Squad success stories

Working in cyber security has allowed me to retain my love of meeting people and growing human connections.

- Laura McKeeman

Meet Laura

Since she was 9 years old, Laura wanted to join the Police. In 2003, she moved from her home in rural Northern Ireland to England to become an Officer – and went on to serve in the Police for 19 years.

Although she enjoyed a fulfilling and successful career, Laura grew increasingly interested in pursuing a different type of role to support a more balanced lifestyle.

Laura's journey

One day, while listening to the Blue Light Leavers podcast, Laura heard an episode featuring WithYouWithMe Founder, Tom Moore where he explained how the organisation was helping veterans and former first responders transition into tech.

Interested in the idea of an entirely new field, Laura signed up to the Potential platform and completed her psychometric and aptitude testing, after which a member WithYouWithMe’s Career Success team suggested she enter the Cyber Pathway.

“I found the training pathway easy to follow as it was broken down into small segments which I could complete in my dinner break or during the evenings once I had put my children to bed."

Upskilling to specialise in cyber

Laura began her cyber security training while she was still with the Police, fitting modules in around her busy work and home life.

“Sometimes a lot of new information can be overwhelming, but the format made it easy to learn new concepts, digest them, then refresh my knowledge with questions at the end of each module.”

A few months into the pathway, Laura expressed her interest in a role with Leonardo, a leading organisation specialising in aerospace, defence and security.

Laura’s psychometric testing matched closely with the requirements of the role and following a few short interviews, Laura was hired as a Senior Cyber Security Consultant.

“The process was so different to applying for a new job in the Police, it was simple, swift and made me feel at ease.”

Empowering women in cyber: Laura McKeeman’s proven potential through skills-based hiring

After a successful transition from being a WithYouWithMe contractor for 12 months to a full-time employee at Leonardo, Laura’s journey has continued to evolve in a way that not only met her career aspirations but exceeded her expectations. After leaving the police force, Laura’s career has taken on a dynamic and multifaceted trajectory, gaining exposure across various business areas within Leonardo’s Cyber & Security business.

The transition from a contractor to a full-time employee was a seamless one, thanks in part to the support and experiences of her cohort who had made the transition earlier. Laura reflects on the experience as a celebratory moment, a testament to the success of Leonardo’s contract-to-permanent employment model. This model has proven to be a game-changer for both employees and employers. It removes significant risks for employers by allowing them to test out talent before committing long-term, ensuring that the individual is a good fit for both the role and the company. On the flip side, employees, like Laura, have the opportunity to assess whether the role, company, and culture align with their own aspirations, ensuring a smoother transition into permanent employment.

For Laura, this contract-to-permanent model has been instrumental in her career progression. The flexibility and time to truly understand the company’s values, processes, and expectations have helped her make an informed decision about her long-term fit. Having settled into her full-time role, Laura has thrived with the support of a company that is genuinely invested in her growth and development.

Work-life balance and career growth

One of Laura’s highlights with Leonardo has been the significant improvement in her work-life balance. Leonardo is committed to helping employees achieve their personal and professional goals and this shift has allowed Laura to focus more on her development and make the most of the numerous opportunities available within the company.

Although she’s still uncertain about the specific direction her career will take within Leonardo, Laura feels empowered by the exposure to different parts of the business. This internal mobility, encouraged by Leonardo, has enabled her to build a diverse skill set and connect with individuals across various teams. Networking opportunities and projects have further accelerated her growth, positioning her well for future career advancement.

Continuous learning and new challenges

Despite the steep learning curve, particularly in adapting to the private sector and the defence industry, Laura has embraced the challenges with enthusiasm. Her continued commitment to learning, evidenced by her studies for Sec+ and completion of Agile Foundations, has strengthened her expertise in cyber security and consulting. Laura’s background in the police force has been a valuable asset, particularly her ability to transfer her soft skills into the corporate environment.

“Our cohort were “battle ready”, we were able to go straight in and get on with work with a proactive attitude, investing in talent in their secondary careers with life experience is a great investment,” Laura reflects. “In consulting, soft skills are invaluable and can take years to hone the right skill. To be able to employ people who don’t need any development in this area is a huge benefit to the company.”

Laura’s ability to adapt and thrive has been a key factor in her success. By drawing on her experiences and supplementing them with technical knowledge, she has been able to bring unique value to Leonardo. As she moves forward in her career, Laura remains open to exploring various paths within the company, whether in a technical or leadership capacity.

Looking ahead

In the next few years, Laura envisions herself continuing to grow within Leonardo, driven by the opportunities for career advancement and leadership roles. Her ultimate goal is to transition into a management or leadership position, where she can use her expertise to make a broader impact on the company and its projects.

Her time at Leonardo has not only demonstrated the effectiveness of the contract-to-permanent employment model but has also highlighted the power of continuous development and internal mobility. As a senior consultant in the Cyber Security business, Laura is a shining example of how looking at someone’s potential over technical experience can lead to success in a rapidly evolving industry like cyber security.

How Laura’s potential was predicted through WithYouWithMe’s Talent Assessments

At the core of the WithYouWithMe Talent Assessments is the ‘Potential’ platform, which guides candidates through a series of psychometric and aptitude assessments designed to uncover their natural abilities and cognitive strengths. These tests reveal hidden potential and help identify which career paths align with an individual’s inherent talents.

In 2022, Laura McKeeman took these assessments, and the report highlighted several key traits and aptitudes that we can now see have contributed to her successful transition into Cyber Security.

Psychometric profile

Laura’s high conscientiousness (87%) is a strong indicator of her fit for a structured, process-driven environment like Leonardo’s. This trait supports her ability to manage tasks with precision and reliability, both of which are essential in cybersecurity roles. Her personality type, based on the DISC personality test model, shows that she is naturally inclined towards formal structures and processes, which aligns with Leonardo’s focus on consistency, stability, and methodical work, especially in high-stakes security environments.

Aptitude

Laura’s Language Written Comprehension skills stood out, demonstrating her strong ability to quickly detect errors in grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. This ability is crucial in roles where clear, precise communication is key, such as in consulting or creating cybersecurity reports. Additionally, Laura’s strong performance in Digit Symbol Coding, highlights her capacity to understand and apply new coding systems efficiently. This skill is particularly valuable in cyber security, where interpreting and encoding complex data patterns is essential to analysing security risks and safeguarding systems. These strengths in written comprehension and coding ability have been key assets in her role at Leonardo, supporting her success in understanding and conveying technical information clearly.

Learning style

As a visual learner, Laura excels at using imagery, maps, and diagrams to process information. Her ability to visualize complex concepts has been a significant asset in her role at Leonardo, where strategic thinking and problem-solving are key. Laura’s preference for structured, visual learning has also helped her in roles that require a clear understanding of cyber security frameworks, and it supports her continued professional development, including certifications like Sec+ and Agile Foundations.

Career matches

The testing identified several career paths that align with Laura’s strengths, including Cyber Analyst, Consultant, and Risk Management. These roles emphasize critical thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to analyze data—skills that are central to Laura’s current role in cyber security. Her testing results also highlighted potential for positions in Change Management and Management Consulting, roles where her strong communication and problem-solving skills would be valuable in driving organizational change.

In summary, Laura’s testing results clearly demonstrate a strong alignment with the competencies required for success in her role at Leonardo. Her high conscientiousness, problem-solving aptitude, and visual learning style have played a significant role in her professional development and success in cyber security. The testing not only identified her potential but also provided a roadmap for career growth in roles that leverage her natural abilities.

Reflecting on her experience, Laura said “I had completed the Myers-Briggs testing some years before but I found that the WithYouWithMe aptitude and psychometric testing highlighted my strengths in a professional capacity, which is something which I had never really thought about and other tests didn’t highlight. WithYouWithMe’s assessments put a different spin on my strengths, how I communicate and how I would fit into a team. From this testing I knew I wouldn’t thrive in a start-up company, I knew I needed structure of a well-established organisation which is why I am enjoying life in Leonardo.

Being able to use the assessments to match the right people to the right type of business, taking into account culture fit, business goals, strategies and growth efforts, means that people end up staying longer with a company and having a much more rewarding working life. Both business and employee can thrive.”

By embracing a skills-based approach to hiring and development, Leonardo has successfully identified and nurtured Laura’s talent, demonstrating the value of using these types of assessments to unlock hidden potential in candidates.

With this innovative approach, companies like Leonardo are seeing firsthand how skills-based hiring can lead to improved outcomes, both for employees and the organisation.

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