National Security Agency

Good jobs change lives, and all workers – including those with disabilities – deserve the opportunity to prepare for and succeed in them. This year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month theme is “Access to Good Jobs for All.” Stay tuned to learn how we support our valued employees with disabilities. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eQsUZ9U

“Now that I’m here, I don’t see myself leaving.” Learn why our employees stick around – from a mission-driven work culture to professional development opportunities, a career at NSA is more than just a job. Check out the latest episode of No Such Podcast on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

#StoriesOfNSA - When I was young, my aunt would tell me that I should go to work at NASA. So growing up in Puerto Rico, I heard a lot about NASA and became a scientist. However, I knew nothing about NSA! Then, one day while working at a national lab, I received a phone call from the woman who would become my first supervisor at the National Security Agency. She was looking for someone with the skills and diversity of talent to manage and lead a technical workforce. I struggled a lot with this transition but being a manager was not the challenge; it was the change from academia to government. It was very difficult at first, but I wanted to commit, help people, and contribute to the NSA mission. I had to re-train myself and learn the different types of behaviors and individual’s personalities, and how to interact with them. It didn’t matter that I had a PhD and 3 postdoctoral degrees. This was yet another challenge, and I addressed it the way I had dealt with previous challenges. NSA gave me the opportunity to continue my professional development. I took courses, read books, and practiced what I learned. I built my interpersonal communication skills, worked on strategy, career development, continued education, etc. I was now responsible for the careers of my employees and wanted to make sure I was there for them as my previous supervisors and mentors were there for me. On my first team here, I was in my early 30's and most of my team members were very young, just out of college. I needed to find a way to connect with them. I found out they played video games - so I bought my very first video game console. It allowed me to communicate more effectively with them and find out more about their interests. It was an amazing experience! After that, we as a team would go out to the movies and watch TV shows together. That was something that I loved. I cherish that first group so much because I got to grow as a leader and as a human. NSA is a wonderful place to grow professionally and contribute to mission. You get to engage and collaborate with the intelligence community, academia and industry. I even had the opportunity to participate in outreach/recruitment events with the Hispanic Latino Employee Resource Group. I also enjoyed the opportunity to give back and be a mentor. I work with our Mental Health services right now to help new Hispanic and Latino employees. I like to help them to have a family away from home. Throughout my NSA career, I became a better person, a more proficient manager, an improved leader, and I am still learning. A great mentor once told me, “Move your potential energy towards kinetic energy.” Taking care of people and learning are still some of my favorite things.

When tasked with maintaining NSA’s technical superiority, expertise and out-of-the box thinking are critical, but so is idea sharing. Join us next week to find out more about how the agency’s culture fosters innovation from Latoshka and others. https://bit.ly/3XtvWiU

We are committed to the advancement of women in the workforce, and that’s why we are attending the 2024 Women of Color STEM DTX Conference. Stop by to speak to an NSA recruiter at Booth #304 to learn more about the exciting STEM opportunities available at the agency. https://bit.ly/3ZAUPMh

When you’re looking for a job, an important step is to figure out what it’s like to work there – the benefits, the drawbacks, the real truth. Today, you can get that insight from two real NSA employees on the most recent episode of No Such Podcast. Ashley and Vanessa discuss how you can do anything at NSA – from technical roles to office professionals to leadership and beyond, everyone has a place here. Check it out on YouTube or download wherever you get your podcasts!

Last year, NSA raised over $2 million to support those in need in our local community and around the world. This month, we’re kicking off the 2024 Combined Federal Campaign, during which our employees have the opportunity to donate to thousands of participating charities. Stay tuned to find out how the campaign unfolds and learn more about CFC: https://givecfc.org/

NSA is proud to join the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre and a wide range of co-sealers on a new Cybersecurity Information Sheet to provide six guiding principles that strengthen the cybersecurity of operational technology (OT) environments. Read this joint advisory to learn about the importance of creating and maintaining a safe, secure OT environment for critical infrastructure. https://lnkd.in/eSrnRi8G

We’re excited to continue our campus career tour this week. Stop by to hear about internship and professional opportunities across many different fields of expertise, including engineering, mathematics, computer science, business, acquisition and more!

For anyone who has ever wanted to know what it’s really like to work at the National Security Agency, our next podcast episode is for you. Real employees, real stories. Don’t miss it – subscribe to No Such Podcast wherever you get your shows!