Mentee: Namatende Zainab
The alarm clock blares at 6:00 AM. I groan, hitting the snooze button. A few more minutes of precious sleep before another morning shift. I am Namatende Zainab, a NOC engineer with an organization that deals in Fiber in the metropolitan part of Uganda. My life revolves around the rhythmic pulse of the network, punctuated by the insistent beeps of alarms. Today’s the first of two morning shifts.
By 6:30 AM, I am dressed and, on my way, to board a taxi to work. The company is 1 hour away from my place of residence, so in order to be in time through the heavy traffic, I have to leave home as early as possible. I need to be at the NOC by 7:45 AM to receive the handover from the outgoing night shift. Those fifteen minutes are crucial; they are when I get briefed on any ongoing issues, recent network changes, or potential problem areas.
At 8:00 AM sharp. The handover is complete, and I begin my routine checks: verifying system status, checking key performance indicators, and generally ensuring everything is running smoothly. Then, the real work begins: real-time alarm monitoring. My eyes scan the screens, watching for anything out of the ordinary. A spike in latency here, a dropped connection there – each blip demands attention. When an outage occurs, the pressure is on. I escalate the issue to the relevant contractors, providing them with detailed information about the problem. Simultaneously, I’m managing customer communications, keeping them informed of the situation and estimated time of resolution. It is a juggling act, balancing technical expertise with clear and empathetic communication. This continues until 4:00 PM.
The afternoon shift starts at 4:00 PM; this means being at the NOC by 3:45 PM for the handover. The afternoon is often the busiest, with peak internet usage and a higher volume of customer calls. The same routine applies: monitoring, escalating, communicating. The clock ticks slowly as I work through the issues, until finally, 11:00 PM arrives.
The company shuttle is waiting to take me home. I arrive home late at night at around 12:00 AM, tired but satisfied that I have done my job.
The next day I will be on an afternoon shift, and so I wake up later. I take my time to prepare and ensure that I am at work by 3:45 PM. The same routine applies, and I work until 11:00 PM. I am picked up by the company shuttle and dropped at my house.
The next day I will be on a night shift. I wake up, have a relaxed morning and early afternoon, not forgetting to take a nap during the day so as to be sober at night. When I awake, I then prepare and take the company shuttle to work in order to start my night shift at 11:00 PM. Night shifts are different. The network is generally quieter, allowing for scheduled maintenance activities. These are planned well in advance, and customers are notified two weeks prior, unless it’s an emergency. I oversee these maintenance tasks, ensuring they’re carried out smoothly and with minimal disruption. I also continue to monitor the network, as even during quiet periods, unexpected issues can arise. At 8:00 AM, my shift ends, I prepare the handover and then board the shuttle which takes me home.
Thanks to the Lateral Connect program, Ian Neil, and my mentor Michael, I’ve been working in this networking role for six months. The CompTIA Security training I received, along with resume building, interview skills, and workplace etiquette guidance, were instrumental in securing this position just three months into the mentorship program.
My first month was a whirlwind. While exciting, it was also overwhelming. As it was my first job, I faced a steep learning curve, from understanding the intricacies of the network and customer management to effective troubleshooting. This rapid immersion made time management incredibly difficult, causing me to miss important things.
Although I’m still learning, I’ve gained significant confidence in my abilities. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished so far and believe I have the potential to become a successful cybersecurity professional.
My biggest hurdle initially was time management, but I have addressed this by implementing a daily schedule and prioritizing my tasks.
Before entering the workforce, I had a somewhat naive view, thinking I could easily juggle multiple jobs. Now that I am experiencing the reality of professional life, I have immense respect for those who do.
My advice to aspiring cybersecurity professionals is to take the leap; take that first step, no matter how small, as long as it aligns with your cybersecurity goals. Resources are abundant; you just need to utilize them. Make the internet your ally; there is a wealth of knowledge waiting to be discovered.
My days off are precious. I dedicate time to my Lateral Connect mentorship assignments, eager to learn and grow professionally. Cybersecurity is a passion of mine, so I spend hours researching and staying up-to-date with the latest threats and vulnerabilities. And, of course, there’s time for family and friends, the essential support network that keeps me grounded.
It’s a demanding job, being a NOC engineer, but it is also rewarding. I play a vital role in keeping the digital world connected, and that makes all the long hours and shift work worthwhile.
Namatende Zainab
Created by Namatende Zainab as part of the Lateral Connect Mentoring Training Programme
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