The College of Engineering & Computing (CEC) is proud of its alumni. Meet alum Natalie Neshama who works at the Pokémon Company International as a Security Governance, Risk, & Compliance Engineer.
Name: Natalie Neshama
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Degree/major/graduation year: B.S. in Information Technology, 2020
Where are you working? Position title?
I am working at the Pokémon Company International as a Security Governance, Risk, & Compliance Engineer.
How did you get your job?
I got my job by applying via LinkedIn. A lot of people like to believe I knew somebody or spoke to a recruiter beforehand, but in reality, I saw the listing and thought to myself, “The worst they can do is say no.”
What was your greatest fear going into your first job, and how did you face/overcome it?
My first job was the one before I got to Pokémon. I worked throughout my college years. I started with an internship as a sophomore, and then I was offered a full-time position while still in school. I think my biggest fear was managing and balancing work and school.
What surprised you the most about your first job?
One of the biggest surprises was how relaxed tech people are. I noticed fewer corporate bureaucracy problems in my department compared to others.
What advice do you have for those beginning the job search process?
Apply, apply, apply! Even if you don’t believe you meet every single requirement, you should apply anyway.
What does a day on the job look like?
At Pokémon, I specialize in security awareness training and risk management, so a day on the job involves a lot of (nicely) telling people what to do like: don’t click on that phishing link, lock your computer when you walk away, and other security related things like that!
How does your job connect back to your coursework?
My coursework was a good introduction to IT. It helped me pick out what I wanted to do in tech. I took a few interesting paths before I realized I loved cybersecurity, but the IT major allowed me to get a taste of all the different aspects of working in technology.
How was your transition from school to work? How do you balance your time?
I worked full-time throughout college, so I honestly felt a ton of relief when I finally graduated! Today, I try to set more time aside for myself including my hobbies.
What’s been the coolest thing about your job so far?
It’s hard to pick a single cool thing when it comes to working at Pokémon, but I think the best thing about it is how awesome my team is. We’re all incredibly different people who would otherwise have never interacted, but our skillsets match so well, and we manage to get along quite well!
How well do you think FIU prepared you for your career?
FIU helped me find extracurriculars like our Upsilon Pi Epsilon chapter. The coursework along with my involvement on campus got me my internships and my full-time role while I was still in college, so I’d say FIU prepared me well.