The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Andrew Wildrix, VP of Business Development, Intrusion

Andrew Wildrix on Transitioning from the Army, Building Networks, and Standing Out in Cybersecurity HiringOn the Cybersecurity Recruiter podcast, Tom interviews Andrew Wildrix, a former US Army major and current VP of Business Development at Intrusion, about his career path from military service into cybersecurity and sales/technical leadership.Andrew describes his day-to-day work spanning emails and sales calls, product and engineering feedback loops, budgeting for a public company, and raising Intrusion’s profile as it expands from long-term US government work into commercial markets. He contrasts government vs MSP messaging, emphasizes planning before leaving the military, and advises building networks through local professional groups and optimizing LinkedIn while avoiding divisive topics.They discuss ATS-driven hiring challenges, the value of soft skills and translating technical concepts without condescension, creative job-search tactics to “not be a number,” and interview red flags like victim mentality. Andrew recommends reading The Phoenix Project and a Star Wars “Book of the Sith” on power and leadership.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:11 Day in the Life at Intrusion02:38 Branding vs Cold Outreach03:20 Customer Feedback to Product04:06 Army Background and Influence Ops04:48 Transitioning Out of Military06:28 ATS and Hiring Reality Check08:14 Building a Network and LinkedIn11:19 Staying Professional Online13:51 Sales and Technical Career Loop14:56 Communication and Culture Lessons21:06 Toxicity and SMB Team Fit22:09 Standing Out in Job Hunting26:17 Resilience and Victim Mindset30:58 Books That Shaped Andrew32:57 Wrap Up and Thanks