Adam Kujawa
Malwarebytes
New Orleans, LA USA
"You might spend a lot of time climbing a hill or trying to make a difference, but when you get someone who comes up and says, ‘You guys really saved me,’ that makes it all worth it."
Career Roadmap
Adam's work combines: Engineering, Technology, and Problem Solving
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
My dad worked in technology and I often saw him struggle with how complicated the industry can get. I decided to go into the Navy instead. While there, my love of computers followed me and I eventually realized that I wanted to work with them. I took my failures and struggles with other pursuits to be a sign that I was meant to do this.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Computer Software Engineering
Westwood College-Denver North
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be an Information Security Analysts:
High School
Bachelor's Degree: Computer Science
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
His interest in computers started when he was a kid; when he was three years old, he helped his dad build an 8-bit home computer called the Commodore 64.
2.
His dad worked in technology and Adam saw him struggling from time to time, so although he enjoyed working on computers, he decided that life wasn’t for him.
3.
Instead, he joined the Navy, where he took a position in signal analysis...which he ultimately didn’t enjoy very much.
4.
So after finishing his service, he decided to start down a new path, and became the first person in his family to go to college.
5.
He originally declared as an art major, but on his first assignment, he received a “D” because he was more focused on the technical aspects of art rather than the emotional components.
6.
He took that grade as the final sign that he was meant to work in programming, and switched his major to software development.
7.
Malware analysis was a class he’d taken and enjoyed while he was in the Navy, so in college, he started to gravitate back towards that field.
8.
He’s now been working for Malwarebytes for over five years; the company blocks malware, which is software designed to extort money from people through an array of hacking tactics.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
I don't want to do this.
How I responded:
My dad worked in technology and I often saw him struggle with how complicated the industry can get. I decided to go into the Navy instead. While there, my love of computers followed me and I eventually realized that I wanted to work with them. I took my failures and struggles with other pursuits to be a sign that I was meant to do this.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I am the first in my immediate family to attend college/university and I didn't really have any idea what I was doing.
I was originally declared as an art major, but I received a “D” on my first project because I was more focused on the technical aspects of art rather than the emotional components.