All images by Xue Qi Ow Yeong for RICE Media.
Carmen Lim leans back in her foldable chair, taking in the tranquility of the night.
The carpark at East Coast Park is where the 29-year-old goes after a long day in the office fending off malicious hackers.
The dull roar of car engines can be heard in the distance. A car meet is happening.
The scent of gasoline and burnt rubber lingers, an unlikely contrast to the sea breeze that cuts through the air. For Carmen, it’s a welcome escape from the confines of her desk-bound job as an associate consultant in cybersecurity.
We imagine the world of cybersecurity as a digital fortress—a dark room illuminated only by the glow of multiple monitors. Hooded figures hunched over desks, fingers flying across clacky keyboards as lines of code cascade down screens, Matrix-style.
Carmen laughs and explains that aside from the computers (and mechanical keyboards), that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth.
“[It involves] sales, engineers, technicians, helpdesk, programmers, developers, deployment engineers. It’s not just hacking or finding viruses,” she clarifies.
The unpredictable tension of the job, however, is accurate. Cyber attacks can happen anytime, so professionals like Carmen can be left with little room to rest. The pressure to quickly mitigate digital damage, investigate the cause, and implement countermeasures is intense.
Add on the heavy responsibility of securing sensitive data, and the stakes—and stress levels—are high.
But Carmen doesn’t let the weight of the job or the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated field define her. Instead, she embraces her duality.
By night, she escapes the digital battlefield, immersing herself in the roar of engines and shiny cars. Because when you’re constantly learning and adapting to a tough job market that keeps demanding, sometimes you need a crash course in taking the wheel.
Getting Schooled
Carmen’s interest in the industry began at a young age. Attending CHIJ Toa Payoh secondary school, she was heavily involved in the IT club, surrounded by computers and gadgets. Her after-school routine at home meant glueing herself to the TV and immersing herself in shows involving forensics and computers—Crime Watch, IT Crowd, and CSI.
It was no surprise that she wasted no time pursuing her dream career. Two weeks after receiving her Diploma in InfoComm Technology via PSB Academy, she joined the workforce in 2017.
The road to getting a job was surprisingly smooth. PSB Academy provided her final examination results prior to a graduation certificate, which enabled her to secure work quickly despite being a fresh graduate.
Despite landing her first job as a support engineer at IT service management firm Exclusive Networks right after her diploma, Carmen’s driven nature wasn’t satisfied. She craved a deeper understanding of the industry beyond just hands-on experience.
This prompted her to return to PSB Academy a year later, in 2018, to pursue a part-time degree —offered by Coventry University—in Ethical Hacking and Cybersecurity, with a desire to dive further into its theories.
“I really wanted to be where I am today, a part of cyberspace, helping to safeguard my family. The modules taught in PSB Academy during my diploma—especially in cryptography and computer forensics—spearheaded the direction I wanted to pursue. I have no regrets,” Carmen says.
Carmen’s laid-back character and eccentricity juxtapose the image of an introvert working quietly behind a computer screen. Despite her usual casual attire of a dry-fit T-shirt and slippers, she easily commands presence with her loud and expressive nature, basking in the atmosphere of her extensive social circles.
In other words, one wouldn’t expect Carmen to be someone working in cybersecurity. Her parents wanted her to enter healthcare, but she blatantly refused. Eventually, after much debate, her mum gave up and told her: “You better prove me wrong.”
It was a phrase that lit a fire under her to pursue a career path as a digital specialist, staying one step ahead in a world where every click counts. These days, her parents are a lot more supportive—they even covered the school fees for her degree and her current Master’s programme.
But it wasn’t easy. She began her career journey as a Level 1 troubleshooting engineer, slowly climbing up the ranks and becoming a security engineer with a lead position in the dark web.
After eight years in the industry, she solely handles high-profile clients (that she can’t reveal out of confidentiality) as an associate consultant in an international firm. Her theoretical knowledge in cybersecurity, used to maintain security infrastructures and deliver expert technical advice against cyber threats, is highly valued—so it’s no surprise that she earns a “comfortable” salary.
While most are lured by the promise of cybersecurity being an “easy and high-paying” job, Carmen debunks the stereotypes and waves off the opinion that anyone can learn to be a professional just by being good with computers.
“Don’t expect to jump in and immediately secure a high-paying job. You have to work for it,” she affirms.
“Sure, now it’s very in, and people assume they can learn everything on YouTube. In reality, YouTube tutorials can only give you a small head start. Employers are more interested in whether you enjoy the profession because it’s an interest that will keep prospective employees in the cybersecurity world.”
Activating Overdrive
Carmen agrees that the nature of her job is demanding—keeping up with cyberspace, staying ahead of AI shifts, and constantly adapting. But the real challenge? Staying relevant in an industry that refuses to stand still.
Despite the demands of her job, the adrenaline from fighting off a major cyber attack—like the Sunburst hack that hit SolarWinds—never fails to keep her work days interesting.
“Some companies don’t have the latest software updates to protect themselves. I feel proud that in such situations, I play a part in protecting them—smoothly updating their systems, making sure everything runs safely without causing major delays or disruptions to their work,” she says.
“Sure, it’s stressful having to work within a scheduled downtime, but I feel like a superhero saving the day.”
Her work day starts at 9 AM. After completing her usual routine of checking emails, Carmen travels islandwide to offer her consultation to high-profile clients with solutions for their cybersecurity database. The nature of her job also requires her to be on-call outside of typical office hours to provide emergency support.
Aside from the strenuous job scope, cybersecurity is known for its unpredictable hours. Reluctantly, Carmen answers that it’s a taboo topic for her and her colleagues.
While the hours are mostly fixed, overtime depends on the role, often extending three to four times a month. Some nights stretch past midnight, leaving Carmen little time to unwind.
Yet long hours aren’t the only challenge. In a field dominated by men, women in tech are often boxed into stereotypes—that they aren’t technical enough, mathematical geniuses, or they can’t balance family and personal life. But Carmen defies that image entirely, stepping into her role as a proud woman in STEM.
There are still more men than women on her team on the engineering side—two out of seven, to be exact—but it doesn’t make her feel any less about herself.
“The tech sector is vast, and it feels good to be able to break the stereotype that women are ‘lousy’ or ‘incompetent’ because they might not be tech-savvy,” she explains.
“While there are more men engineers, any promotions are solely based on our performance and skillsets.”
Breaking the Mainframe
Within the controlled work environment, Carmen is quiet and focused, concentrating on the screen and the task at hand, barely noticing the passage of time. Outside work hours, though, her bubbly persona shines through.
Her friends have dubbed her ‘siao zhar bor’ or ‘crazy woman’, especially when she says or does random things out of the blue. But how does she maintain her fun-loving persona in an environment that might appear mundane to everyone outside the industry? She spends her time as far away from computers as possible.
For someone whose life revolves around firewalls and code, her offline passion is unexpected—spending weekends at car meets, swapping stories over the roar of engines and the gleam of custom rides.
Car meets for Carmen began as a casual meetup among mutual friends in 2020 at Kent Ridge Park. As part of the Singapore Convertible Club, she joins car meets hosted by other car enthusiasts in her purple Mazda Miata Mx5 NC convertible.
“I felt like I could relax, talk about anything under the sun with my friends and make new ones. It’s where we discuss car-related topics with other car enthusiasts.”
It’s a safe space where Carmen isn’t seen as a computer geek. Instead, it serves as a much-needed respite—especially after working overtime till 3 AM.
Over time, she would go for organised meets that included a younger generation of car spotters.
“I remember once, during a car meet, I met another cybersecurity professional. She approached me, and we could bond over our mutual connections. I feel content knowing that I can share my experience, seek advice from other professionals, and talk about the next big thing in the cyber world, even at a car meet,” she says.
As for her guilty pleasure? She’s almost embarrassed to admit it: Sunday mornings at the supermarket with her grandmother and aunt. It’s a quiet ritual she secretly loves.
It’s Okay To Hit the Brakes
With cybersecurity professionals reporting feelings of anxiety and exhaustion and feeling constantly “on edge” for fear that something will slip through the cracks, an outlet for relaxation is immensely important to ensure peak performance.
For Carmen, packing her free time with activities and her friends and family end up being the key factors that drive her to continue in her line of work.
“As my parents grow older, I want to protect people like them,” she says. “My job helps protect the vulnerable. It’s like locking the door every day.”
Carmen looks back at her career journey and acknowledges how different the road to attaining her goal would have been if she hadn’t chosen PSB Academy as her school of choice.
“I remember facing a lot of negativity coming from the Normal stream and then ITE. If I had gone to a different school, its learning structure would be different. The opportunities PSB Academy has provided me—especially to advocate for the cybersecurity space—has allowed me to inspire other cybersecurity professionals and help motivate further upskilling to others.”
Pursuing her part-time degree in Ethical Hacking and Cybersecurity at Coventry University in 2020 played a crucial part in her career path. Her interest in cryptography and computer forensics piqued her interest in her current role and added the theoretical know-how to make her a better cybersecurity consultant.
Her expertise grew when she took up a Master of Science in Cybersecurity, learning more about architectural design, development, and system implementation security. It helped her understand her customers’ environments better, allowing her to better cater to their needs and provide solutions that can genuinely help.
The education, modules, lecturers, and classmates she encountered during her time at PSB Academy motivated her and further piqued her curiosity about the cybersecurity industry.
Experts mentored her through hands-on classes; real-world case studies sharpened her skills, while seasoned professionals offered invaluable insights as she navigated her part-time degree.
And as someone who found her footing in a longer but fulfilling journey, she takes pride in championing private education, challenging the misconceptions that surround it.
Drive For Success
The proof of her education is in the job market pudding. Throughout her stint as a cybersecurity professional, she’s had positive feedback from recruiters, headhunters, and employers on her qualifications.
Being able to lean on the thorough curriculum, courses and modules from Coventry University and PSB Academy has added significant value to her cybersecurity portfolio. It helps that her desire for continuous learning and upskilling showcases how dedicated and passionate she is about the industry.
Striving to prove herself, she’s managed to hold her own in a high-strung industry while still staying true to her approachable and eccentric self.
“Don’t let your work be your identity,” Carmen emphasises.
Instead, she encourages women to challenge the stereotypes to prove that gender doesn’t define capability—nor does it define their authenticity.
“Just be yourself. Prove to your family that the career of your choice is what you’re good at and it’s what you enjoy. At the end of the day, your identity is not defined by your job, but your personality,” she continues.
With the industry looking for a myriad of skilled professionals across various sectors—from finance to healthcare—to join the thriving cybersecurity scene, individuals can dive into PSB Academy’s holistic education to figure out their area of expertise, especially with its tailored courses and progression pathways to global universities such as Coventry University.
Carmen prefaces that the industry keeps individuals on their toes. But it’s well worth it, especially if they’re well-prepared.
“Stay curious, stay sharp, and keep learning and upskilling. Most importantly, you have to believe in yourself. Cyber threats never sleep, so we have to be ready to adapt and protect. If you think you’re ready to help protect the people you love from the threats in cyberspace and you have the passion, then keep pushing for it!”
