3 mistakes I made early in my cybersecurity career that slowed my growth 📈

They were mindset mistakes.

1️⃣ Nodding when I didn't understand.

I'd sit in meetings with people who seemed to know everything, and I assumed I was expected to know everything too.

Instead of asking questions, I'd tell myself, "I'll look it up later."

Most of the time, later never came.

I was more worried about looking like I didn't know something than actually learning it.

2️⃣ Skipping the hard bits.

Whenever I came across something difficult, I'd convince myself it wasn't that important or that I could come back to it later.

I looked for shortcuts.

But I've learned there really aren't any.

If something is important for your career, whether it's a technical skill or a soft skill, invest the time to learn it properly. It will save you hours, months, and even years later.

3️⃣ Thinking I had to agree with people who were more experienced.

I believed that because someone was more senior, they had to be right.

So I stayed quiet and agreed, even when I had a different perspective.

Over time, I realised you don't need to make yourself smaller to fit in.

Your perspective, your experiences, and your way of thinking are part of the reason you were hired in the first place.

That doesn't mean disagreeing for the sake of it.

It means learning how to ask questions, challenge ideas respectfully, and contribute your own perspective.

These are the three mistakes I've made, learned from, and now try to avoid every day.

What's one mistake you made early in your career that taught you the biggest lesson?