For Rik, choosing a career in IT was a natural decision. “As long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in IT,” he says. “In my free time, I built websites, worked on small projects and taught myself different programming languages.”

After completing secondary school, he deliberately chose the Cloud & Cybersecurity program at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences. “I wanted something more hands-on than pure theory. I was hesitating between application development and cybersecurity, but security felt like something for the future. It seemed exciting and challenging.”

Looking for a new challenge

When selecting his internship at Resilient Security, Rik consciously avoided taking the easiest path. “I chose the internship project that interested me the most and that I had no prior experience with,” he explains. “Microsoft Security isn’t covered extensively at school, and practical security experience is generally quite limited. That’s exactly why I wanted to learn more about it.”

During his internship, Rik became part of the Resilient PROTECT team, where he worked on an internal application related to Microsoft Security configurations. “I enjoy exploring something new and turning it into something tangible that people can actually use. The application helps visualize customer environments, making onboarding easier and allowing everyone to quickly understand how a customer’s environment is structured.”

What surprised him most was the breadth of services offered by Resilient Security. “Before I started, I actually thought Resilient only focused on Microsoft Security. But I quickly discovered that there are many more domains and areas of expertise.”

More than technology

Besides the technical challenges, the company culture also stood out. “The atmosphere here is very friendly,” Rik explains. “I’ve worked in larger teams during student jobs before, but there you often feel like just another number. Here, everyone knows each other and you genuinely feel part of the team.”

One highlight of his internship immediately comes to mind: “The BeResilient event a few weeks ago was definitely one of the highlights for me. Spending time together with the entire team at the rooftop event was a great experience.”

An international next step

After graduating, a new adventure is already waiting. At the end of August, Rik will move to Gothenburg, Sweden, where he will pursue an additional cybersecurity specialization at a renowned university.

“I’ll also complete another internship there. After that, I’ll see what the future brings. Maybe I’ll continue studying, maybe I’ll start working. And who knows, maybe our paths will cross again at Resilient someday.”

What excites him most about cybersecurity? “Researching new developments is much more interesting to me than simply implementing existing solutions. Take AI, for example. Those kinds of evolutions really fascinate me.”

Advice for future interns

His most important advice for students about to start an internship? “Just give it a try.”

“It definitely helps if you’re independent and willing to take initiative. At Resilient, you get a lot of freedom, but that’s also why you learn so much.”

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Thinking about your next career step in cybersecurity?
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