Andreea Ilie studied Japanese and East Asian culture during her university years, but had a strong interest in IT. She taught herself using free online resources in her free time, and eventually managed to secure an IT job despite her lack of formal training and experience. In 2017, Andreea heard about the Linux Foundation Training (LiFT) Scholarship program and decided to submit an application.
Andreea’s interest in Linux and open source was clear to the scholarship judges, as she already had a few Python projects hosted on GitHub at the time. She was selected as the recipient of a Linux Newbies scholarship, which enabled her to enroll in the Essentials of System Administration training course and to take the Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator exam.
We followed up with Andreea recently to hear what she’s been up to since completing her Linux Foundation training.
Linux Foundation: What was the most useful thing you learned through this training?
Andreea: The LFCS scholarship gave me exposure to some system administration activities that I had not experienced before. I had mostly learned on my own with the objective of working in information security, but the course provided a structured approach and went more in-depth on some specific configurations and troubleshooting areas that boosted my confidence in Linux-based activities at my job. I’ve also had colleagues reach out to me more for assistance with Linux related tasks.
LF: Has your job changed since receiving the scholarship? What did you do before, and what are you doing now?
AI: I haven’t specifically worked as a Linux sysadmin, as I’ve been in information security from the beginning, switching between defense and offense as needed. However the knowledge gained from certification has certainly played a part in my progress.
LF: What’s next for you?
AI: At some point, I would like to go more in-depth and attempt the LFCE (Linux Foundation Certified Engineer exam) and possibly other courses from The Linux Foundation. I am thankful for the opportunity and hope The Linux Foundation will continue this initiative; it’s very helpful and encouraging for fresh recruits into the world of Linux and tech in general!
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2020 LiFT scholarship applications have closed, and winners will be announced in late June.
