339: Focus On The Job and Learn The Foundational Elements Of Your Field with Adrianus Warmenhoven

In this week's show, Phil talks to Adrianus Warmenhoven, a Defensive Strategist and Threat Intelligence Manager at NordVPN. He is responsible for getting the most relevant Indicators of Compromise, malware samples and their indicators and mapping out the threat landscape for the company's customers. He has undertaken security reviews and advised companies on how to deal with active threats and extortion. Adrianus talks about why corporate politics should be avoided in your IT career journey. He also discusses why the basics should be ingrained at the outset of your IT career journey.   KEY TAKEAWAYS:   TOP CAREER TIP Don't play the game of corporate politics. Focus on the job, what it gives to you in terms of satisfaction, and become the best in your field.   WORST CAREER MOMENT There are no singular "worst moments" – only a general string of challenges that all add up to learnings that we can take and move forward with.   CAREER HIGHLIGHT A company for which Adrianus was working was expanding into Africa. It was a more primitive time in terms of technology, and Adrianus was asked to head this innovation. It was extraordinarily challenging, but through hard work it was made possible.   THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T There are countless facets to IT, with so many differing sectors that branch out into all corners of life, embracing so many different pursuits.   THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Computers and their possibilities What's the best career advice you received? – Always listen to, and try to understand others. What's the worst career advice you received? – Just to blindly follow the rules. What would you do if you started your career now? – I would do exactly the same! What are your current career objectives? – Having fun and learning more at all times. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Talking and listening. How do you keep your own career energized? – Finding new challenges and following his instincts. What do you do away from technology? – Family time and French polishing   FINAL CAREER TIP When you're young, figure out what you want to do and start with the basics. It will serve you well as your career matures.   BEST MOMENTS (3:57) – Adrianus – "If you do anything about your career, make sure that it adds value to yourself" (4:51) – Adrianus - "Press every button you see. Try everything out" (5:48) – Adrianus – "You have to learn from your mistakes and own them, and don't be afraid to make them. Otherwise you will not be moving forward at all" (16:08) – Adrianus – "Listen to people and ty to understand other people"   ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions.  Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers.  And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.   CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/_PhilBurgess LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Instagram: https://instagram.com/_philburgess Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer   ABOUT THE GUEST – ADRIANUS WARMERHOVEN Adrianus Warmenhoven is a Defensive Strategist and Threat Intelligence Manager at NordVPN. He is responsible for getting the most relevant Indicators of Compromise, malware samples and their indicators and mapping out the threat landscape for the company's customers. He has undertaken security reviews and advised companies on how to deal with active threats and extortion.   CONTACT THE GUEST – ADRIANUS WARMENHOVEN LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianuswarmenhoven/ Website: https://www.warmenhoven.co/