goal two years later. The truth is, even after celebrating my 16th year in professional cybersecurity this past September, my story is far from complete, and so is yours! I continue to add new goals, new aspirations, and I won’t let myself give up because those who supported me on this journey didn’t give up on me.
My mom worked 3-4 jobs after our father passed. She missed my academic team victories, national recognition, award ceremonies, and my collegiate cyber defense competitions, but she hit a grand slam when it came to my sisters and me. All three of my sisters went on to be successful and continue to do amazing things, and she won’t be missing that moment when I walk the stage to get my master’s degree next year at Sam Houston State University. After that? Maybe a Ph.D.? I haven’t set those goals just yet.
So to every person, young or old, every single parent, every first-generation student, every underrepresented kid staring at a screen, wondering if they belong in ANY industry, in college, in leadership, in life: Sí Se Puede!!!
Don’t let statistics write your story. You hold the pen. You are the author.
So get out there. Beat the odds.
And when you do hold the door open for the next person and don’t wait a decade to tell people your story like I did!
If you enjoyed this, I’d love to hear your story, and who knows, maybe it will inspire someone struggling out there! Maybe you are struggling yourself and that mentor is lurking around the comment section.
Share your comments below, and I’ll do my best to respond!