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4520	11120	Welcome back to the Career Hacking Village here at DEF CON Safe Mode. As many of us know,
11120	17580	one of the ways that we can get our skills to help our overall career development and actually
17580	24880	build those skills that need to be put to place in our technical careers, one of those ways is
24880	31320	through being part of conferences. But conferences have so many other benefits to us. We thought
31320	35800	that it would be really great that Sciatic Nerd would come here today and tell us all about the
35800	42560	career arcs of cons and careers. Sciatic, you want to take it away? Thank you very, very much,
42560	48540	Kathleen. And hello, Career Hacking Village. It is super awesome to be able to be here and share
48540	54660	today. This is one of those rare moments, right, where you realize there are not that many
54660	60100	opportunities to just get out there and share what it is you've been doing or what you know.
60100	66360	And if there's a chance, then it's got to be worth it to reach out and do the thing. And today,
66360	73340	the thing is talking about how conferences, virtual or in person, can be something that enhances
73940	80680	your story. Because we all deal with this ridiculous, frustrating thing. It's impossible
80680	86280	to push down sometimes. It's called, well, in InfoSec, it's commonly called imposter syndrome,
86280	92600	right? This is that feeling that wells up in you when you're not sure, can people see through
92600	99460	me right now? What exactly am I thinking? What are they thinking? I don't know that I can do this.
99460	104320	Well, we're going to talk about this a little more in depth, but it's a constant thing.
104320	109840	And in the context of this talk, it's going to be referred to kind of like a level boss.
109840	117000	It's the nondescript, just thing waiting at the top of the stairs, at the behind the dark door,
117000	122120	but we're going to deal with it one step at a time. Because I don't know how it was for you,
122120	127780	but when I was growing up, my older brother, he had the stereo, which meant I got to listen to
127780	133660	whatever he wanted. And that made me crazy in the way it would, right? You don't get to control what
133660	138560	you're hearing. You're force fed things into your ears. And in this case, for him, it was,
138560	144560	it's the 80s. Yes, I'm that age. In the 80s, the band, Yes, had this ridiculous album called
144560	151440	90125. It's very different from all their other work, but so what? It had a lot of high production
151440	156040	value and all this stuff, but it was pushed into my head. And the song, Owner of a Lonely Heart,
156040	161560	in particular, was the kind of anthem thing. But I wanted something for me, something I could
161560	166400	listen to. And I said, you know, I'm going to do something really different. And I got a hold of
166400	172220	the Art of Noise. Now, this is just an album cover for one of their pieces or a fairly well-known
172220	180180	thing called Paranormia. But it turns out, you find inspiration in strange places. Specifically,
180180	187160	the Art of Noise wouldn't have existed unless 90125, the actual album my brother was listening
187160	193340	to, had gotten made. It turns out the music programmer who was recording some drum beats
193340	200420	for the band, got the idea in his head to work with this relatively new recording technology,
200420	206740	the sequencing technology, and the Art of Noise was born. Even though I may not have been a super
206740	213640	fan of that band at the time, it's the reason that the band I was enjoying came into being.
213640	219300	So the moral here is intended to be, you might find inspiration in unique places,
219300	224980	and don't skip going back to learn something new. Re-examine something you thought you had
224980	230220	an idea of before, because it can change who you are and what your career path is.
230220	235920	That's just like a career though, I mean, right? It takes time to figure out who you are and the
235920	241800	kind of work you really want to do. It's difficult to just show up one day and a guidance counselor
241800	248660	or somebody you trust, hopefully, asks, well, what do you want out of this thing, this stuff you do?
248660	253660	You just stay up all night and tinker? What is it that gets you out of bed and makes you
253660	259500	want to put hands to a keyboard or do whatever it is that you do? So learn from your mistakes,
259500	263900	right? You've got to go back and at some point, maybe try to even help those who are coming after
263900	269280	you to find a different route too. We're going to talk a little bit more about that as we go,
269280	278600	because one of the biggest challenges I've ever found was figuring out how do you and I,
278600	284420	I mean, that's a ridiculously HR sounding thing, but when you come to a situation,
284420	288480	whether hanging with your friends or putting together a camping trip or anything,
288480	293660	how do you bring value? What is it that you are going to do that makes it more enjoyable,
293660	299520	improve the situation? What can you do to be positive about growth? And that's something
299520	305900	that is, it's an intangible, some would call it a soft skill, but it's a very important and
305900	309900	challenging thing because it means something different to every person. It's not going to
309900	315680	always mean the same thing, but maybe you come along and make people laugh. Maybe you do something
315680	320100	ridiculous. Maybe you help with conferences, whether it's planning them, helping with the
320100	326060	safety and security aspects, talking to people, helping get the sponsorship going. All of these
326060	332620	different pieces help make the whole better. So let's talk about the most epic of stories. Let's
332620	338240	talk about yours because when it comes down to it, we have to think of things. Well, I prefer,
338240	343540	excuse me, I prefer to think of things in terms of a story because that's what it is.
343860	348380	If you're a fan of science fiction, recently, one of the characters said, you know, have a story,
348380	354200	but make it a good one. And here we're going to address our concepts that way. So it's your early
354200	360080	arc, the middle arc, the late arc, or in our case, we're going to talk about these arcs are kind of
360080	366860	chapters or a group of chapters that sum up a large portion of growth. And what do I mean by
366860	372460	growth? I mean that there's usually a beginning and a middle and an end to a segment, whether
372460	376940	it's part of your life because you met a new friend or they've departed your life, or you push
376940	385640	them out, whatever the situation. There are usually times and chapters. And with that kind of idea in
385640	390520	mind, we'll talk about things that way. But some disclaimers that we have to talk through on our
390520	396700	way into this journey, your journey, there are going to be jerks. There are going to be people
396700	401860	who don't want to help. There is going to be a requirement to leave the comfort of the herd,
401860	408280	if you watched that show in the 90s, or was that in the 2000s? I forget. The point is,
408280	414880	the joke is on us. We love to stay out of things. We don't want to get involved. And if you do,
414880	420460	then there has to be the right timing to get involved. Nothing comes easily, right? It takes
420460	424740	effort. Because there are people who will want to be roadblocks. There are people who are going to
424740	432920	be just gatekeepers, or they're going to even tell you directly, you aren't cut out for this.
433140	438880	Go somewhere else. That was literally one of the driving inspirations for me to finish my degree.
439000	444320	Because a professor literally looked over my work and said, it gets serious from here,
444320	449580	maybe you should consider changing. But that's just my experience. It doesn't have to be college,
449580	455060	it can be anything. We're going to look at instead, don't worry about higher ed, this ed,
455060	461260	certifications, none of that yet. Let's talk about conferences in general, and then we'll work our
461260	466400	way into the levels we can go up. Whether you're killing chickens out in the yard to get a few XP,
466400	472540	or you are already at a point where you're trying to help contribute to the development or
472540	476860	furthering of a conference in your local community, we're going to go through it.
476900	482100	These arcs, as I was talking about, are meant to kind of take us from drinking from the fire hose,
482100	487860	coming up to the part where we're actually trying to run the show, and how to defend against the
487860	496360	beast of burnout. So you're watching this from DEF CON safe mode, I'm going to at least hope.
496400	502380	So this is, you know what a conference is. But a conference can be many things. I've heard people
502380	508080	who have amazing stories of going to an in-person event where it opened their eyes to lots of new
508080	513660	things. But there are other stories where it didn't go so well. It depends on where you are.
513660	518620	You might want to start in a local regional thing. It could be as small as a meetup, because there
518620	523380	are so many different types of events. Whether you want to go locally and look up to see if there are
523380	530500	groups in town, I have had people approach me and ask, where am I supposed to go to do this?
530500	535280	You're mentioning this, go over here. I live in an area where we don't have anything.
535800	541180	There are group sites like Meetup, or you could use the Book of Faces, or you could use Twitter,
541180	546040	or social media. Look for meetups in the name of your city, or your town, or your area code.
546040	551760	It may take a little digging, depending on where you live. I live in Texas right now, and there are
552060	556760	a lot of different events. They may not be closed to me, but there are events. And some of them,
557360	563800	I wouldn't know if I didn't go and look it up. Also, I'm going to shill for a minute and say,
563800	569780	look for your local B-Sides events. They're fantastic ways to get your feet wet. In a way,
569780	575420	I almost think that the local meetups, whether it's for lockpicking, or hardware hacking,
575420	582080	or software reverse engineering, whatever the detail, these are great places to not only
582080	588440	meet people who think in the space you like to think in, but also a way to practice getting
588440	594060	your ideas out, and learning from others, of course. And sometimes there just isn't anything
594640	599600	really close by that does what you're looking to do. So it might be important to go out and get
599600	605500	yourself stretched out. Go out there and get in the car, or get on the bus, or however it works
605500	611080	when there's not a pandemic, and go and travel to other events in other places if you can afford to
611080	616120	do so. Got that cousin you haven't seen in a while? Maybe they've got a couch you can try out.
617000	622400	Don't give up just because it isn't nearby. I'm not saying you are giving up. I'm saying this is
622400	627640	kind of the mindset that has helped me along the way, as I try to get into and learn about this
627640	633620	industry that I accidentally fell face first into when I was trying to be a video producer back in
633620	639300	the late 90s. So it turns out that sometimes people will pay you for the thing you're good at,
639300	644380	not what you want to be good at, if that makes any sense. The thing you had a knack for. Anyway,
644380	651900	sometimes there are just no substitutes for going to events that are specific to your interest.
651900	656580	But maybe you don't know what that is. Just keep in mind there are specialized events.
657260	664200	They will come up later, for sure. So maybe you don't get to actually go when it's convenient.
664200	667860	Maybe you're going to have to go over a weekend. You're not going to be able to take off work. Some
667860	671640	of these events go all the way through the weekend. And people have asked, why would you
671640	679240	do that? Why would you go to a work-like thing on your time off? When you find your group,
679240	685300	your tribe, your thing that you're that interested in, it won't be a challenge. It won't be a question.
685300	689720	It will be that there are opportunities there and a chance to learn from other people that you
689720	695640	respect or have a curiosity about. And it will no longer be one of those things where you're just
695640	702620	looking at it from a time perspective or a cost perspective. Sometimes, and most of the time,
702620	707820	it boils down to the relationships you make or build, the connections you make, the people you
707820	713400	meet, and around rare occasion, the buffet or restaurant you found along the way. No, okay,
713400	719640	maybe not. But some of us are led around. I didn't get to be in this shape without finding the food,
719640	726160	at least. The point is, there are events at these events, sometimes inside the larger event.
726160	731100	When we're looking at, hey, I want to go to this reverse engineering event, but it isn't just going
731100	736620	to listen to people talk at you. Maybe, maybe you learn a different way. So maybe you prefer
736620	743060	challenges. So there are events like capture the flag events, and you can go participate in,
743060	748820	they're called a lot of different things. There are many events, whether it's a skills challenge
748820	752480	that climbs the ladder, whether it's a cryptography challenge, where you have to come
752480	758340	out ahead first or come up with the right answers. Maybe it's a speed trial. Maybe it's a creative
758340	763400	event where it's either story writing or making custom hardware work in a way it wasn't meant to.
763400	770480	There are so many opportunities, reasons to get out of your shelf, excuse me, to get out from being
770480	776340	by yourself, out from behind the counter or desk. There are reasons to get out there and to go and
776340	781800	engage. And we're going to talk about more of them. So let's think about when you first go,
781800	787480	if you're going to your very first event, you're level one, you've got a sword made of wood,
787480	791780	and you can barely defeat the chicken or the cat in the backyard. I don't know why you're attacking
791780	797080	the cat. That's probably not a wise choice. They come with knives, you know, but they are so many
797080	802700	different things you can do, but don't go alone. If you're going to your very first event,
802700	807900	I strongly encourage you to take a conference buddy, someone who's willing to go with you,
807900	812700	even if they're not part of that industry, because it's good to be able to sort of cling
812700	818220	to someone else, maybe because you want to pick and choose the different events to look at during
818220	825080	the day. Maybe you want to share each other's experiences and talk about them. Maybe there's
825080	831380	someone you work with. And that's why we're going to go through these arcs at different approaches.
831380	839080	Who does it benefit? See, if we jump back half a second here, we're going to talk about how each of
839080	846760	these things applies to the different use case. So, if you're at the inn, you're going to have
846760	851440	that tavern scene before the brawl breaks out. You're there with your conference buddy, I hope,
851440	857340	and let's look at your support job. Maybe you're just starting out. And in this idea, I'm going to
857340	861900	encourage you to get on some kind of social media. Don't necessarily post your picture.
861980	866980	Don't necessarily say all the things that come immediately into your head. Realize social media
866980	871560	is a two-way street. But if you're looking to figure out what's out there in your community
871560	878560	and going on in your industry, I highly encourage you to get a social media account. Try out Meetup,
878560	882860	for starters. See what the local scene looks like. You don't necessarily have to pay,
882860	886760	but you will need to create an account. And again, this is leaving the comfort of the herd moment,
886760	891900	where it's time to start striking out a little bit. And again, that buddy is not a bad idea.
892580	898440	You might get on Twitter or Discord or Slack or participate in Reddit. All of these different
898440	904560	ways to connect. The thing is, each of them are their own chapter. So you're going to need to
904560	909000	spend a little time if you've never done it before. And if you really want to know, go and
909000	914360	ask people who are already doing it, just to get an idea of how they approach it. Because you're
914360	920380	going to want to, in my opinion, release as little personal information as possible, especially in a
920380	927540	day and time like now, where potential employers are always looking at social media to see what
927540	933400	image is being put forth of the person behind an account. So keep in mind that try not to say
933400	938320	anything you wouldn't say to someone you care about, right? Try to keep those things in mind.
938320	943640	Or if you're an outspoken person, that's your business. The point is, realize that's there.
943640	948120	It's the internet. It never goes away. So just keep in mind that whatever it is you're saying,
948120	953120	it's going to be there a while. So try to be thoughtful about what gets put out there.
953120	958980	But this is a prime way to go out there and see what's happening in the world. So at this level,
958980	963900	when you're kind of that level one, level two startup account human being, you're just happy
963900	969060	to be on the show. If you saw Galaxy Quest, this is someplace where you have to be careful about
969060	975680	monsters. You may be eaten by a grue. I'm saying it's very easy to be distracted. And there are
975680	982920	things happening out there that you may not be aware of. So conference buddy, and then go and
982920	989040	maybe think about sharing something you do, right? Even if the presentations aren't your job or
989040	994280	something that you would do normally, it might explain how something else gets done. My very
994280	1000820	first experience at a B-Sides in Las Vegas in 2011, I walked in without anything. I helped
1000820	1006880	move some boxes. Turns out there was an opening in their AV team. And I sat through a track I
1006880	1013160	wouldn't have selected for myself. I had no idea what this thing even was. Here I am sitting in
1013160	1018760	this chapel in the back row with this camera and recording gear. But I learned some things just
1018760	1025200	because I was able to sit through all these other talks. It opened my eyes to so many things
1025200	1030000	and ideas I didn't even think about. Now that's just me. You'll have your own experience. Your
1030000	1035140	mileage will vary. But this can help your career, you see, because this is part of a pattern that
1035140	1041580	will repeat itself time and again. This is a breakdown to you, your management, the team you're
1041580	1047820	on. And again, not all things to all people, right? But I just want you to keep in mind,
1047820	1054600	this has an impact. It helps us grow. So in your career, going around to the local events may help
1054600	1061180	you learn the layout, the lay of the land, if you will, about who's out there. What companies are in
1061180	1067280	your neck of the woods? Who visits? Do they come often? Do they come bearing treats? It may be a
1067280	1072720	squishy ball thing with a face on it. It could be software. It could be free training or an internship.
1072720	1078740	These are all opportunities to bridge the gap between what companies want and what you offer.
1078880	1083200	These are helpful things. And again, this is at the very beginning of the conference career.
1083200	1088140	If you are already working and you go to an event, what does this mean for your management?
1088140	1093860	Your management may be interested in seeing what you did. Maybe, and as my mentor has shared
1093860	1098760	with me, write up a trip report when you go to an event. Sit down at the end of the day or even
1098760	1103040	during the day and get a break and just make a few notes about what you're learning, what you're
1103040	1108460	experiencing, who did you meet? Are you supposed to connect with them again later? You know, instead
1108460	1112700	of live tweeting the thing, make a note on your own device. And then at the end of the day, you
1112700	1118200	can go back and look. Oh, I forgot. I also met this person over here in the food line when we
1118200	1122780	were waiting to get half a burrito together. And it turns out they want to share some information
1122780	1128060	because I'm learning how to code and they've been doing it for 20 years. It could be anything. And
1128060	1135300	it's important. And don't discount that initial opportunity to make a connection. So what does
1135300	1142100	this mean for co-workers? If they hear that you're attending these events, they may either A, want to
1142100	1148400	go with you. B, might want to see if you brought back any good information. Or C, maybe they're
1148400	1153260	going to say, oh, what did you learn? Let me share something I was looking at. It opens doors.
1153260	1158940	It starts a conversation. Everything in this life, it seems, is tied to that. And this is no
1158940	1166360	different. But the value to you is now you are going out and seeing something new. You're
1166360	1171440	introducing yourself, putting yourself in the path of discovering something that you didn't
1171440	1177340	already know. Or if you did know, maybe it fills in some blanks for you. But here, again, if you
1177340	1184460	look, you have an opportunity to grow. Even after that, when people start to take notice,
1184460	1190200	maybe offer to pick up work you wouldn't normally do in your office. Offer to join a team or
1190200	1195360	participate in a group event. Because your intelligence alone isn't enough to save you.
1195360	1201700	You can be the smartest person in the room. But without the understanding of when and where to
1201700	1207980	knowledge, it's not going to be as much help as it could be. And we all could stand to learn more.
1207980	1214700	I know I could. So I chase it over and over again. And if you're still with me here,
1214700	1220360	cool story, bro. Maybe that's what you're thinking. Because you don't know me. Well,
1220360	1225240	that's right. I don't know your situation. Everybody is going to be different. And that's
1225240	1230560	okay. This isn't supposed to be tailor made for one. I'm sharing experiences I've had so far.
1230560	1237560	Because this is what's gotten me to where I am. And so far, it seems like we all suffer from
1237560	1243000	imposter syndrome at one point or another, where we're not quite sure if we're good enough to do
1243000	1248940	the thing we're doing. Or at any given moment, someone will see through us and realize, fake,
1248940	1253940	person doesn't know it. They shouldn't be doing this. Or someone comes at you that way in any
1253940	1259180	other direction. And it sticks with you and chews at you while you're going eating takeout and
1259180	1265080	quietly scarfing things and watching the TV show. Wait, that was just me. Sorry. Whatever
1265080	1271840	your situation, we all fight with it. So how do we move past it? You step up, you go further,
1271840	1277620	you have to push through and defeat your personal level boss and move on to specialization.
1278200	1283360	By the way, that time where you were in the jumper back there in the first arc as a starting
1283360	1289140	out person, that's not... there's no given time frame. That could be six months, it could be six
1289140	1295500	years. Everyone is different. The people in your life are different. You have to keep pushing to
1295500	1301700	get to the next level. You may even have to back up and redirect. But don't give up. Because now
1301700	1305680	let's imagine you've been going to events for a little while, you've gone to a B-Sides, you
1305680	1310920	traveled out of town for a bigger event, maybe some name brand something. All kinds of events
1310920	1317560	exist. Some don't anymore. We exist in a special time right now. Use this time to go and start
1317560	1324620	watching videos at virtual events, just like this one, local ones, ones in other cities and other
1324620	1331400	continents. Because now is an amazing time to connect with people you might not otherwise get
1331400	1339200	to meet or learn from. Because conferences are a great way to come together and learn new things.
1339200	1344120	So here in the specialization arc, now's the time that after you've done a few things,
1344120	1350220	maybe you start realizing there are specific things you're interested in learning, things
1350220	1356820	you want to do. And now you can start ticking off the boxes in the online schedule for that event,
1356820	1362460	because you only want to learn about butter sculpture. So you look for all the events that
1362460	1366520	have butter sculpture in the name, and you're going to look at the one where the person's using
1366520	1371660	the razor blade and carving very tiny intricate things, and the one with the chainsaw who is
1371660	1377520	making baby Yoda out of butter fat. You never know. The point is that when you start to narrow
1377520	1383220	your specialization and figure out what it is that interests you, it changes the way you attend
1383220	1388420	an event. And at larger, more nationally attended events, there's a much broader cross-section,
1388420	1393500	right? You're going to have different people coming to present. That is not to invalidate
1393500	1399740	the people you met before. It is simply to say that you can get more ideas, because if you go to
1399740	1405580	all the meetups and all the things in your local community, maybe you've heard it a little bit,
1405580	1411800	and now you're looking for another perspective. The other thing is, while you can go and much of
1412340	1418720	the events that you go to when you travel, when we get back to that, seems to be tied up in the
1418720	1424700	talks. For me, it started to become less about the talks and presentations that way. It became
1424700	1431240	more about the sidelong events, the villages, the meetups, the impromptu get-togethers.
1431240	1435640	And those things suddenly became where I connected more with the people who were at the event
1435640	1441560	than going to talks alone. And that changed, I guess it changed actually my perspective
1442140	1447820	on why I was going. And that's just me, because to me, growth personally means connecting with people
1447820	1453740	who either share and help me grow, or I can give something back to in return. So let's go back
1453740	1458900	to not forgetting to bring a conference buddy. At a larger event, it's even more important.
1458900	1463020	Whether you're meeting up with someone from another locale who's coming to where you're going
1463020	1471320	to be, do not leave on the mission alone if you can help it. Because it helps to be together,
1471320	1478240	and it takes time to find a tribe. It took me, goodness, it took me years. I felt, I feel now
1478240	1484420	like I'm part of a much larger group of people who are all about learning and sharing and growing.
1484900	1491080	Yes, I make it sound incredibly idealistic. Not all moments, but most of them. A lot of good ones.
1491080	1495840	Whether you're coming together to raise money for a charity somewhere else, or you're just trying
1495840	1502100	to learn how to do Python together. It's worth it. And so sometimes it takes multiple years also
1502100	1508040	to find either the tribe, or to stop drinking from the fire hose, and figure out that thing
1508040	1514100	that really drives you. But now that you've gone to these bigger events, where is the value?
1514360	1519100	The value to management now, they're going to hope that you're bringing ideas back. Did you
1519100	1523720	write that personal trip report when you went to the first and smaller events? Well, now it'll seem
1523720	1529440	like second nature when you hit the big events, because now you're almost dialoguing with yourself.
1529460	1533600	Now I talk to myself an awful lot. I don't recommend it for everyone, but people have
1533600	1539040	come to expect it from me. The point is, whether your monologue is internal or external, having a
1539040	1544200	log of where you've been, who you talked to, and what you learned will help you keep track of where
1544200	1550040	you are on your journey. And maybe even setting up personal tools to measure where you feel you are,
1550040	1555400	and where you want to go. Because there must be an opportunity there, because management is going
1555400	1560120	to see that. That's going to look like getting your act together, and management will maybe offer you
1560120	1564720	the opportunity to collaborate with other teams. Don't miss out on those group opportunities.
1564720	1571920	They may be painful and frustrating, but therein lies growth, and partnership, and advancement.
1572100	1576040	And that's not to be missed. There are some amazing opportunities out there, because your
1576040	1579580	co-workers are going to see that you're coming back with this stuff. You will have access to
1579580	1584860	new people, the presenters, right? You'll be seeing new people. You'll be talking about new things.
1584860	1590640	There are so many opportunities to just share something and partner. I missed out on a couple
1590640	1595280	of great opportunities because of my own imposter syndrome right at the very beginning of my journey,
1595280	1599480	because I felt like I would be taking away from the voice of the person who had a clue,
1599480	1607080	because I knew I didn't feel like I had one. So, give yourself a break. But also, if you go to
1607080	1611780	these events and you feel that self-doubt chewing at you, know that everyone else is going through
1611780	1619560	it too. Maybe even the person standing up at the podium. The value to you at this ARC, when we're
1619560	1625500	not drinking from the fire hose, we're specializing, stay connected to people on social media. Begin to
1625500	1632200	build your interconnected network of people. And by doing that, I mean just be a human being to
1632200	1637060	other people. Actually get out there, get on social media, see what's going on in the world. Oh wait,
1637060	1641880	I saw an article about this thing that the person I follow was talking about. Maybe I could share it
1641880	1648220	with them. Ask if they've seen it before. Try to watch as you ask questions. Don't present like you
1648220	1653380	know everything. I know I've stepped in it a few times and had to go wash my shoes off with a hose.
1653660	1660040	It's going to happen. It just does. But realize that there's a chance to be and grow in part or in
1660040	1666520	whole as part of a community. And that's amazing. Give yourself time to grow. Give yourself a chance
1666520	1673560	to learn these things. And it may not come again on any particular timetable that we want or desire.
1673560	1683360	There's a larger picture here. You are drafting your great novel of your career path and
1684560	1689060	conferences can be a part of that because the people you meet along the way will contribute
1689060	1693800	to these chapters. Yeah, that's great. I think it's hilarious that you're going to tell me to
1693800	1698460	do all this stuff and get out there and go out and do all these things. You don't know what I'm
1698460	1704940	going through. I face all these issues. My butter sculpture is melting in the backyard right now,
1704940	1710000	you lunatic. And while I'm listening to you, I'm not out there tending the garden or fixing this
1710000	1716260	up or the milk is curdling or whatever. No, I can't possibly know that unless we interact.
1716440	1721820	And then it takes time and effort to stay connected. And we can't give up just because
1721820	1728360	things get bad or ugly. Because they will. Because life isn't easy. But we can take it
1728360	1733620	and we can turn it and push it through our imposter syndrome. Because there it is again.
1733620	1737860	Right as you've gone out and you said, wow, I've had a great time at this event. And you come back
1737860	1742440	with your little trip report you wrote up. And someone says, that's terrific. While you're off
1742440	1746880	partying, the rest of us were here working. That's where you pull up that trip report and say,
1746880	1753340	actually, John, Bob, Sally, Sue, Chrissy, whatever your name is. Here's what I was doing.
1753340	1758120	I actually got to meet these people and do these things. Whatever I do. I don't know if you have
1758260	1766320	a personal life, Sally, Sue, Johnny, Bravo, Samson. But it's not all fun and games. There
1766320	1771940	will be moments of levity. Goodness, I hope so. But there are also lots of times of learning and
1771940	1778680	growing together. So now let's say you're on to the third arc, the prestige class. You now have
1778860	1783980	a fancy hat and maybe some things, epaulets on your shoulder, a little pin here. Who knows? Maybe
1783980	1790100	you have a custom patch you wear. Because you are reaching out to the prestige class level.
1790100	1795620	You have now taken it to the point where you have gone and absorbed. This is the montage
1795620	1800480	has passed. And now it's further along. You maybe have a little gray at your temple. Who knows?
1800480	1804480	The point is you're at a level where you can turn around and start sharing what you've learned.
1804620	1808100	Maybe you've attended a lot of these events and you said, you know what, I actually feel pretty
1808100	1815720	good about my knowledge of sculpting icing into small animals that I now will wrap around
1816520	1821420	mechanized zoids that will now walk. And I can now go and tell people about this. Well, it turns
1821420	1827800	out there's lots of things you know that others may not know. It's your turn to start sharing
1827800	1834640	that information. And it's not going to be an easy road, necessarily. Maybe you were the class clown
1834640	1841020	and maybe getting up in front of people was easy for you. Not so for a lot of folks, right? Some
1841020	1844780	people, I think, would much rather pull their own teeth out with the back bumper of a vehicle than
1844780	1849960	try to get up in front of someone and share an idea like we're doing right here. But it's worth
1849960	1855960	it because it might be a progression, okay? So go and watch stand-up comedians, if you don't now,
1855960	1863600	and learn. Or if you really have no idea where to start with public speaking, there's a group
1863600	1870320	called the Toastmasters. Now, this is an entire subculture, okay? They exist. They're larger than
1870320	1877460	any DEF CON or B-Sides or any one group. There are thousands of these chapters around the world.
1877460	1882580	And they have their own competitions. And they will help harden you, prepare you, start you out
1882580	1890840	in understanding for how public speaking works. It is invaluable. It is amazing. And it's really
1890840	1895400	quite humbling because they have their own competitions, their own ladders to climb, but it
1895400	1902520	helps explain how public speaking works and gives you the tools to put in your backpack to bring
1902520	1907620	with you to conferences so that it isn't the scariest thing you've ever done. And that's
1907620	1912880	actually worth it. Again, Toastmasters, please take an opportunity, if you're going to learn to
1912880	1918200	present, and check out the local groups in your area. I can almost guarantee you there are several
1918200	1924860	wherever you are. And I mean that. That's not just where I live. I mean the chapters are amazing.
1925180	1930720	So grab your hairbrush, get in front of that mirror, and start talking. About what? As a friend
1930720	1938440	recently shared, the presentation that only you can give. If you spend 80 hours a week brushing
1938440	1944040	dogs, then that's what you're going to make your first talk about. Because that's what you know.
1944040	1949100	But get it down. Figure out how to tell your story. And if you can put up with it, I highly
1949100	1954040	encourage you to record yourself doing it. Get in front of the mirror. Go through it the first time.
1954080	1958380	This is going to take some time and effort, but you have to record it so you can go back and
1958380	1964680	look at what you've done. You have to be able to get back and examine and look for the nervous tick
1964680	1969340	you didn't know you had, and you're going to have to work on correcting it step at a time.
1969400	1977040	Whether it's trying to bite your nails on stage, or it's perhaps adding ums. How many ums have I
1977040	1983560	had in this presentation today? How many times did I stop, cough, or blink oddly? Have I constantly
1983560	1989000	rubbed at my eye with this finger? Whatever your situation is, it'll come out when you see the
1989000	1995180	recording. Now, always bring the video adapter with you. This is one of my little top tips because
1995180	2001280	I've worked AV for events. The expectation is always going to be that when you get there,
2001280	2006780	there is only going to be a live chicken and a small old bowl of oatmeal. So if you can bring
2006780	2012000	anything with you that will help the situation, I encourage you to do so. That means having your
2012000	2020780	laptop. Having your laptop with a connector that can send video out. Also having your presentation,
2020780	2025240	not only on the laptop, but on a thumb drive that you have brought with you and is in your
2025240	2031920	personal possession, maybe touching your body somewhere. Beyond that, I'm also going to encourage
2031920	2036700	you and say it again, bring the video adapter that goes with your laptop and has at least two kinds
2036700	2043160	of output on it. At least two kinds of output. Because sometimes you get on site and there isn't
2043820	2049080	the same projector you worked with at home. Or your laptop doesn't work well with it, but they
2049080	2055360	maybe can have a presenter laptop on hand for you, so you whip out the thumb drive. Or if all else
2055360	2060600	fails, you keep a backup also in your cloud that you can then download to your local device and
2060600	2069540	share using a local connection kind of technology. The point is, you need backups, folks. Backups,
2069540	2074460	of all things. If there's a carbon copy behind over here, that would be awesome, because it'd
2074460	2078960	be great, because I need them to go and fold the laundry right now. If you can have a backup for
2078960	2086480	you at your presentation time, have it. Especially, do you do demos? Do you like to try and invoke
2086480	2090760	crazy moments of random when you try to open something that worked five minutes ago, but now
2090760	2096640	you're live and on air, and you don't have something that plays? I'm telling you, you got to get out
2096640	2103080	there, but you got to go prepared. So please, pre-record your demos just in case. It's easier to
2103080	2108260	run a video than to stand there and dry wash your hands in front of people. Now, when you're going to
2108260	2114300	do it, you've got to go and prepare yourself for rejection. I know that sounds tough, and it kind of
2114300	2120040	is, but it's worth it, because you have to audition in a sense, and it's called the CFP, or call for
2120040	2125600	presentation, and every conference will have a different process. It might be helpful to go and
2125600	2131300	look online for conferences in your part of the world. For example, if I go and look for
2131300	2139280	Information Security Conferences North America, I have been able to locate schedules that include
2139280	2145040	not only the name of conferences that are coming up, but also of when their submission times are,
2145040	2149920	and when they wrap. Someone has a heart for this. There are folks who have a passion for
2149920	2155840	helping others to share their ideas, and since that's what we're about right now, go for it. You
2155840	2162100	can choose to do it locally, practice at your local meetup event, but then take that show on the road.
2162100	2168920	Go do it, and your confidence will come through to the audience. But okay, so why am I doing that?
2169280	2175160	Why would I go and put myself through all this stress, and singing into a hairbrush, and why would
2175160	2183400	I go to all this trouble? Because it adds value to who you are, and what your contribution can be.
2183440	2189440	Conferences can inform our self-confidence, because now if we imagine that this is easier,
2189440	2195060	I had to go talk to my boss, and my boss makes me nervous. I just got up this weekend and presented
2195060	2202180	in front of a hundred people, a thousand people, ten people, whatever it was, and isn't this easier
2202180	2207920	now because you've done that? Sure, you know this person doesn't necessarily have a response, but you
2207920	2213100	didn't get booed off stage, did you? No, you made it through, and if you did get booed off stage,
2213100	2219260	that's okay. That colors things in, too. Definitely that would have sucked, sorry,
2219880	2226620	but come back from it anyway. The ability to present is an essential part of communication,
2226620	2232080	whether you're pitching ideas in an elevator, or you are trying to share about a report that
2232080	2237680	comes out every week. And every time you get up to share about that report in your group,
2237680	2242700	or in your team meeting, you will have learned or taken something away, whether that informs
2242700	2248360	your ability to present at an event, or your presentations at an event help inform your
2248360	2254100	internal confidence. It is so worthwhile to management because you're going to go and say,
2254100	2261840	I can do, I can do this thing. Just keep in mind that if your boss or your team sees that you can
2261840	2267680	now present and they start pushing you out there, try not to outshine the top dog in your community
2267680	2275400	because it's about showing respect as well as having the ability to represent. So again,
2275400	2280660	if you're really good at it, just try not to show up other people. Be respectful of what they're
2280660	2284740	doing and what they're there to do for you and what you're doing for your team. So learning to
2284740	2290240	speak will help your self-confidence and it will help on very tough situations like job interviews,
2290240	2294480	which are very much like presentations because that's the dog and pony moment, isn't it?
2294480	2300200	Your resume is the only place where you will ever be this perfect, ever. By the way, if you haven't
2300200	2307600	taken advantage of it, I hope you stopped and take advantage of the opportunity for live resume
2307600	2313040	review that may be going on right now. And if it happened in the past, go look for it in a future
2313040	2317880	event and look for career tracks and opportunities to have someone help you examine a third person,
2317880	2321860	an outside party, to take a look at that resume, to make sure that you're polishing it the right
2321860	2326740	way, to make sure your tone and your story is getting told in the best way it possibly can.
2326740	2331620	Because getting back to it, presenting at conferences puts you into a whole new group of
2331620	2337940	people, the actual presenters, and they will grow as part of your personal network, just like you
2337940	2343320	are becoming part of theirs. It can allow for opportunities to bounce ideas off of someone
2343320	2348200	in your field or in a different field. Maybe you get to learn more about their story and they can
2348200	2355060	definitely help you polish up yours. This has actually been one of the best experiences I've
2355060	2360300	had, where I've been able to communicate and connect with someone I met at another event,
2360300	2365860	and we share ideas when trying to come up with new talks. And they're hopefully going to be honest
2365860	2372140	with you. And because they do it, they're hopefully thinking in a way that supports you as well.
2372140	2378880	But that's just me talking, right? Cool story, bro. You don't know. I have crippling anxiety.
2378880	2384560	I have a missing left arm. And if you do, more power to you, because you're awesome and you get
2384560	2389600	through the day and you do what needs to be done. Those who make it happen, make it happen.
2389660	2395640	You are going to be one of those people if you can, right? So take advantage of the opportunities
2395640	2402520	in front of you and go for it. I don't know you. You don't necessarily know me, but I know we all
2402520	2408220	deal with imposter syndrome. See, here we are again at that level, boss. I'm terrified of getting in
2408220	2413380	front of people. What if I stutter? What if I trip up? What if I say something? What if I drop
2413380	2420800	the microphone? What if I literally trip on stage? You get up, dust yourself off, you say, excuse me,
2421380	2427200	take a couple of breaths, and you pick it back up. I started out very early on being
2427200	2434220	very filled with anxiety and nervous, and I showed many personal things I thought that would lighten
2434220	2439620	the mood, which turned out not to necessarily be the greatest thing to do during the presentation.
2439620	2446380	So if I can encourage you, wiggle your toes. Yes, I'm serious. When you're standing up in front of
2446380	2451620	people, wiggle your toes. Those of you wearing open-toed shoes, this may not be for you.
2451780	2459000	However, wiggle your toes like mad. Why? If you like to podium dance, you have a thing you like
2459000	2465020	to do, and you don't know that you're doing it, and it kind of can get distracting from your topic,
2465020	2471380	wiggle your toes. And I mean, like, go crazy with the wiggling, because what it does is it puts all
2471380	2476900	that nervous energy away from where people are looking. Now, me, I talk a lot with my hands. I
2476900	2481780	try to keep it down, but it's just kind of a thing. A friend used to joke that if they handcuffed me
2481780	2487460	hands behind my back, I might not be able to talk, and I think they're right. But if you're in front
2487460	2491980	of people, if you wiggle your toes, you'll find that it takes some of that nervous energy and
2491980	2497260	puts it somewhere else, and it's not a distraction for you or others. And it lets you get on with the
2497260	2504580	thing, where you can start the fourth arc. Now, now you've arrived. You are going to turn the tables
2504580	2510620	because you've obviously lost your mind, because you're going to try to put on an event. When you
2510620	2515880	get to this level, giving back to the community becomes an important mission of its own. Seek
2515880	2521000	partnerships, because that's what happened to me. I started to go out and present and share a little
2521000	2526660	bit here and there, and then realized there was an opportunity in my local community in San Antonio,
2526660	2533040	Texas. I've been here 30 years. I got to tell you something. This has been one of the most rewarding
2533660	2539100	reasons to stick around, is being able to help other people to find their career path, whether
2539100	2545180	they're at the very beginning or getting ready to retire. Finding people who are willing to share
2545180	2551440	their ideas, give of their time, it's very rewarding. It is, however, a little maddening,
2551440	2556940	because at this point, it could open doors to bigger things at work. Once people see that you're
2556940	2562320	starting to organize a group, or they hear that you're putting on an event, and it gets known, you
2562320	2568540	may be asked to present about that, or how the organization supported it. There are many, many
2568540	2574520	opportunities, but don't miss out on them. And just because you participate in the operation of an
2574520	2580580	event or a meetup, it does not necessarily mean the same thing as business management, by the way.
2580580	2585560	Herding cats and herding cats. There are different kinds. Just like there are many kinds of cats,
2585560	2593040	there are many types of management. So it's easy for this to get confused, but it can still provide
2593040	2598760	value. And it can take longer than you think to get it right. The very first B-Side San Antonio
2598760	2605740	I helped with, I was like the number three person. And then a few years go by, and I'm asked,
2605740	2613400	given the opportunity, and I had to take it. It's not easy, but now you're looking at a whole new
2613400	2618500	kind of value to bring to the team, because you can now build contacts. You can leverage your
2618500	2624660	coordination skills. Ask for help. It's easier than you think, and much harder than you think.
2624660	2632280	But asking for help is important, because otherwise it's very easy to sink. And you'd
2632280	2637740	rather not try to test those waters. So be honest with yourself when there's a problem,
2637740	2644020	and be thankful, oh so thankful, for willing partners. What I mean by be thankful is tell them
2644020	2648600	you appreciate them. Let them know that that thing they just did, that rock they moved out
2648600	2654200	of your way that you could not move, let them know you appreciate it. Do not wait. Send them
2654300	2660800	a thank you note. Send them something edible that works for their digestive tract. I know that's a
2660800	2667380	silly way to say that, but you get the idea. Be appreciative. Remember, this doesn't happen
2667380	2672280	without the help of other people. So there are all new challenges when you get to the fourth arc,
2672280	2677900	by the way. Marketing, budgeting, planning skills, I never really knew I had. They're
2677900	2683340	going to come up, and you must learn to work with your volunteer army. All of this to tell you,
2684920	2690740	that each of these steps along the way, you have to work with other people and resolve on the fly
2690740	2696980	sometimes. But that's a fun story, because I'm not even... I have an internship. I don't even have
2696980	2702080	that. I'm just trying to decide if I need to go for a degree plan, or if I need to get a
2702080	2705780	certification, because you don't know what I'm going through right now. You don't know how hard
2705780	2710140	it is. I can barely put food on the table. I'm supposed to go and help someone else learn how to
2710140	2718240	start a career path. You'd be surprised. And you will, if you get off that wall, get out of the
2718240	2726940	chair, get off the couch, and get engaged. Because even though I had massive imposter syndrome,
2726940	2734000	trying to operate beside San Antonio, we had a very successful year this year. Not because of me.
2734000	2742240	But everyone from our sponsorship team, to our events team, the AV folks, everybody, even our
2742240	2747540	ombudsman. And you can ask the organizer of this village about the ombudsman, should you be curious
2747540	2753780	what that's about. The point is, there are so many ways that we can overcome this, if we try.
2754200	2760300	And all of this work, all of this effort, all of these things that we try to do, we must beware
2760300	2766580	the beast of burnout when you are done. So done. How done are you? Everything stresses you out.
2766580	2771460	There's nothing that could bring you back from the edge. You cannot even imagine getting up and doing
2771460	2779760	the thing again, whatever it is. This is the time to take a well-earned break, take a step back.
2779780	2784520	I don't know if you've ever had one, but I have days where all technology feels like it has turned
2784520	2789320	against me. I don't know what happens, but it's like I could pick up a small plastic object,
2789320	2794420	and it would snap in half just by me touching it. And oh, if it's one of those days, maybe it's time to
2794420	2802140	take a step back and read a book or go for a walk or something. Get away from it for a while, but then
2802140	2808400	when you come back, look and see what it is that got you interested in the first place. What was it
2808400	2814800	that sparked your interest or gave you the drive to do this? And we go back to the art of noise
2814800	2824220	story from the beginning. I did not like the Yes album 90125, and I went out of my way to ignore it
2824220	2831180	and push all of that stuff away for years. 15, 20 years passes, and I go back and read an article out
2831180	2836240	of one of those Where Are They Now magazines or retrospectives about a band, and the article
2836240	2840940	mentions how there was a major change in what they were doing and how they partnered with a specific
2840940	2847600	group of people during the time. Because Yes as a band failed. Someone else came in, a new vector
2848140	2853880	came in, and they partnered with someone. It changed everything about that band and gave them
2853880	2860800	another 25 years of life. Why? Because just like burnout, when something has run its course
2860800	2866220	and you're not sure why you're doing it anymore, there is benefit to be had by going back and
2866220	2872640	re-examining what it was that got you started. Or read into the very thing that sparked your
2872640	2877360	interest to begin with and see if anything new has come up. It can take you down another road,
2877440	2883800	a new path, and open all new doors. Inform something you thought you knew for a long time
2883800	2890080	as a held belief, and maybe that fundamentally changes for you and changes you in the process.
2890080	2896240	So that reflection can change so much about you, because at the end of the day, we need each other,
2896240	2903620	right? I mean, everybody who, even people who don't like other people, need someone to tell
2903620	2909520	that to, okay? And because I firmly believe this, and sounding boards are really helpful. You've
2909520	2914400	got to be able to share your ideas and figure out where things fit. And honest feedback makes
2914400	2920060	everything better, as hard as it can be sometimes. No, no, the baby's ugly. Yes, I'm sorry, I have to
2920060	2927200	be the one to tell you. So, fine. That's all easy for me to say, right? But I'm here to tell you that if
2927200	2933400	the underperforming kid in seventh grade who went on his lunch and hid out in the AV room and
2934880	2940220	enjoyed rolling the cart into the classroom with the filmstrip projector, and being the kid who
2940220	2948260	could turn the thing that meant to turn the knob, if you can be that guy and end up where I am now,
2948260	2954500	oh my goodness, I don't know any way better than that to tell you. This is something you can do.
2954560	2961280	This is something you can actually do. You have to be able to break your own mold and move past
2961280	2967460	it. We just put on a B-side San Antonio that blew away all of my, our expectations, right?
2967640	2974320	We had over a thousand people. We had people participating from six countries. I didn't expect
2974320	2982780	that, but you can't expect it, but you should try for it. So that's what we're here to do.
2982780	2989400	Cool story, bro. You don't know me. I'm fighting my own imposter syndrome on my own battles,
2989400	2994540	but that's the point. We're here to build a community and let's try to build it together
2994540	3002500	and make it better. I very much appreciate your time and your ears and your eyes,
3002500	3006620	and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day. And thank you. I hope you have a great time
3006620	3011680	checking out the rest of the Career Hacking Village and DEF CON Safe Mode. Thank you very
3011680	3019600	much. I am Psionic Nerd. Stephen, thank you so much. I really appreciate you sharing how you've
3019600	3025400	woven your career throughout all of the career, all the conferences that you've attended and
3025400	3031300	produced, and it's a really great roadmap for everyone in their careers. I know everyone's
3031300	3036560	going to be looking forward to asking you questions in the Discord channel. And as you
3036560	3042400	mentioned, we do also have resume review going on and career coaching. Just ping us in the career
3042400	3047020	channel and we'll be able to tell you where that is. Take care, everyone. Enjoy the rest
3047020	3047980	of the conference.